METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING MEMS DEVICE AND MEMS DEVICE

Abstract

A MEMS device manufacturing method and a MEMS device are provided which can enhance a degree of vacuum inside an operation space and reduce the installation cost and maintenance cost of a manufacturing apparatus as well as manufacturing cost. A MEMS device includes a MEMS device wafer having an operation element formed on a Si substrate, and a CAP wafer provided to cover the MEMS device wafer to form an operation space for operably accommodating the operation element. The CAP wafer is made of silicon and includes vent holes formed to communicate with the operation space. The operation space is sealed by performing a heat treatment in a hydrogen gas atmosphere to close the vent holes by silicon surface migration of the CAP wafer with the CAP wafer and the MEMS device wafer bonded.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a MEMS device including a MEMS device wafer having an operation element formed on a substrate, and a CAP wafer provided to cover the MEMS device wafer to form an operation space for operably accommodating the operation element, wherein: the CAP wafer is made of silicon, and a vent hole is closed by silicon surface migration of the CAP wafer and the operation space is sealed by bonding the CAP wafer and the MEMS device wafer to cover the operation element by the CAP wafer, forming the vent hole communicating with the operation space in the CAP wafer and performing a heat treatment in a hydrogen gas atmosphere.

2. A method for manufacturing a MEMS device including a MEMS device wafer having an operation element formed on a substrate, and a CAP wafer provided to cover the MEMS device wafer to form an operation space for operably accommodating the operation element, wherein: the substrate is made of silicon, and a vent hole is closed by silicon surface migration of the substrate and the operation space is sealed by bonding the CAP wafer and the MEMS device wafer to cover the operation element by the CAP wafer, forming the vent hole communicating with the operation space in the substrate and performing a heat treatment in a hydrogen gas atmosphere.

3. A method for manufacturing a MEMS device including a MEMS device wafer having an operation element formed on a substrate, and a CAP wafer provided to cover the MEMS device wafer to form an operation space for operably accommodating the operation element, wherein: a bonding part of the MEMS device wafer with the CAP wafer and/or the CAP wafer is/are made of silicon, and a vent hole is closed by silicon surface migration of the bonding part and/or the CAP wafer and the operation space is sealed by bonding the CAP wafer and the MEMS device wafer to cover the operation element by the CAP wafer, forming the vent hole communicating with the operation space in a bonding interface of the CAP wafer and the MEMS device wafer and performing a heat treatment in a hydrogen gas atmosphere.

4. The method according to claim 1 for manufacturing a MEMS device, wherein at least a part of the vent hole has such a diameter as to be closable by the surface migration.

5. The method according to claim 1 for manufacturing a MEMS device, wherein the vent hole is composed of an inner hole on the operation space side and an outer hole on a side opposite to the operation space, the inner and outer holes having different diameters and communicating with each other, and ϕ1>ϕ2 if ϕ1 denotes a diameter of the inner hole and ϕ2 denotes a diameter of the outer hole.

6. The method according to claim 1 for manufacturing a MEMS device, wherein the vent hole is composed of an inner hole on the operation space side and an outer hole on a side opposite to the operation space, the inner and outer holes having different diameters and communicating with each other, and ϕ1<ϕ2 if ϕ1 denotes a diameter of the inner hole and ϕ2 denotes a diameter of the outer hole.

7. The method according to claim 1 for manufacturing a MEMS device, wherein the vent hole has a tapered shape, and ϕ1>ϕ2 if ϕ1 denotes a diameter on a surface on the operation space side and ϕ2 denotes a diameter on a surface on a side opposite to the operation space.

8. The method according to claim 1 for manufacturing a MEMS device, wherein the vent hole has a tapered shape, and ϕ1<ϕ2 if ϕ1 denotes a diameter on a surface on the operation space side and ϕ2 denotes a diameter on a surface on a side opposite to the operation space.

9. The method according to claim 1 for manufacturing a MEMS device, wherein a hydrogen gas flows out from the operation space due to thermal diffusion and the operation space is set in a vacuum state or a low pressure state by performing the heat treatment in the hydrogen gas atmosphere.

10. The method according to claim 1 for manufacturing a MEMS device, wherein a hydrogen gas flows out from the operation space due to thermal diffusion and the operation space is set in a low pressure state of an inert gas by performing the heat treatment in the hydrogen gas atmosphere containing the inert gas.

