제9장 Bulk Micromachining

9.1 Introduction

○ Bulk micromachining
- Bulk micromachining ? features are sculpted in the bulk of materials such as Si, glass, etc. by orientation-
dependent (anisotropic) and/or orientation-independent (isotropic) wet etchants
- Substrate etching process
- Substrative process
- Silicon etching

○ Reaction steps in bulk micromachining

Step 1. Reactant transport to the surface
Step 2. Surface reaction
Step 3. Reaction product transport away from the surface
※‘Diffusion limited etching’: step 1 or 3 is etch-rate-determining step. Etch rate can be increased by stirring.
※‘Reaction rate limited etching’: step 2 is etch-rate-determining step. Etch rate depends on strongly
temperature, etching material, and solution composition.

9.2 Isotropic Wet Etching

○ Isotropic etching ?
- Etch in all crystallographic directions at the same rate → rounded isotropic features in single crystalline Si
- Etchant: acidic chemicals such as HNA
(HNA: mixture of hydrofluoric acid(HF)+nitric acid(HNO3)+acetic acid(CH3COOH))
- Diffusion limited
→ Etching temperature: room temperature or slight above (<50℃)
→ Loading effect
· Etching rate depends on window size and surrounding patterns. Large opening typically etches faster
because the etchant is easy to circulate for large opening

○ Etching profile
- The etchant moves downward and outwards from an opening in the mask, undercuts the mask, and enlarges the
etched pit
- When agitation accompanies the etching (note that the isotropic etching process is diffusion limited), the etched
features show more symmetry and rounding
- Apparently, agitation → etching rate faster because of speedy transportation of reactants

○ Etch rate (Iso-etch curves)

- Etch rate depends on rate of etchants
- The highest etch rate (수십μm/min) is observed around a weight ratio HF- HNO3 of 2:1 and is nearly 100 times
faster than anisotropic etch rate
- Adding a diluent (water or acetic acid) slows down the etching

○ Masking for isotropic silicon etchants

 - Although SiO2 has an appreciable etch rate of 300 to 800Å/min (2 to 3% of the silicon etch rate) in the HNA
system, one like to use thick layer of SiO2 as a mask anyway as the oxide is so easy to form and pattern. A mask
of nonetching Au or Si3N4 is needed for deeper etching. Photoresists do not stand up to strong oxidizing agents
such as HNO3

9.3 Anisotropic Wet Etching

○ Anisotropic etching ?
- Etch away crystalline silicon at different rates depending on the orientation of the exposed crystal planes
- Etchant : alkaline chemicals, i.e., EDP, KOH, TMAH, etc.
- Reaction rate limited
→ Etching temperature: more elevated temperature than isotropic etching (>50℃)

○ Etchant for anisotropic etching of Si

1. EDP (Ethylene-Diamine Pyrocathechol)
- A mixture of Ethylene-Diamine (NH2(CH2)2NH2), Pyrocathechol (C6H4(OH)2) and water
- Etch rate at (100) > (110) > (111) (selectivity in (100):(111) is 35:1)
- Etch mask: oxide (SiO2), nitride (Si3N4; high quality LPCVD nitride)
- Nasty, hazardous and relatively higher cost
- Etching is effectively stopped by p+ (boron) doping
[ p++ : 1020 개/cm3 이상
p+ : 1018~1020
p, p- : 1015 정도 ]

10 µm thick membrane
Si3N4

Si Boron(B) is doped (p+ doping)

54.74° {111}

{100} Si3N4

Fig. Fabrication of a thin membrane using the anisotropic etching and p+ etch stop technique
 Boron(B)-doped region

{111}
Si3N4 mask

cantilever

Fig. Fabrication of a cantilever

2. KOH (potassium hydroxide)

- Etch rate at (110) > (100) > (111) (selectivity in (110):(100):(111) is 600:400:1)
- Etch mask: nitride (Si3N4)
- p+ (Boron) selective etch stop works though not as effective as EDP
- Tall structures with vertical sidewall and high aspect ratio can be formed by using (110) silicon wafer

mask
(110)

very high aspect ratio

Si {111} in (110) Si because
(110) > (100) > (111)

Fig. Fabrication of a structure with high AR

mask
(110)

Si SiO2
SOI
Si

use HF to release the structure (note

that SiO2 is etched by HF)

SiO2

Fig. Released structure using SOI (Silicon on Insulator) wafer

3. TMAH (TetroMethyl Ammonium Hydroxide)

- Becoming popular
- Etch mask: oxide, nitride
- Etch rate of (100)/(111) smaller than KOH or EDP
- Low cost
- Environmental safer, CMOS-compatible (∵No metal ions, e.g., K ion in KOH)
- p+ (boron) stop etch also works
 제10장 HAR MEMS

10.1 Introduction

- HAR MEMS (High Aspect Ratio MEMS) ? LIGA, Stereolithography

10.2 LIGA

○ LIGA
- LIGA ? LIGA is a German acronym for Lithographie (Lithography), Galvanoformung (Electroplating or
Electroforming), Abformung (Molding)
- Developed at the Karlsruhe Nuclear Research Center (KfK) in the early 80’s
- X-ray lithography is used for mask exposure, and electroplating and molding technique is used for making parts.

