Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01C—MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY
  • G01C19/00—Gyroscopes; Turn-sensitive devices using vibrating masses; Turn-sensitive devices without moving masses; Measuring angular rate using gyroscopic effects
  • G01C19/56—Turn-sensitive devices using vibrating masses, e.g. vibratory angular rate sensors based on Coriolis forces
  • G01C19/5705—Turn-sensitive devices using vibrating masses, e.g. vibratory angular rate sensors based on Coriolis forces using masses driven in reciprocating rotary motion about an axis
  • G01C19/5712—Turn-sensitive devices using vibrating masses, e.g. vibratory angular rate sensors based on Coriolis forces using masses driven in reciprocating rotary motion about an axis the devices involving a micromechanical structure
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B81—MICROSTRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGY
  • B81B—MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS, e.g. MICROMECHANICAL DEVICES
  • B81B3/00—Devices comprising flexible or deformable elements, e.g. comprising elastic tongues or membranes
  • B81B3/0064—Constitution or structural means for improving or controlling the physical properties of a device
  • B81B3/0086—Electrical characteristics, e.g. reducing driving voltage, improving resistance to peak voltage
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B81—MICROSTRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGY
  • B81C—PROCESSES OR APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS
  • B81C1/00—Manufacture or treatment of devices or systems in or on a substrate
  • B81C1/00777—Preserve existing structures from alteration, e.g. temporary protection during manufacturing
  • B81C1/00785—Avoid chemical alteration, e.g. contamination, oxidation or unwanted etching
  • B81C1/00801—Avoid alteration of functional structures by etching, e.g. using a passivation layer or an etch stop layer
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B81—MICROSTRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGY
  • B81B—MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS, e.g. MICROMECHANICAL DEVICES
  • B81B2201/00—Specific applications of microelectromechanical systems
  • B81B2201/02—Sensors
  • B81B2201/0228—Inertial sensors
  • B81B2201/0242—Gyroscopes
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B81—MICROSTRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGY
  • B81B—MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS, e.g. MICROMECHANICAL DEVICES
  • B81B2203/00—Basic microelectromechanical structures
  • B81B2203/01—Suspended structures, i.e. structures allowing a movement
  • B81B2203/0136—Comb structures
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B81—MICROSTRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGY
  • B81B—MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS, e.g. MICROMECHANICAL DEVICES
  • B81B2203/00—Basic microelectromechanical structures
  • B81B2203/03—Static structures
  • B81B2203/0323—Grooves
  • B81B2203/033—Trenches
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B81—MICROSTRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGY
  • B81C—PROCESSES OR APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS
  • B81C2201/00—Manufacture or treatment of microstructural devices or systems
  • B81C2201/01—Manufacture or treatment of microstructural devices or systems in or on a substrate
  • B81C2201/0101—Shaping material; Structuring the bulk substrate or layers on the substrate; Film patterning
  • B81C2201/0102—Surface micromachining
  • B81C2201/0104—Chemical-mechanical polishing [CMP]
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B81—MICROSTRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGY
  • B81C—PROCESSES OR APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS
  • B81C2201/00—Manufacture or treatment of microstructural devices or systems
  • B81C2201/01—Manufacture or treatment of microstructural devices or systems in or on a substrate
  • B81C2201/0101—Shaping material; Structuring the bulk substrate or layers on the substrate; Film patterning
  • B81C2201/016—Passivation

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a micromechanical component and a corresponding manufacturing method.
• sensor elements are structured out of a single- or polycrystalline active silicon surface layer and made freely movable by means of a sacrificial layer technique, ie the removal of a SiO 2 sacrificial layer located under the structures.
• a plasma etching method according to the type of DE 4241045 is preferably used.
• a hydrofluoric acid vapor etching process as disclosed, for example, in DE 4317274 or DE 19704454.
• a preferred overall process for manufacturing development of such OMM sensors is e.g. B. in US-A-5, 756, 901.
