Based on the infared bolometer of MEMS
Technical field
The utility model relates to infared bolometer, specifically a kind of infared bolometer based on MEMS.
Background technology
Infared bolometer is the detector of the infrared radiant heat that sends of a kind of detecting object.All have emitted radiation thermal property higher than the object of absolute zero, and temperature is higher, and the gross energy giving off is also larger, and the composition of shortwave is also more.Near the thermal-radiating wavelength of object self transmitting normal temperature or normal temperature concentrates on far infrared band, cannot be identified by the human eye, and therefore under without daylight, starlight, moonlight and other lighting conditions, the object None-identified of human eye to periphery.But the infrared radiant heat electromagnetic wave that these objects send can convert radiation heat signal to by infrared eye the electric signal of easy identification, then reach the effect that human eye can be identified after processing, such detector is referred to as infared bolometer.
A kind of infared bolometer wherein can be surveyed the infrared radiant heat of 8-14 micron, this detector can be surveyed the radiation heat that most of object sends, can measure, respond to human body temperature etc. for night vision, detection of fires, the diagnosis of overheated part, object temperature, have been widely used in every profession and trade.Meanwhile, atmospheric envelope has less absorptivity to the radiated electromagnetic wave of this wavelength, therefore can respond to longer distance, makes the detector of this type be applicable to the atrocious weathers such as rain, cigarette, mist, snow.
Infared bolometer has various ways, and wherein a kind of infared bolometer based on MEMS technology (also referred to as MEMS technology) has low cost of manufacture, highly sensitive and can be operated in the characteristics such as normal temperature state and be used widely.Its basic spy hot cell is a kind of unit based on MEMS micro-bridge structure, as shown in Figure 1.Whole unit is roughly square, mainly by bridge floor 1, two heat-conductivity conducting brachium pontis, and support this structure and the three parts compositions such as bridge pier assembly of electrical connection are provided, two heat-conductivity conducting brachium pontis are respectively the first heat-conductivity conducting brachium pontis 3, the second heat-conductivity conducting brachium pontis 4, bridge pier assembly comprises that the first pixel connection 5, the second pixel connect 6, the first sensing circuit tie points 7, the second sensing circuit tie point 8, the first bridge piers 10, the second bridge pier 11.Bridge floor 1 is one the face that certain thickness is more flat, is made up of, as silicon nitride polysilicon etc. the material that can absorb infrared radiant heat.In addition, the top of bridge floor 1 is also coated with the temperature sensitive layer 2 of one deck, and temperature sensitive layer 2 is made up as vanadium oxide etc. of temperature sensing material, and the feature of this material is that resistance characteristic is suitable, and to temperature variation sensitivity, the variation of temperature can cause its resistance value to have greatly changed.The equivalent electrical circuit of total is just equivalent to a variable resistor Rs.
The principle of work of this micro-bridge structure unit as shown in Figure 2, in the time having infrared radiant heat 9 to be radiated at bridge floor, most infrared radiant heat is absorbed by bridge floor, cause that bridge floor heats up, thereby the resistance that causes covering the temperature sensing material above bridge floor changes, the resistance of this variation changes into corresponding electric signal by the sensing circuit of bridge floor below again, then carries out subsequent treatment.
For radiant heat energy is farthest absorbed by bridge floor, thereby obtain maximum sensitivity, bridge floor below can be designed a reflection horizon 13 made of aluminum conventionally, has a gap 12 between bridge floor 1 and reflection horizon 13.This gap 12 is extremely important, and suitable gap can make the infrared radiant heat that part is not absorbed by bridge floor be reflected back bridge floor and again be absorbed by bridge floor through the reflection horizon 13 of Crossing the bridge noodles below, has increased the sensitivity of structure.This gap 12 is usually designed to 1/4 of incident radiation electromagnetic wavelength.As the radiometer for the conventional 8-14 micron wave length of infrared thermal imaging, the height in its gap is usually designed to 2-2.5 micron.Multiple such unit can form array, as 320x240 array, array that 640x480 array is even larger etc., to realize the output of video infrared image.The area of whole micro-bridge structure unit is generally no more than 45x45 micron, and minimum can reach 14x14 micron, and less unit size can form larger array, realize higher resolution in unit area, also has lower manufacturing cost.Obviously, the size of unit is most crucial for cost.