○ LIGA의 필요성
- 일반적으로 많이 이용되고 있는 AZ계열의 PR(e.g., AZ1512)과 UV를 사용하여 lithography 작업을
수행할 경우 precise tall structure의 제작에 어려움이 있음
- AZ계열의 PR과 UV 사용시 precise tall structure 제작에 어려움이 있는 이유
1. PR을 높이 쌓기 어렵다.
2. 빛의 회절로 인해 PR의 감광 벽면이 수직하지 못하다.
3. UV의 강도 및 PR의 감광도 부족으로 인해 UV가 PR의 깊은 부분까지 감광시키지 못한다.

UV
Mask

PR
Seed layer

Si

Fig. Problems in case that the AZ series PR and UV are used

○ Advantages
① Very precise and tall structure with high aspect ratio (more than 100) and nearly perfect straight sidewalls can
be fabricated
② Mass production through injection molding
③ Microstructures made from a wide variety of materials

○ Disadvantages
① Mask is expensive
② High production cost → can only be alleviated to some degree by mass-producing the micro components

10.2.1 Synchrotron
○ 방사광 가속기
- 광속과 거의 같은 속도로 가속된 전자빔이 진로(방향)를 바꿀 때 그 커브의 접선방향으로 좁은
퍼짐을 가지고 방출되는 매우 강력한 방사광을 만들어 내는 장치 (Appendix H 참조)

○ SOR (Synchrotron Orbital Radiation) X-ray

- The wavelength is very short (2-10Å)
→ High energy density (deep penetration capability) and high parallelism
- 빛의 퍼짐 각 ~ 0.2mrad (포항가속기의 경우 10m 떨어진 거리에서 빛의 퍼짐 폭이 약 4mm)

10.2.2 Resist

- A radiation-sensitive plastic resist (typically, PMMA) is generally used in LIGA processes

- PMMA는 두께 수 µm에서 수 cm까지 쌓아 올릴 수 있는 resist임

10.2.3 LIGA Applications

Fig. A bistable fluidic switch; schematic design and a 500µm high prototype made of PMMA with a nozzle width of
30µm[3]
Fig. Acceleration sensor. An oscillating mass is made of nickel and attached to a cantilever type spring. It is located
between two electrodes which are connected to a substrate. The gap on each side of the mass is 3 µm; the height of
the structure is 100 µm. When the sensor system is accelerated, the gap changes between the mass and the electrodes
which in turn changes the capacitance of the capacitor system. The magnitude of this change is an indication of the
magnitude of acceleration.[1]

10.3 Stereolithography/Micro-Photoforming Process (Rapid Prototyping)

10.3.1 Stereolithography

○ Stereolithography ? 3차원 모델의 2차원 단면화를 통해서 재료를 체계적으로 한 층씩 적층하여 3차원
모델을 빠른 시간 안에 제작할 수 있는 기술

○ Characteristics
- In stereolithography, light exposure solidifies a special liquid resin (photopolymer) into a 3D shape
- 현재까지 industrial 3D mock-ups의 제작에 주로 이용, 최근 micromachines의 제작에의 응용이 연구
되고 있음
- Can be an alternative to LIGA in cases where 3D shape versatility outweighs accuracy
- As with the LIGA technique, the plastic shapes made by stereo lithography may be used as a cast for
 electroplating metals of other materials

○ Advantages and disadvantages

- Advantage: 복잡한 3차원 형상 구조물(including curved surfaces)의 제작이 용이, 저가격
- Disadvantage: 구조물의 표면정도가 나쁨

10.3.2 Process of stereolithography

○ Fabrication method
1. Fixed surface method
- Has a resin container with a transparent window plate for exposure
- Solidification always happens at the stable window/resin interface
- An elevator is pulled up over the thickness of one additional layer above the window for each new exposure
2. Free surface method
- Solidification occurs at the resin/air interface → more care need to be taken to avoid waves or a slant of the
liquid surface