• Rotation rate sensors have been designed according to different linear oscillator principles and according to different rotary oscillator principles. These rotation rate sensors are designed as spring-mass systems and are capable of vibrating structures, which are excited by means of electrostatic comb drives to a continuous vibration movement with constant amplitude and are evaluated by means of capacitive detection structures.
• the decoupling from the drive voltage is often done by a subsequent spectral filtering, by current compensation principles (oppositely directed drive voltages on two comb drives with compensation of the displacement currents) or by temporal selection via Swit- ched-capacitor principles.
• current compensation principles oppositely directed drive voltages on two comb drives with compensation of the displacement currents
• temporal selection via Swit- ched-capacitor principles.
• the noise characteristics of the sensors deteriorate either due to the crosstalk or due to the countermeasures taken.
• a hydrofluoric acid-containing medium in the form of aqueous or, preferably, fails the approach to incorporate isolation structures in the functional layer, until today 'in the destruction such isolation structures during the sacrificial layer etching.
• the refill oxide in the isolation trenches is attacked by the hydrofluoric acid.
• hydrofluoric acid vapor it is practically impossible to protect functional insulation oxides.
• micromechanical component according to the invention with the features of claim 1 and the corresponding manufacturing method according to claim 11 have the advantage over the known approach that the functional layer can be subdivided into areas which have different mechanical and / or electrical properties.
• the invention enables parts of the overall structure, for example detection and drive structures, to be galvanically decoupled from one another by isolation structures for the electrical decoupling and insulation of corresponding substructures within the movable structure within the functional layer.
• isolation trenches For the production of electrical isolation structures, the creation of isolation trenches is proposed in order to partition the sensor structure into several substructures. To separate these substructures e.g. In order to mechanically isolate them electrically insulated from one another, the isolation trenches are refilled with a highly insulating material, preferably silicon dioxide. A mechanically coherent structure can thus be produced, which consists of sub-segments that are electrically insulated from one another.
• An alternative sacrificial layer technique is expediently used in the invention, which is based on the selective removal of sacrificial silicon regions from a reactive gas phase.
• highly reactive fluorine compounds such as XeF 2 , C1F 3 , BrF 3 , IF 3 , IF5 etc. or fluorine radicals from a plasma discharge are preferably used, which spontaneously etch exposed silicon, but act very selectively towards non-silicon and do not attack it.
• oxide layers are not significantly attacked by these substances, so that functional oxides, such as the refill oxide, of the isolation trenches remain fully intact.
• this new sacrificial layer technology makes it possible to manufacture sensors that consist of substructures that are laterally electrically insulated from one another and thus e.g. enable decoupling of drive and detection zones in rotation rate sensors. As a result, these sensors are significantly improved and the range of applications for OM technology is significantly expanded in the direction of increased functionality.
• piezoelectric material for filling the isolation trenches instead of an isolation oxide.
• the silicon partial structures on both sides of the piezoelectric material then serve as electrodes, for example.
• mechanical forces can be converted into electrical signals within the sensor structure which, in turn, can be tapped from the substructures which are electrically insulated from one another.
• Known piezoelectric layer materials are, for example, ZnO, AIN, PZT etc. ZnO and AIN in particular can be deposited as thin layers in processes close to the semiconductor. These piezo materials convert mechanical forces into electrical voltages and vice versa, so that piezo actuators can also be represented within an active structure.
• the advantage of piezoelectric signal conversion in a sensor is the relatively high achievable signal voltages and the low source impedances, which e.g. with rotation rate sensors is advantageous for increased sensor sensitivity and sensor resolution.
• the advantage of an actuator is the relatively large force or displacement with a relatively low drive voltage. In this case too, "-: the highly selective isotropic silicon sacrificial layer technology enables the display of new components with increased functionality.
• an insulation layer is provided between the substrate and the functional layer.
• the third region made of a second material is part of the movable structure.
• the first material is polysilicon and the second material is an insulation material, preferably silicon dioxide.
• the first material is polysilicon and the second material is a piezoelectric material.
• a seismic mass is formed in the micromechanical functional layer, on which a comb structure is provided for driving, the third region being provided for electrically isolating the comb structure from the seismic mass.
