Micromirror unit and method of making the same

• Main Authors: TSUBOI OSAMU, SAWAKI IPPEI, MIZUNO YOSHIHIRO, YAMAGISHI FUMIO, UEDA SATOSHI
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 08.04.2014
• Subjects: INFORMATION STORAGE; INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORDCARRIER AND TRANSDUCER; MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS, e.g. MICROMECHANICALDEVICES; MICROSTRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGY; OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS; OPTICS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; PROCESSES OR APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTUREOR TREATMENT OF MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS; TRANSPORTING

A method is provided for making a micromirror unit which includes a frame, a mirror forming base, and bridges connecting the frame to the mirror forming base. The method includes the following steps. First, a first mask pattern is formed on a substrate for masking portions of the substrate which are processed into the frame and the mirror forming base. Then, a second mask pattern is formed on the substrate for masking portions of the substrate which are processed into the bridges. Then, the substrate is subjected to a first etching process with the first and the second mask patterns present as masking means. Then, the second mask pattern is removed selectively. Then, the substrate is subjected to a second etching process with the first mask pattern present as masking means. Finally, the first mask pattern is removed.