○ Exposure
1. Photomask method
- Exposing the polymer with a set of 2D cross sectional shapes (masks) of the final structure (these 2D shapes
are a set of photomasks used to subsequently expose the work)
- High production rate, but poor flexibility and expensive
2. Scanning method
- The sliced 2D shapes is written directly from a computerized design of the cross-sectional shapes by a beam
(e.g., He-Cd laser) in the liquid
- Has a advantage of point by point controllability, avoiding unevenness of solidification leading to nonuniform
shrinking of the works
- Very flexible, but low production rate
2. Pattern generator method
- Using a programmable pattern generator
- Very flexible, very high production rate
Appendix H. Synchrotron Radiation
(포항가속기연구소에서 발췌 편집)
H.1 방사광의 개념 및 방사광 가속기

Magnetic field

Fig. H-1-1 Schematic of synchrotron radiation where V, C are the velocities of an electron and light respectively

방사광은 광속과 거의 같은 속도로 가속된 전자빔이 진로를 바꿀 때 그 커브의 접선방향으로 발생

되는 좁은 퍼짐의 빛을 말하며, 여기서 전자의 운동방향을 바꾸어 커브를 틀게 만들려면 전자의 운동
방향에 수직방향으로 자기장을 걸어주는 방법을 이용한다. 이 때 발생되는 빛의 세기, 파장범위 등은
가속되는 전자의 에너지와 커브를 틀게 하는 전자석의 자기장의 세기에 의해 변화된다.
이러한 방사광을 만들어 내는 방사광 가속기에 대해 알아보자. 하기 그림과 같이 방사광을 만들기
위해서는 우선 전자를 만들어 내는 장치인 전자총(electron gun)이 있어야 하고, 전자를 빛의 속도에
가깝게 가속시키는 가속장치(선형가속기: line accelerator)가 있어야 하며, 이렇게 가속된 전자를 어떤
폐궤도에 주입(injection)하여, 전자석을 이용하여 전자의 방향을 틀어주며 장시간 돌게 하는 저장링
(storage ring)이 있어야 한다. 또한 이 저장링에서 전자의 진로를 바꾸는 곳에서 방사광을 이끌어 내
어 실험장소로 유도하는 여러 개의 방사광관(beam line)이 있어야 하며, 방사광을 이용하는 사람들은
실험구역(experimental station)에서 실험을 하게 된다. 또한, 전자석에서 커브를 틀 때 나오는 방사광을
더욱 밝게 하기 위하여 언듈레이터(undulator)란 장치를 집어 넣는다.

Fig. H-1-2 방사광 가속기의 구조

H.2 포항 방사광 가속기

(포항 방사광가속기 원리 및 주요장치)

전자총에서 전자빔 발생
→ 선형가속기(직선 150m의 길이)에서 전자를 거의 빛의 속도(빛의 속도와 4m 밖에 차이가 나지 않
음)로 가속함. 이 때의 전자는 20억eV의 에너지를 갖게 됨
→ 저장링으로 입사된 전자빔은 2극 전자석을 통과할 때마다 방향을 바꾸게 되고 이 때 방사광을 발
생함(전자는 10시간 이상 저장링을 돌면서 초당 100만 번의 방사광을 발생함)
* 저장링의 둘레는 280m이고 배치된 2극 전자석은 36대임. 이 외에 도합 270개 가량의 4극, 6극
전자석과 궤도수정 전자석들이 들어있어 전자빔을 실낱과 같이 가늘게 집속하고 또 정해진 궤
도를 정확히 유지하도록 하는 역할을 함
→ 발생한 방사광 중 필요한 파장부분만을 빔라인 및 실험장치부분에서 모아 필요한 부분으로 보냄
 참고문헌

<도서>
[1] Marc Madou, Fundamentals of Microfabrication, CRC Press, 1997
[2] Gregory T.A. Kovacs, Micromachined Transducers: Source Book, McGraw-Hill, 1998
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[4] R.C. Jaeger, Introduction to Microelectronic Fabrication, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1988
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[6] 반도체(공정 및 측정), 전자자료, 1994
[7] 김용권역, 마이크로머신의 세계, 대명사, 1995
[8] 이덕출, 황명환역, 고전압 플라스마 공학, 동일출판사, 1999
[9] 이문희편저, 실리콘테크놀로지, 청문각, 2002
[10] 한병성, 이현수, 박성진, 반도체공학, 동일출판사, 2002
[11] 일본전기학회, 전기자기학, 일본전기학회, 1992

<논문>
[12] “There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom”, A talk given by R. P. Feynman on December 26, 1959, at the Annual
Meeting of the American Physical Society at Caltech. (Reprinted in Journal of Microelectromechanical
Systems, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 60-66, March 1992.)
[13] W. S. N. Trimmer, “Microrobots and Micromechanical Systems”, Sensors and Actuators, Vol. 19, No. 3, pp.
267-287, Sep. 1989.
[14] L.-S. Fan, Y.-C. Tai, and R. S. Muller, “IC-Processed Electrostatic Micro-motors”, IEEE Int. Electron Devices
Meeting, pp. 666-669, Dec. 1988.