For obtaining such structure, the gap between bridge floor and the reflection horizon especially needing, its manufacturing process flow need to be used a kind of sacrifice layer conventionally.The effect of sacrifice layer is in the process of technique, structure to be supported, and finally the removing of technique, thereby obtain the gap needing.
The fabrication processing of the common infared bolometer based on MEMS, as shown in Fig. 3 (a)~Fig. 3 (f), specifically describes as follows:
Fig. 3 (a): the substrate of device.The substrate of device based on certain, this substrate can be various ways, as the disk that contains sensing circuit, or monocrystalline substrate etc.Take silicon substrate as example, its substrate is the monocrystalline silicon disk that resistance is suitable, on this basis, first uses PECVD (plasma strengthen chemical vapor deposition) but be not limited to PECVD method in
monocrystalline substrate 21, to deposit a layer thickness and be
silicon nitride (SiNx) film 22.And then deposition last layer metal is used for making metal connection.This layer of metal can be, but not limited to Al, Ti/TiN, and thickness is
.And then adopt the method for photoetching+metal etch to form
metal connection layout 23.
Fig. 3 (b): sacrifice layer and absorption layer are made.First with applying or growth one deck sacrifice layer 29, its thickness is 2-2.5 μ m, the material of this layer of sacrifice layer 29 should be exotic material, can bear follow-up high-temperature technology, as the PECVD SiNx depositing operation of 350 ℃, material can be (but not being restricted to) polyimide (Polyimide).Then chemical wet etching above metal connection layout 23, forms bowl-shape the first bridge pier mould 24, the second bridge pier mould 25.And then on sacrifice layer 29, deposit one deck PECVD SiNx layer, as the radiation absorption layer 26 of radiometer unit, and above metal connection layout 23, open the first connecting hole 27, the second connecting hole 28, prepare for metal afterwards connects.
Fig. 3 (c): the making of temperature sensitive layer.And then, to form needed figure, form temperature sensitive layer 30 with PECVD, PVD or other corresponding methods deposition last layer temperature sensing material chemical wet etching.The material of this layer of temperature sensitive layer 30 can be but be not limited to polysilicon, vanadium oxide etc.
Fig. 3 (d): metal connecting layer is made.On device, deposit again last layer metal as Ti, the smaller materials of thermal conductivity coefficient such as NiCr alloy.The figure that this metal etch forms is later metal connecting layer 31, and it plays two effects, and one is the metal contact pattern 23 that connects bridge pier and bridge pier below, connects bridge pier and the temperature sensitive layer 30 of conduction in addition by brachium pontis.
Fig. 3 (e): deposit again layer of sin x passivation layer 32 on device, play the effect of protection device.
Fig. 3 (f): device carries out release process after suitable cutting, empties whole sacrifice layer 29, technique complete and etc. to be packaged.
As implied above, in traditional design and manufacture technology, the thickness of its sacrifice layer 29 determines gap.But this technological design scheme has some defects.The first, if when the thickness of sacrifice layer 29 reaches 2.5 microns, the difficulty that realizes the first connecting hole 27 and the second connecting hole 28 in technique significantly increases, photoresist in the rim of a bowl is due to the rim of a bowl effect, thickness significantly increases, and photoetching process is not easy to control, and easily causes yield rate low.Add connecting hole 27,28 and be positioned at the bottom of the rim of a bowl, there is the difference in height of 2.5 microns with the photo-etching mark position that is positioned at the rim of a bowl edge, in photoetching process, easily cause because the have no good depth of field exposure figure blur margin that causes of photo-etching machine exposal is clear, thereby easily cause connecting hole to lose efficacy, cause yield rate low.The second, for guaranteeing the electrical equipment connectivity on bridge pier, the perforate of sacrifice layer 29 need to be made the rim of a bowl shape, as shown in Figure 4.Its metal connecting layer 31 adopts physical vapour deposition (PVD) (PVD) method conventionally, be characterized in that metal deposition process is vertically downward, if the Sidewall angles θ of sacrifice layer opening is larger, as approach 90 degree, like this at the metal of side wall deposition by considerably less, cause the poorly conductive of sidewall, even can cause nonconducting situation.Therefore, the opening sidewalls of sacrifice layer 29 can need an angle that is less than 60 degree to obtain good sidewall electric conductivity conventionally.Like this, the cross section of sacrifice layer 29 openings can be an inverted trapezoidal, and the opening diameter d2 of top can be greater than the opening diameter d1 of below, and its difference d2-d1 can be expressed as:
d
2-d
1=2dcos(θ)
In the situation that d is 2.5 microns, d2-d1 can reach 2.5 microns.Cause so the larger area of upper surface needs of bridge pier.Because bridge pier mainly plays mechanical support and conduction, to the performance of device cell without any help.The area that bridge pier takies is larger, and the useful area of device cell is less, and performance is poorer.Larger bridge pier area for larger device cell as ignored the unit of 45x45 micron, but for less device cell as can not ignore the unit of 14x14 micron, can significantly reduce the useful area of device, thereby significantly reduce the performance of device.
