1. MetalMUMPs Process Flow
Stafford Johnson
Advanced Development Engineering Manager

2. MetalMUMPs Process
(1) Electroplated nickel is used as the primary structural material and electrical interconnect layer
(2) Doped polysilicon can be used for resistors, additional mechanical structures, and/or cross-over electrical routing.
(3) Silicon nitride is used as an electrical isolation layer
(4) Deposited oxide (PSG) is used for the sacrificial layers
(5) A trench layer in the silicon substrate can be incorporated for additional thermal and electrical isolation

3. MetalMUMPs Process Oxide 1 Deposited
FIGURE A 2m thick oxide (Isolation Oxide) is grown on the surface of the starting n-type (100) silicon wafer. This is followed by deposition of a 0.5m thick sacrificial phosphosilicate glass (PSG) layer (Oxide 1).

4. Memscap - A publicly traded MEMS company
4/14/2017
MetalMUMPs Process
Oxide 1 Patterned
Mask Level: OXIDE1
FIGURE 1.3 The wafers are coated with UV-sensitive photoresist and lithographically patterned by exposing to UV light through the first level mask (OXIDE1), and then developing it. The photoresist in exposed areas is removed, leaving behind a patterned photoresist mask for etching. Wet chemical etching is used to remove the unwanted sacrificial PSG. After the etch, the photoresist is chemically stripped.
Again, deposit-pattern-etch, strip resist method
A Case Study

5. Memscap - A publicly traded MEMS company
4/14/2017
MetalMUMPs Process
Nitride 1 and Poly Deposited
Mask Level: OXIDE1
FIGURE A 0.35m layer of silicon nitride (Nitride 1) is deposited, followed immediately by the deposition of a 0.7m layer of polysilicon (Poly).
Again, deposit-pattern-etch, strip resist method
A Case Study

6. Memscap - A publicly traded MEMS company
4/14/2017
MetalMUMPs Process
Poly Patterned
Mask Level: POLY
FIGURE The wafers are coated with photoresist and the second level (POLY) is lithographically patterned. Reactive ion etching (RIE) is used to remove the unwanted polysilicon. After the etch is completed, the photoresist is removed.
Again, deposit-pattern-etch, strip resist method
A Case Study

7. Memscap - A publicly traded MEMS company
4/14/2017
MetalMUMPs Process
Nitride 2 Deposited
FIGURE A second 0.35m layer of silicon nitride (Nitride 2) is deposited.
Again, deposit-pattern-etch, strip resist method
A Case Study

8. Memscap - A publicly traded MEMS company
4/14/2017
MetalMUMPs Process
Nitride(s) Patterned
Mask Level: NITRHOLE
FIGURE The wafers are coated with photoresist and the third level (NITRHOLE) is lithographically patterned. RIE etching is performed to remove both Nitride 2 and Nitride 1 from the patterned areas. After the etch is complete, the photoresist is removed. Note: Nitride 1 will remain anywhere NITRHOLE is patterned over Poly.
Again, deposit-pattern-etch, strip resist method
A Case Study

9. Memscap - A publicly traded MEMS company
4/14/2017
MetalMUMPs Process
Oxide 2 Deposited
FIGURE A second sacrificial layer (Oxide 2), 1.1m of PSG, is deposited and annealed at 1050C for 1 hour.
Again, deposit-pattern-etch, strip resist method
A Case Study

10. Memscap - A publicly traded MEMS company
4/14/2017
MetalMUMPs Process
Oxide 2 Patterned and Anchor Metal Dep
Mask Level: METANCH
FIGURE The wafer is coated with photoresist and the fourth mask level (METANCH) is lithographically patterned. The Oxide 2 is wet etched and a thin metal layer (Anchor Metal) consisting of 10nm Cr + 25nm Pt is deposited. A liftoff process is used to remove the photoresist and leave Anchor Metal only in the bottom of the Oxide 2 openings formed from the METANCH mask level.
Again, deposit-pattern-etch, strip resist method
A Case Study

11. Memscap - A publicly traded MEMS company
4/14/2017
MetalMUMPs Process
Plating Base Dep and Plating Stencil Patterned
Mask Level: METAL
FIGURE The Plating base layer, consisting of 500nm Cu + 50nm Ti is deposited. (Not shown). The wafers are coated with a thick layer of photoresist and patterned with the fifth mask level (METAL). This process forms a patterned stencil for the electroplated Metal layer.
Again, deposit-pattern-etch, strip resist method
A Case Study

12. Memscap - A publicly traded MEMS company
4/14/2017
MetalMUMPs Process
Metal Plated
FIGURE Nickel is electroplated to a nominal thickness of 20m into the patterned resist stencil. A 0.5m gold layer is then immediately electroplated on top of the nickel layer. This forms the Metal layer.
Again, deposit-pattern-etch, strip resist method
A Case Study