11. The method according to claim 10 for manufacturing a MEMS device, wherein the inert gas is an Ar gas.

12. The method according to claim 1 for manufacturing a MEMS device, wherein a heat treatment temperature of the heat treatment is 1000° C. to 1150° C. and a heat treatment time thereof is 10 minutes or more and 1 hour or less.

13. A MEMS device, comprising: a MEMS device wafer having an operation element formed on a substrate; and a CAP wafer bonded to the MEMS device wafer while covering the MEMS device wafer to form an operation space for operably accommodating the operation element, wherein: each of the MEMS device wafer and the CAP wafer is constituted by an SOI wafer or a Si wafer, and the operation space has an inner wall formed of a material derived from the SOI wafer and/or the Si wafer and is sealed.

14. The MEMS device according to claim 13, wherein the MEMS device is constituted by a SOI wafer and the operation element is formed on a Si substrate of the SOI wafer.

15. The method according to claim 1 for manufacturing a MEMS device, wherein the CAP wafer is thinned and the vent hole is formed in the CAP wafer with the CAP wafer and the MEMS device wafer bonded.

16. The method according to claim 15 for manufacturing a MEMS device, wherein: the CAP wafer includes a Si single crystalline layer, and the vent hole is closed by surface migration of the Si single crystalline layer by the heat treatment.

17. The method according to claim 1 for manufacturing a MEMS device, wherein the CAP wafer and the MEMS device wafer are bonded by being heated after the CAP wafer and the MEMS device wafer are overlapped on each other.

18. The MEMS device according to claim 13, wherein the CAP wafer is constituted by a Si single crystalline layer.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] FIG. 1 are sectional views showing a MEMS device manufacturing method of an embodiment of the present invention,

[0026] FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b) are an enlarged sectional view near a vent hole of a CAP wafter before a heat treatment and an enlarged sectional view near the vent hole of the CAP wafter with the vent hole of the CAP wafer closed by silicon surface migration in the MEMS device manufacturing method shown in FIG. 1, and

[0027] FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a modification before the heat treatment of the MEMS device manufacturing method of the embodiment of the present invention in which the MEMS device is constituted by a timing resonator.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention is described on the basis of the drawings.

[0029] FIGS. 1 to 3 show a MEMS device manufacturing method and a MEMS device of the embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] FIG. 1 show the MEMS device manufacturing method in which an operation element is constituted by a gyro, and the MEMS device manufacturing method of the embodiment of the present invention is described, along with an example of FIG. 1.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 1, in the MEMS device manufacturing method of the embodiment of the present invention, a SOI (Silicon on Insulator) wafer having a SiO.sub.2 film (oxide film) 11c sandwiched between a Si substrate 11a and a Si single crystalline film 11b is first used as a MEMS device wafer 11 and a surface of the Si single crystalline film 11b is thermally oxidized to form a thermal oxide film (SiO.sub.2 film) 11d (see FIG. 1(a)). In a specific example, a thickness of the thermal oxide film 11d is 1 μm. Subsequently, the thermal oxide film 11d and the Si single crystalline film 11b are etched to form an operation element 21 and non-movable parts 22 (see FIG. 1(b)).

[0032] Subsequently, in a CAP wafer 12 constituted by the SOI wafer, a Si single crystalline film 12b of the CAP wafer 12 and the thermal oxide films 11d of the non-movable part 22 are bonded and integrated to cover the operation element 21 and the non-movable parts 22 of the MEMS device wafer 11 (see FIG. 1(c)). At the time of bonding, the thermal oxide film 11d on the surface of the operation element 21 is removed in advance. Further, as shown in FIG. 2(a), one or more concave cavities (inner holes) 23a are formed in the surface of the Si single crystalline film 12b of the CAP wafer 12 facing the operation element 21. In a specific example, bonding is performed by a heat treatment at 1100° C. for 5 hours. Subsequently, the CAP wafer 12 is ground and thinned from the side of a Si substrate 12a (see FIG. 1(d), thereby removing the Si substrate 12a and a SiO.sub.2 film 12c of the CAP wafer 12 and leaving only the Si single crystalline film 12b.