Therefore from above two aspects, if can reduce the thickness of sacrifice layer, the gap that can keep again the 2-2.5 micron needing between bridge floor and reflection horizon is simultaneously very important during to gadget unit.
Summary of the invention
The utility model, for the problems referred to above, provides a kind of infared bolometer based on MEMS, and this infared bolometer can obtain enough bridge floor gaps in the time making in using thinner sacrificial layer thickness.
The technical solution of the utility model is: a kind of infared bolometer based on MEMS, comprises bridge floor, heat-conductivity conducting brachium pontis and bridge pier assembly; On described bridge floor, be furnished with temperature sensitive layer; Described heat-conductivity conducting brachium pontis has two, is respectively the first heat-conductivity conducting brachium pontis and the second heat-conductivity conducting brachium pontis, and described the first heat-conductivity conducting brachium pontis and described the second heat-conductivity conducting brachium pontis are oppositely disposed in the both sides of described bridge floor; Described bridge pier assembly comprises the first bridge pier and the second bridge pier that are arranged in described the first heat-conductivity conducting brachium pontis and described the second below, heat-conductivity conducting brachium pontis end, and described the first bridge pier is respectively arranged with the bottom of described the second bridge pier the first sensing circuit tie point and the second sensing circuit tie point that are electrically connected with described temperature sensitive layer; Gap between described bridge floor and described the first sensing circuit tie point or described the second sensing circuit tie point place plane is greater than the height of described the first bridge pier or described the second bridge pier.
Further, the height of described the first bridge pier or described the second bridge pier is 0.3-1.5 micron, and described gap is 1-4 micron.
Further, described the first heat-conductivity conducting brachium pontis and described the second heat-conductivity conducting brachium pontis are respectively L shaped.
Technique effect of the present utility model is: the bolometer in the utility model, the height of its bridge pier is less than the height of bridge floor, can reduce the area that bridge pier takies, and improves the useful area of device cell, improves the performance of device.
Accompanying drawing explanation
Fig. 1 is the structural representation of the infared bolometer based on MEMS.
Fig. 2 is the fundamental diagram of infared bolometer.
The process chart that Fig. 3 (a)~Fig. 3 (f) is infared bolometer.
Fig. 4 is the cross-sectional view of infared bolometer metal junction.
Fig. 5 (a), Fig. 5 (b) apply the structural deformation schematic diagram after prestress for the utility model.
Fig. 6 is finite element simulation structural drawing.
Fig. 7 is FEM Numerical Simulation figure.
Embodiment
Below in conjunction with accompanying drawing, embodiment of the present utility model is further described.
In Fig. 1~Fig. 7, comprise that bridge floor 1, temperature sensitive layer 2, the first heat-conductivity conducting brachium pontis 3, the second heat-conductivity conducting brachium pontis 4, the first pixel connection 5, the second pixel connect 6, the first sensing circuit tie point 7, the second sensing circuit tie point 8, the first bridge piers 10, the second bridge pier 11, gap 12, reflection horizon 13, substrate 21, silicon nitride or silica membrane 22, metal connection layout 23, the first bridge pier mould 24, the second bridge pier mould 25, absorption layer 26, the first connecting hole 27, the second connecting hole 28, sacrifice layer 29, metal connecting layer 31, passivation layer 32 etc.
As shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 5 (b), Fig. 6 and Fig. 7, a kind of infared bolometer based on MEMS, comprises bridge floor 1, heat-conductivity conducting brachium pontis and bridge pier assembly.
On bridge floor 1, be furnished with temperature sensitive layer 2.Temperature sensitive layer 2 is made up as vanadium oxide etc. of temperature sensing material.
