Fabrication of MEMS devices by using anhydrous HF gas-phase etching with alcoholic vapor

In silicon surface micromachining, anhydrous HF GPE process was verified as a very effective method for the dry release of microstructures. The developed gas-phase etching (GPE) process with anhydrous hydrogen fluoride (HF) gas and alcoholic vapor such as methanol, isopropyl alcohol (IPA) was characterized and its selective etching properties were discussed. The structural layers are P-doped multi-stacked polysilicon and silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrates and sacrificial layers are tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS), low-temperature oxide (LTO), plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) oxide, phosphosilicate glass (PSG) and thermal oxides on silicon nitride or polysilicon substrates. We successfully fabricated and characterized micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) devices with no virtually process-induced stiction and no residues. The characteristics of the MEMS devices for microsensor and microactuator, microfluidic elements and optical MEMS application were evaluated by experiment.