[0033] Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 2(a), a through hole (outer hole) 23b is formed from the surface of the CAP wafer 12 toward the concave cavity 23a to form a vent hole 23. Further, the CAP wafer 12 is etched to also form an electrode region 24 for providing an electrode (see FIG. 1(e)). In a specific example, the vent hole 23 is such that the concave cavity 23a is formed as an inner hole for the purpose of reducing a ratio of a diameter and a depth of the vent hole 23. If ϕ1 denotes a diameter of the inner hole and ϕ2 denotes a diameter of the though hole (outer hole) 23b, ϕ1>ϕ2. The diameter ϕ2 of the through hole (outer hole) 23b is 1 μm or less. It should be noted that the vent hole 23 may be formed such that ϕ1<ϕ2.

[0034] Subsequently, a part of a SiO.sub.2 film 11c of the MEMS device wafer 11 in contact with the operation element 21 is also etched so that the operation element 21 operates (see FIG. 1(f)). In this way, an operation space 13 surrounded by the Si substrate 11a of the MEMS device wafer 11 and the CAP wafer 12 and configured to operably accommodate the operation element 21 is formed. Further, since the vent hole 23 allows communication between the operation space 13 and outside at this time, the operation space 13 is not sealed yet.

[0035] Subsequently, a heat treatment is performed at 1000° C. to 1150° C. for 10 minutes or more and 1 hour or less in a hydrogen gas atmosphere to cause silicon surface migration of the CAP wafer 12. In this way, as shown in FIG. 2(b), silicon undergoing surface migration 12d can flow into the through holes 23b of the vent holes 23 to close and pitch off the vent holes 23 and seal the operation space 13 (see FIG. 1(g)).

[0036] At this time, since almost all hydrogen gas flows out to the outside of the operation space 13 by a thermal diffusion phenomenon by performing the heat treatment in the hydrogen gas atmosphere having a sufficiently low hydrogen concentration, the operation space 13 is set in a high vacuum (low pressure) state.

[0037] As just described, the MEMS device manufacturing method of the embodiment of the present invention can close communication holes communicating with the operation space 13 and seal the operation space 13 by utilizing the silicon surface migration of the CAP wafer 12 by the heat treatment. In this way, a MEMS device 10 in which a sealed device is package-sealed can be manufactured.

[0038] Since a source gas or the like for epitaxial growth needs not be mixed into the hydrogen gas atmosphere at the time of the heat treatment in the MEMS device manufacturing method of the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to leave no gas other than the hydrogen gas inside the operation space 13 after sealing and a degree of vacuum inside the operation space 13 can be enhanced after almost all the hydrogen gas flows out by the thermal diffusion phenomenon. Further, the vent holes 23 can be closed only by the heat treatment, and a simple apparatus configuration can be realized since a smaller amount of a raw material gas is used and a growth system needs not be controlled as compared to conventional techniques such as the episeal technique utilizing the epitaxial growth. Thus, the installation cost and maintenance cost of a manufacturing apparatus as well as manufacturing cost can be reduced.

[0039] Further, since the MEMS device manufacturing method of the embodiment of the present invention does not utilize the episeal technique, problems caused by a deposited epitaxial silicon layer and possible problems caused by a source gas for the epitaxial growth or the like can be avoided. Further, since a substance for closing the vent holes 23 is pure silicon and not an oxide plug or a metal plug, possible problems caused by films sealed by oxide or metal can also be avoided.

[0040] Further, since the heat treatment temperature of the heat treatment for causing the silicon surface migration is 1000° C. to 1150° C. and the heat treatment time is 10 minutes or more and 1 hour or less in the MEMS device manufacturing method of the embodiment of the present invention, the vent holes 23 can be closed without adversely thermally affecting the operation element 21 and the like inside the operation space 13. Further, Si surfaces of side walls and the like of the MEMS device 10 can be smoothened due to the silicon surface migration by the heat treatment.

[0041] The MEMS device manufacturing method of the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the one in which the operation element 21 is a gyro, but may manufacture a device such as a timing resonator shown in FIG. 3, a resonator, a Lorentz-force magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, an IR sensor or a pressure sensor. Also in a case shown in FIG. 3, the vent holes 23 communicating with the operation space 13 can be closed and the operation space 13 can be sealed by utilizing the silicon surface migration of the CAP wafer 12 by the heat treatment, and the MEMS device 10 in which the sealed device is package-sealed can be manufactured.

