Analog Devices,inc.

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Thomas Kieran Nunan

Li Chen

Kuang L Yang

Timothy J Brosnihan

Xin Zhang

John R Martin

Christine H Tsau

Diego Emilio Serrano

Jason W Weigold

Craig E Core

Amir Rahafrooz

Changhan Hobie Yun

Kieran P Harney

Susan A Alie

Lawrence E Felton

Sunil Ashok Bhave

William David Sawyer

Jeffrey A Gregory

Jinbo Kuang

Thomas Chen

Eugene Oh Hwang

David Grosjean

Bruce K Wachtmann

Ijaz Hussain Jafri

James S Sellars

Denis M O'Kane

Sagnik Pal

Ijaz Jafri

A mechanical resonator includes two identical plates, and a decoupling structure comprising at least two first connectors, each first connector connecting the decoupling structure to a respective one of the two identical plates, and an anchor disposed at a center of the decoupling structure. Each of the two identical plates may be a square plate adapted to resonate in Lamé-mode. Further, each of the two identical plates may comprise a plurality of square plates, each square plate disposed next to one another. The decoupling structure further comprises a first ring connected to each of the two identical plates via a respective one of the at least two first connectors. The decoupling structure may further comprise a second ring connected to an inside of the first ring via at least two second connectors, wherein the anchor is disposed at a center of the second ring.

Single anchor resonators

A sensing device includes an anchor having a central axis that defines a first radial direction and a second radial direction, and a resonant member flexibly supported by the anchor that includes a main body made of a single-crystal solid. The main body has a first material stiffness in the first radial direction and a second material stiffness in the second radial direction that is less than the first material stiffness. Moreover, the main body has a first component stiffness in the first radial direction and a second component stiffness in the second radial direction that is substantially similar to the first component stiffness. Another sensing device includes a resonant member having a main body that defines an aperture extending through the main body, and an electrode located in the aperture such that a capacitive channel is defined between the electrode and the main body that circumscribes the electrode.

Sensing device

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes providing a semiconductor layer having a first-type region and a second-type region that are stacked and interface with each other to form a p-n junction, the first-type region defining a first side of the semiconductor layer and the second-type region defining a second side of the semiconductor layer. The method further includes providing an insulating layer on the second side of the semiconductor layer and etching the semiconductor layer from the first side of the semiconductor layer toward the second side of the semiconductor layer to form a trench. The first-type region corresponds to one of a n-type region and a p-type region, and the second-type region corresponds to the other of the n-type region and the p-type region.

Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing thereof

Integrated circuit substrates having through silicon vias (TSVs) are described. The TSVs are vias extending through the silicon substrate in which the integrated circuitry is formed. The TSVs may be formed prior to formation of the integrated circuitry on the integrated circuit substrate, allowing the use of via materials which can be fabricated at relatively small sizes. The integrated circuit substrates may be bonded with a substrate having a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device. In some such situations, the circuitry of the integrated circuit substrate may face away from the MEMS substrate since the TSVs may provide electrical connection from the circuitry side of the integrated circuit substrate to the MEMS device.

Through silicon via (TSV) formation in integrated circuits

One or more conductive shielding plates are formed in a standard ASIC wafer top metal layer, e.g., for blocking cross-talk from MEMS device structure(s) on the MEMS wafer to circuitry on the ASIC wafer when the MEMS device is capped directly by the ASIC wafer in a wafer-level chip scale package. Generally speaking, a shielding plate should be at least slightly larger than the MEMS device structure it is shielding (e.g., a movable MEMS structure such as an accelerometer proof mass or a gyroscope resonator), and the shielding plate cannot be in contact with the MEMS device structure during or after wafer bonding. Thus, a recess is formed to ensure that there is sufficient cavity space away from the top surface of the MEMS device structure. The shielding plate is electrically conductive and can be biased, e.g., to the same voltage as the opposing MEMS device structure in order to maintain zero electrostatic attraction force between the MEMS device structure and the shielding plate.

