Use of chemical mechanical polishing in micromachining

Patent · 31 December 1997

OSTI ID:871820

Nasby, Robert D ^[1]; Hetherington, Dale L ^[1]; Sniegowski, Jeffry J ^[1]; McWhorter, Paul J ^[1]; Apblett, Christopher A ^[2]

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1. Albuquerque, NM
2. Cedar Crest, NM

A process for removing topography effects during fabrication of micromachines. A sacrificial oxide layer is deposited over a level containing functional elements with etched valleys between the elements such that the sacrificial layer has sufficient thickness to fill the valleys and extend in thickness upwards to the extent that the lowest point on the upper surface of the oxide layer is at least as high as the top surface of the functional elements in the covered level. The sacrificial oxide layer is then polished down and planarized by chemical-mechanical polishing. Another layer of functional elements is then formed upon this new planarized surface.

• Research Organization: SANDIA CORP
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-94AL85000
• Assignee: Sandia Corporation (Albuquerque, NM)
• Patent Number(s): US 5804084
• OSTI ID: 871820
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/216/438/
chemical
chemical-mechanical
chemical-mechanical polishing
containing
covered
deposited
effects
elements
etched
extend
extent
fabrication
fill
formed
functional
functional elements
layer
level
lowest
mechanical
mechanical polishing
micromachines
micromachining
oxide
oxide layer
planarized
polished
polishing
process
removing
sacrificial
sacrificial layer
sacrificial oxide
sufficient
sufficient thickness
surface
thickness
top
top surface
topography
upper
upper surface
upwards
valleys