The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 02, 2002
Filed:
Jul. 27, 1999
Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique, Paris, FR;
Abstract
A process for making at least one suspended element uses an etching technique for micro-machining a structure comprising a substrate covered in sequence by a first layer called a stop layer made of a first material, and a second layer made of a second material in which the suspended element is formed. The process uses a dry etching technique using a gas with sufficient selectivity to enable etching of the second layer without etching the stop layer, under conditions defined to enable anisotropic etching of the second material, the etching being carried out according to a first phase to delimit the suspended element as far as the level of the stop layer and being continued in a second phase during which the suspended element is released by etching of the surface layer of the suspended element delimited in the first phase and which is adjacent to the stop layer.