Heat-conductivity conducting brachium pontis has two, is respectively the both sides that the first heat-conductivity conducting brachium pontis 3 and the second heat-conductivity conducting brachium pontis 4, the first heat-conductivity conducting brachium pontis 3 and the second heat-conductivity conducting brachium pontis 4 are oppositely disposed in bridge floor 1.The first heat-conductivity conducting brachium pontis 3 and the second heat-conductivity conducting brachium pontis 4 are respectively L shaped, can certainly be " one " fonts, can be even around multiple " one " font composition around going.
Bridge pier assembly comprises that the first bridge pier 10 and the second bridge pier 11, the first bridge piers 10 that are arranged in the first heat-conductivity conducting brachium pontis 3 and the second heat-conductivity conducting brachium pontis 4 belows, end are respectively arranged with and temperature sensitive layer 2 the first sensing circuit tie point 7 being electrically connected and the second sensing circuit tie point 8 with the bottom of the second bridge pier 11; The first bridge pier 10 and the top of the second bridge pier 11 are respectively arranged with that the first pixel is connected 5, the second pixel connects 6.
Gap 12 between bridge floor 1 and the first sensing circuit tie point 7 or the second sensing circuit tie point 8 place planes is greater than the height of the first bridge pier 10 or the second bridge pier 11.The height of the first bridge pier 10 or the second bridge pier 11 is generally 0.3-1.5 micron, and gap 12 is 1-4 micron.
The method for making of the above-mentioned infared bolometer based on MEMS, comprises the following steps:
(a) substrate of device: substrate can be various ways, as the disk that contains sensing circuit, or monocrystalline substrate etc.Take silicon substrate as example, its substrate is the monocrystalline silicon disk that resistance is suitable, on this basis, and first with PECVD but be not limited to PECVD method and deposit a layer thickness be in
monocrystalline substrate 21
silicon nitride (SiNx) film 22.And then deposition last layer metal is used for making metal and connects, this layer of metal can be but be not limited to Al, Ti/TiN, and thickness is
.Then adopt the method for photoetching+metal etch to form
metal connection layout 23;
(b) sacrifice layer and absorption layer are made: on silicon nitride or silica membrane 22 and metal connection layout 23, apply or growth one deck sacrifice layer 29, its thickness is 0.5-1 μ m, the material of this layer of sacrifice layer 29 is exotic material, can bear follow-up high-temperature technology, as the PECVD SiNx depositing operation of 350 ℃, material can be (but not being restricted to) polyimide (Polyimide); Then chemical wet etching above metal connection layout 23, forms bowl-shape the first bridge pier mould 24, the second bridge pier mould 25; And then on sacrifice layer 29, deposit one deck PECVD SiNx, as the radiation absorption layer 26 of radiometer unit, and above metal connection layout 23, open the first connecting hole 27, the second connecting hole 28, prepare for metal afterwards connects; This absorption layer 26 applies the prestress of a negative value in technological process, for example-50~-500MPa.The prestressed method that applies negative value can be by the technological parameter in adjusting process process as power ratio of process gas kind, process gas flow, chamber temp, temperature of heat plate, radio-frequency power supply power, low-and high-frequency radio-frequency power supply etc.To adopt model that U.S. Novellus company manufactures as the PECVD film deposition equipment of Concept One is as example, this equipment has two radio frequency power sources, and one is 13.56MHz high-frequency radio frequency power supply, and another one is 90-450KHz low frequency radio frequency power supply.The power menu of a generation-216MPa is as follows:
Table 1-216MPa technological parameter
Parameter |
Parameter |
Vacuum pressure when technique |
2.8Torr |
Technological temperature |
350℃ |
Process gas SiH4 |
1 liter/min |
Ammonia NH3 |
5 liters/min |
Sedimentation time (monolithic) |
7.0 second |
General power |
700W |
High frequency power |
590W |
Low frequency power |
110W |
Silicon nitride film thickness |
2000A |
Stress |
-216MPa |
Stress repeatability |
+/-20MPa |
It should be noted that, this process menu and the equipment of implementing this technique are only for the feasibility of technique is described, the utility model is not limited to this equipment and this process menu.
(c) making of temperature sensitive layer: then, deposit one deck temperature sensing material chemical wet etching to form temperature sensitive layer 30 on absorption layer 26 by PECVD, PVD or other corresponding methods; Temperature sensing material can be but be not limited to polysilicon, vanadium oxide etc.