[0042] It should be noted that, in the MEMS device manufacturing method of the embodiment of the present invention, the vent holes 23 may have any shape as long as at least parts thereof have such a diameter as to be closable by the surface migration due to the heat treatment. The vent holes 23 are not limited to the shape shown in FIG. 1 and may have, for example, a tapered shape. In this case, if ϕ1 denotes a diameter on the inner side surface of the CAP wafer 12 on the side of the operation space 13 and ϕ2 denotes a diameter on the outer side surface of the CAP wafer 12 on a side opposite to the operation space 13, ϕ1>ϕ2 or ϕ1<ϕ2.

[0043] Further, in the MEMS device manufacturing method of the embodiment of the present invention, the thermal oxide film 11d may be formed not on the MEMS device wafer 11, but on the surface of the CAP wafer on the side of the operation space 13. In this case, the CAP wafer 12 can be bonded to the MEMS device wafer 11 by bonding the thermal oxide film of the CAP wafer 12 and the non-movable parts 22 of the MEMS device wafer 11.

[0044] Further, in the MEMS device manufacturing method of the embodiment of the present invention, the heat treatment may be performed in a hydrogen gas atmosphere containing an inert gas. In this case, the operation space 13 is set in a high vacuum (low pressure) state of the inert gas since the hydrogen gas flows out from the operation space 13 by the thermal diffusion phenomenon by the heat treatment. Thus, a degree of vacuum inside the operation space 13 can be easily adjusted by adjusting a content rate of the inert gas. In this way, the inside of the operation space 13 can be set to a degree of vacuum optimal for a function of the operation element 21. The inert gas may be any inert gas such as an Ar gas as long as the function of the operation element 21 is not adversely affected.

[0045] Further, in the MEMS device manufacturing method of the embodiment of the present invention, the vent holes 23 may be provided not in the CAP wafer 12, but in the Si substrate 11a of the MEMS device wafer 11. Also in this case, the vent holes 23 can be closed and the operation space 13 can be sealed by the silicon surface migration of the Si substrate 11a by the heat treatment.

[0046] Further, in the MEMS device manufacturing method of the embodiment of the present invention, the vent holes 23 may be provided in a bonding interface of the CAP wafer 12 and the MEMS device wafer 11. Also in this case, the vent holes 23 can be closed and the operation space 13 can be sealed by the silicon surface migration of Si single crystalline film 11b of the MEMS device wafer 11 and/or the CAP wafer 12 by heat treatment.

Example 1

[0047] With reference to non-patent literature 1, the sealing of the vent holes 23 by the silicon surface migration was simulated while the size of the vent holes 23 and the heat treatment temperature and time were variously changed.

[Simulation 1]

[0048] When the diameter and depth of the vent holes 23 formed in the CAP wafer 12 were set at 0.6 μm and 5 μm, the vent holes 23 could be sealed by the silicon surface migration of the CAP wafer 12 by performing the heat treatment at 1100° C. for 15 minutes in a hydrogen gas atmosphere.

[Simulation 2]

[0049] When the diameter and depth of the vent holes 23 formed in the CAP wafer 12 were set at 0.4 μm and 3 μm, the vent holes 23 could be sealed by the silicon surface migration of the CAP wafer 12 by performing the heat treatment at 1000° C. for 15 minutes in a hydrogen gas atmosphere.

[Simulation 3]

[0050] When the diameter and depth of the vent holes 23 formed in the CAP wafer 12 were set at 0.8 μm and 6 μm, the vent holes 23 could be sealed by the silicon surface migration of the CAP wafer 12 by performing the heat treatment at 1130° C. for 15 minutes in a hydrogen gas atmosphere.

[Simulation 4]

[0051] When the diameter and depth of the vent holes 23 formed in the CAP wafer 12 were set at 1 μm and 8 μm, the vent holes 23 could be sealed by the silicon surface migration of the CAP wafer 12 by performing the heat treatment at 1150° C. for 15 minutes in a hydrogen gas atmosphere.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

[0052] 10 MEMS device [0053] 11 MEMS device wafer [0054] 11a Si substrate [0055] 11b Si single crystalline film [0056] 11c SiO.sub.2 film [0057] 11d thermal oxide film [0058] 21 operation element [0059] 22 non-movable part [0060] 12 CAP wafer [0061] 12a Si substrate [0062] 12b Si single crystalline film [0063] 12c SiO.sub.2 film [0064] 12d silicon undergoing surface migration [0065] 23 vent hole [0066] 23a concave cavity (inner hole) [0067] 23b through hole (outer hole) [0068] 24 electrode region [0069] 13 operation space