13. Memscap - A publicly traded MEMS company
4/14/2017
MetalMUMPs Process
Plating Stencil Removed
FIGURE The photoresist stencil is then chemically removed.
Again, deposit-pattern-etch, strip resist method
A Case Study

14. Memscap - A publicly traded MEMS company
4/14/2017
MetalMUMPs Process
Gold Over Plating Stencil Patterned
Mask Level: GOLDOVP
FIGURE The wafers are coated with photoresist and patterned with a “bloated” version of the sixth mask level (GOLDOVP) to remove Plating Base in the regions where Sidewall Metal is desired. The Plating Base is chemically removed from the unpatterned regions, and the photoresist is stripped. The wafers are coated with photoresist and patterned with an “un-bloated” version of the sixth mask level (GOLDOVP) to define a resist stencil in the regions of Metal where electroplated Sidewall Metal is desired.
Again, deposit-pattern-etch, strip resist method
A Case Study

15. Memscap - A publicly traded MEMS company
4/14/2017
MetalMUMPs Process
Gold Over Plating
FIGURE A 1-3m gold layer (Sidewall Metal) is electroplated using the GOLDOVP photoresist mask as a stencil.
Again, deposit-pattern-etch, strip resist method
A Case Study

16. Memscap - A publicly traded MEMS company
4/14/2017
MetalMUMPs Process
Gold Over Plating Stencil Removed
FIGURE The GOLDOVP resist stencil is stripped.
Again, deposit-pattern-etch, strip resist method
A Case Study

17. Memscap - A publicly traded MEMS company
4/14/2017
MetalMUMPs Process
Plating Base and Sacrificial Oxides Removed
FIGURE Plating Base is chemically stripped in the first step of the release process. In the second step of the release process, a 49% HF solution is used to remove the PSG sacrificial layers (Oxide 1 and Oxide 2) and the Isolation Oxide layer over the trench areas.
Again, deposit-pattern-etch, strip resist method
A Case Study

18. Memscap - A publicly traded MEMS company
4/14/2017
MetalMUMPs Process
Trench Formed – Silicon Etched
FIGURE In the final step of the release process, a KOH silicon etch is used to form a 25m deep trench in the silicon substrate in the areas defined by the OXIDE1 and NITRHOLE mask levels. A protective coating is applied, wafers are diced, cleane, sorted and shipped to customer.
Again, deposit-pattern-etch, strip resist method
A Case Study

19. MetalMUMPs Published Paper
Two Movable Plate Nitride Loaded MEMS Variable Capacitor
Maher Bakri- Kassem and Raafat R. Mansour University of Waterloo
A MEMS variable capacitor having two movable plates loaded with a Nitride layer is proposed. A trench in the silicon substrate underneath the capacitor is used to decrease the parasitic capacitance. The use of an insulation dielectric layer on the bottom plate of the MEMS capacitor increases the capacitor’s tuning range and eliminates sticktion. The tuning range was measured and found to be 280% at 1 GHz. The achievable tuning range far exceeds that of the traditional parallel plate MEMS variable capacitors. The proposed MEMS variable capacitor is built using the MetalMUMPs process.

20. MetalMUMPs Published Paper
Two Movable Plate Nitride Loaded MEMS Variable Capacitor
Maher Bakri- Kassem and Raafat R. Mansour University of Waterloo

21. Poly/Nickel powered gripper
Tethering 0% effective as indicated previously by JDSU
Same tether as other grippers and parts – placement along bottom only was ineffective

22. Parts for assembly 100% successful tethering
0% success parts removal with gripper
100% successful tether break with probe and part release
No successful assembly yet

23. Parts for assembly Nitride with poly rib tether was 100% effective
Nitride hole

24. MetalMUMPs Bistable Relay
Memscap - A publicly traded MEMS company
4/14/2017
MetalMUMPs Bistable Relay
Contacts
Disengage actuators
Engage actuators
A Case Study

25. Memscap - A publicly traded MEMS company
4/14/2017
Thermal actuator
Structural layers can be electrically insulated from thermal heaters
Electroplated nickel actuator
Polysilicon heater
A Case Study

26. Memscap - A publicly traded MEMS company
4/14/2017
Shuttle Motion
A Case Study

27. What Can You Make in MetalMUMPs? Copper Cross Connect Switch
Memscap - A publicly traded MEMS company
What Can You Make in MetalMUMPs? Copper Cross Connect Switch
4/14/2017 c
Direct heating of structural nickel using modified heatuator. Actuators work in unison to enable latching.
A Case Study