(d) making of metal connecting layer: on device, deposit again last layer metal, as Ti, the smaller materials of thermal conductivity coefficient such as NiCr alloy, and etching forms metal connecting layer 31 later;
(e) on device, deposit again layer of sin x passivation layer 32, play the effect of protection device.This passivation layer 32 in technological process, apply one on the occasion of prestress, for example+50~+ 500MPa.Applying can be by the technological parameter in adjusting process process as power ratio of process gas kind, process gas flow, chamber temp, temperature of heat plate, radio-frequency power supply power, low-and high-frequency radio-frequency power supply etc. on the occasion of prestressed method.To adopt model that U.S. Novellus company manufactures as the PECVD film deposition equipment of Concept One is as example, this equipment has two radio frequency power sources, and one is 13.56MHz high-frequency radio frequency power supply, and another one is 90-450KHz low frequency radio frequency power supply.The power menu of a generation+216MPa is as follows:
Table 2+216MPa technological parameter
Parameter |
Parameter |
Vacuum pressure when technique |
2.8Torr |
Technological temperature |
350℃ |
Process gas SiH4 |
1 liter/min |
Ammonia NH3 |
5 liters/min |
Sedimentation time (monolithic) |
7.0 second |
General power |
700W |
High frequency power |
290W |
Low frequency power |
410W |
Silicon nitride film thickness |
2000A |
Stress |
+216MPa |
Stress repeatability |
+/-20MPa |
It should be noted that, this process menu and the equipment of implementing this technique are only for the feasibility of technique is described, the utility model is not limited to this equipment and this process menu.
(f) device through cutting after carry out release process, empty whole sacrifice layer 29, technique complete and etc. to be packaged.
As shown in Figure 6, Figure 7, the device cell model that is 25x25 micron to a kind of area by finite element analysis software has carried out applying the deformation analysis after prestress, and this element adopts " L " shape brachium pontis, 43.5 microns of brachium pontis overall lengths, and cross-sectional width is 1 micron.Brachium pontis material is that bottom is silicon nitride, the common structure of intermetallic metal titanium, upper silicon nitride, and thickness is respectively from bottom to up: 2000A, 1000A, 2000A.Stress at upper and lower SIN layer be-216MPa and+when 216MPa, bridge floor the center displacement 1.55um, that is to say bridge deck lifting 1.55 microns, has reached and has invented described result.
Bolometer in the utility model, the height of its bridge pier is less than the height of bridge floor, can reduce the area that bridge pier takies, and improves the useful area of device cell, improves the performance of device.Method in the utility model can reduce the thickness of sacrifice layer greatly, in technological process, apply different stress according to design, make each layer film have different prestress, by the time after device discharges, sacrifice layer disappears, bridge arm structure is under prestressed effect, and the warpage that self-assembling formation is certain, in height gets a promotion with respect to bridge pier plane thereby reach bridge floor.Like this, even if thinner sacrifice layer also can obtain the bridge floor height needing, and the height of bridge floor determines by prestress, can regulate by applying different prestress the height of bridge floor.
The utlity model has following advantage: the device cell area that 1) bridge pier takies greatly reduces, the useful area of corresponding with it device cell is increased, the performance of device is improved; 2) in the situation that technological process is completely constant, can produce the device cell of different bridge floor height to be applicable to different application.Needed special feature is exactly that some film in technological process is applied to different prestress, and this is common than being easier in technologic realization; 3) in traditional design and processes flow process, if need to change bridge floor height, except developing the process menu of different sacrificial layer thickness, even relate to the change of sacrificial layer material, cost is higher.And this problem does not exist in the utility model.4) because change has occurred the thickness of sacrifice layer, bring size and the position of the upper bridge pier of design that change has occurred, need thus whole lithography mask versions of device cell to redesign, manpower expense and cost of raw and processed materials are all very large.5) if device cell, because the height that needs bridge floor of application exceedes 2.5 microns, adopts conventional process flow to need the high precision litho machine of the large depth of field, equipment purchase and maintenance cost are very high.And the method that the utility model adopts can improve the performance of device, the applicability of raising device technology flow process, reduce the difficulty of process exploitation and the requirement to process equipment, and finally reach the effect of the production cost that reduces device.