Abstract

This invention provides a fabrication process for manufacturing of truly 3-dimensional micromechanisms which takes advantages of SOI (silicon-on-insulator) wafers each of which is processed to create a respective structural element of the 3-dimensional micromechanisms by DRIE (deep reactive ion etching) of the wafer and thermal oxidation of the trenches opened during the DRIE etching. The wafers are sequentially bonded into a multistack structure from which the 3-D micromechanism. is released by XeF.sub.2 etching. Thermally grown SiO.sub.2 is used as structural material for the 3-D micromechanism.

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Description

PTO

Inventor(s)

Donald DeVoe, Lung-Wen Tsai

Date Issued

12/16/2003

Patent No.

6,664,126

Top