Reducing MEMS stiction by deposition of nanoclusters

• Main Authors: STEIMLE, ROBERT F, MONTEZ, RUBEN B
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 28.09.2016
• Subjects: INDICATING PRESENCE, ABSENCE, OR DIRECTION, OF MOVEMENT; MEASURING; MEASURING LINEAR OR ANGULAR SPEED, ACCELERATION, DECELERATION,OR SHOCK; MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS, e.g. MICROMECHANICALDEVICES; MICROSTRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGY; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; PROCESSES OR APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTUREOR TREATMENT OF MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS; TESTING; TRANSPORTING

A method for reducing stiction in a MEMS device by decreasing surface area between two surfaces that can come into close contact is provided. Reduction in contact surface area is achieved by increasing surface roughness of one or both of the surfaces. The increased roughness is provided by forming a micro-masking layer on a sacrificial layer used in formation of the MEMS device, and then etching the surface of the sacrificial layer. The micro-masking layer can be formed using nanoclusters (520). When a next portion of the MEMS device is formed on the sacrificial layer (810), this portion will take on the roughness characteristics imparted on the sacrificial layer by the etch process. The rougher surface (910) decreases the surface area available for contact in the MEMS device and, in turn, decreases the area through which stiction can be imparted.