Apparatus and method for shielding and biasing in MEMS devices encapsulated by active circuitry

A single photo mask can be used to define the three critical layers for the piezoelectric MEMS device, specifically the top electrode layer, the piezoelectric material layer, and the bottom electrode layer. Using a single photo mask removes the misalignment source caused by using multiple photo masks. Furthermore, in certain exemplary embodiments, all electrical interconnects use underpass interconnect. This simplifies the process for defining the device electrodes and the process sequence for achieving self-alignment between the piezoelectric element and the top and bottom electrodes. This self-alignment is achieved by using an oxide hard mask to etch the critical region of the top electrode, the piezoelectric material, and the bottom electrode with one mask and different etch chemistries depending on the layer being etched.

Method of fabricating piezoelectric MEMS devices

A capped micromachined device has a movable micromachined structure in a first hermetic chamber and one or more interconnections in a second hermetic chamber that is hermetically isolated from the first hermetic chamber, and a barrier layer on its cap where the cap faces the first hermetic chamber, such that the first hermetic chamber is isolated from outgassing from the cap.

MEMs device with outgassing shield

One or more stopper features (e.g., bump structures) are formed in a standard ASIC wafer top passivation layer for preventing MEMS device stiction vertically in integrated devices having a MEMS device capped directly by an ASIC wafer. A TiN coating may be used on the stopper feature(s) for anti-stiction. An electrical potential may be applied to the TiN anti-stiction coating of one or more stopper features.

Apparatus and method for preventing stiction of MEMS devices encapsulated by active circuitry

A method of fabricating a MEMS device provides a device substrate, forms a plurality of trenches in/on the substrate, and forms a sacrificial material on the substrate (e.g., growing or depositing the sacrificial material) to form a plurality of etch channels. Each trench defines one etch channel, and each etch channel forms an interior configured to channel etchant. The method also bonds a handle substrate to the sacrificial material of the device substrate, and removes at least a portion of the sacrificial material.

Apparatus and method of forming a MEMS device with etch channels

A microchip has a base die with a conductive interconnect and an isolation trench around at least a portion of the conductive interconnect, and a cap die secured to the base die. A seal, formed from a metal material, is positioned between the base die and the cap die to secure them together. The microchip also has a blocking apparatus, between the isolation trench and the metal seal, that at least in part prevents the metal material from contacting the interconnect.

Microchip with blocking apparatus

A method for forming an alignment feature for back side wafer processing in a wafer fabrication process involves forming a trench into but not entirely through a wafer from a top side of the wafer; forming a contrasting material on surfaces of the trench; and grinding a bottom side of the wafer to expose the trench using the handling wafer to handle the wafer during such grinding, wherein the contrasting material lining the exposed trench provides an alignment reference for precise alignment of the wafer for back side processing the wafer.

Apparatus and method for forming alignment features for back side processing of a wafer

Microchip with blocking apparatus and method of fabricating microchip

A method of bonding wafers with an aluminum-germanium bond includes forming an aluminum layer on a first wafer, and a germanium layer on a second wafer, and implanting the germanium layer with non-germanium atoms prior to forming a eutectic bond at the aluminum-germanium interface. The wafers are aligned to a desired orientation and the two layers are held in contact with one another. The aluminum-germanium interface is heated to a temperature that allows the interface of the layers to melt, thus forming a bond. A portions of the germanium layer may be removed from the second wafer to allow infrared radiation to pass through the second wafer to facilitate wafer alignment.

Method of bonding wafers

A MEMS device has a first member that is movable relative to a second member. At least one of the first member and the second member has exposed silicon carbide with a water contact angle of greater than about 70 degrees.

Reduced stiction MEMS device with exposed silicon carbide

A method of producing a MEMS device provides a MEMS apparatus having released structure. The MEMS apparatus is formed at least in part from an SOI wafer having a first layer, a second layer spaced from the first layer, and an insulator layer between the first layer and second layer. The first layer has a top surface, while the second layer has a bottom surface facing the top surface. After providing the MEMS apparatus, the method increases the roughness of at least the top surface of the first layer or the bottom surface of the second layer.

Growing community of inventors

Carlisle, MA, United States of America

Thomas Kieran Nunan