• a ring structure is formed in the micromechanical functional layer, the third region being designed as a piezoelectric region.
• the ring structure is surrounded by a continuous third area, to which a plurality of spiral springs are connected.
• the ring structure is surrounded by a third area, the one Has a plurality of non-interconnected partial areas, with each of which a plurality of spiral springs is connected.
• the ring structure is part of a ring gyro.
• continuous degrees are formed in the functional layer to form the movable structure, then the side walls of the trenches are covered with a protective layer, and then part of the functional layer is made movable by providing an undercut area, the areas of the undercut area being provided be protected by the insulation layer and the side walls of the trenches by the protective layer.
• the protective layer is first deposited in the entire trench and then removed from the trench floor.
• planarization is carried out by means of a chemical-mechanical polishing step.
• Fig. 2 is a schematic illustration for explaining a second embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of a sensor structure to explain a third embodiment of the invention
• FIG. 4 shows a schematic illustration of a further sensor structure to explain a fourth embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 5 shows a schematic illustration of yet another sensor structure to explain a fifth embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 6 shows a schematic illustration of a ring gyro structure
• 7 shows a schematic illustration of a ring gyro structure according to a sixth embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 8 shows a schematic illustration of a ring gyro structure according to a seventh embodiment of the invention.
• La-g show schematic representations of different process stages to explain a first embodiment of the invention.
• reference symbol 17 denotes a silicon substrate, for example in the form of a silicon wafer. Areas of a first insulating layer 12 and a second insulating layer 14 lying between them, here each made of silicon dioxide, are applied to the silicon substrate 17. On the areas of the first insulating layer 12 there is a structured conductive layer, which in turn is covered by a third insulating layer 16, also made of silicon dioxide. A functional layer 15 made of conductive, highly doped polysilicon is provided above the third insulating layer 16 or the second insulating layer 14. seen. Above the functional layer 15 there is a photomask 10 in which an opening 21 is provided in the right section above the third insulation layer 16.
• FIG. 1b illustrates the result of a first anisotropic plasma etching process using the photomask 10 with the opening 21, which creates a trench 19 which completely cuts through the functional layer 15 and stops on the third insulation layer 16.
• the plasma etching process divides the functional layer 15 into the regions 15a and 15c.
• the trench 19 is completely filled with an insulation oxide (SiO 2 ) 20 by the insulation oxide in question being deposited over the entire surface of the structure.
• the insulation oxide 20 is then removed again from the wafer surface, for example by means of a chemical mechanical polishing step (CMP) or by etching back the oxide layer.
• CMP chemical mechanical polishing step
• the isolation oxide 20 thus remains only in the isolation trench 19, as a result of which a planar surface of the resulting structure according to FIG. stands.
• the filled trench now forms an area 15b of the functional layer 15 which mechanically stably connects the areas 15a and 15c, but in the present example is electrically insulated from one another.
• a second photomask 10 is provided on the resulting structure.
• a metalization which is usually still located on the functional layer 15 below the photomask 10 *, is not shown in FIG. In particular, if necessary, this metallization can also span the trenches filled with insulation material.
• the photomask 10 ⁇ has openings 21 ⁇ which, inter alia, lie above the second insulation layer 14.
• trenches 19 ⁇ are etched in the area of the openings 21, which extend to the second insulation layer 14, which is usually only a few nanometers to 100 nanometers thick.
• a teflon-like protective film 120 builds up selectively on the side walls of the trenches 19.
• the anisotropic plasma etching process comes to an almost complete standstill, since it has a high selectivity for silicon compared to silicon dioxide and therefore hardly etches silicon dioxide.
• the bottom of the trenches 19 there are exposed areas 23. This is shown in FIG. If.
• the exposed areas 23 of the second insulation layer 14 are removed in a further anisotropic plasma etching process for silicon oxide.
• the silicon substrate 17 is etched isotropically to produce an undercut region 31.
• a movable structure 32 above the undercut region 31 can thus be produced.
• the area 30 of the movable structure 32 consisting of the second insulation layer 14 together with the areas 25 of the second insulation layer 14 and together with the teflon-like protective layer 120 prevents the functional layer 15 from being etched back or lost during the isotropic undercut in the silicon and ensures that is really only etched into the silicon substrate.
• FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration to explain a second embodiment of the invention.
• the area 15b with the insulation oxide 20 is located within the movable structure 32.
• the production takes place analogously to the exemplary embodiment according to FIGS.
• the silicon regions 15a, 15b and the insulation oxide 20 are in the isotropic etching step for production of the undercut region 31 is protected by the region 30 of the second insulation layer 14 below the movable structure 32.
• a process for implementing the invention in a component according to the invention in accordance with the first or second embodiment therefore generally provides that the required isolation trenches 19 are first created in the active silicon layer 15.
• trench trenches are anisotropically etched up to the oxide stop layer 14 or 16.
• trenches are then filled again with at least one insulation oxide (Si0 2 ), possibly in conjunction with other refill materials, such as polysilicon. This is deposited over the entire area in order to fill the trenches at least partially, for example only in the upper part. In a preferred embodiment described above, the trenches are completely filled.
• Si0 2 insulation oxide
• other refill materials such as polysilicon
• the filling material Si0 2 or another material, such as AIN or the like
• the filling material is then removed again from the wafer surface, for example by means of planarization of the surface by polishing or chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) or etching.
• CMP chemical mechanical polishing
• the material thus remains in the isolation trenches and is removed again at the other points during the planarization step up to the silicon surface.
• This preferably creates a planar wafer Surface of silicon areas, which is filled with filled isolation trenches at the intended locations.
• the planarization step ensures that the refill material in the isolation trenches is flush with the silicon surface.
• the sensor structures are etched into the silicon, the stop oxide in the trench trenches is selectively removed, the structure side walls passivated (Teflon, Si0 2 deposition), the passivation from the trench bottom is selective removed and finally the sacrificial silicon zones selectively etched out due to the highly reactive fluorine chemistry of C1F 3 , BrF 3 , XeF 2 etc.
• the freely movable OMM structure 32 is present, which consists of substructures that are electrically insulated from one another.
• FIGS. 3-5 show different linear oscillator arrangements for rotation rate sensing according to a third to fifth embodiment.
• -G. 3 shows a schematic illustration of a sensor structure to explain a third embodiment of the invention.
• reference numerals 200 denote a seismic mass which has side arms 215a, 215b.
• the seismic mass 200 is formed in the micromechanical functional layer 15 in FIGS. 1 and 2.
• insulating regions 220a, 220b Provided in the arms 215a, 215b of the seismic mass 200 are insulating regions 220a, 220b which provide electrical insulation of the inner region of the seismic mass 200 from the outer regions of the arms 215a, 215b.
• Comb structures 265a, 265b are provided on the outer regions of the arms 215a, 215b, which cooperate with corresponding combs 255a, 255b, which are firmly connected to the substrate 17 via the anchors 250a, 250b (see FIGS. 1 and 2).
• 190a, 190b, 260a, 260b denote anchors, which hang the seismic mass 200 movably above the substrate 17 via bending springs 195a, 195b or 267a, 267b.
• FIG. 3 therefore shows a seismic mass 200 or sensor oscillating mass, the combs of which engage in the drive comb structure 255a, b are electrically insulated from the remaining sensor oscillating mass.
• the drive substructure of the vibrating mass is contacted, for example, by the anchors 260a, b, the remaining vibrating mass serving as the detection structure via the anchors 190a, b.
• the detection takes place, for example, out-of-plane and capacitively by means of lower electrode plates (not shown), which take up the distance of the remaining partial structure of the oscillating mass 200 from the lower electrode plates.
• the crosstalk of the electrical drive voltage via the vibrating mass 200 into the detection electrodes is thus greatly reduced and it is advantageously also possible to detect the remaining vibrating structure itself.
• FIG. 4 shows a schematic illustration of a further sensor structure to explain a fourth embodiment of the invention.
• reference numeral 300 denotes a seismic mass, which is connected to movable beams 360a, 360b via bending springs 330a, 330b.
• the beams 360a, 360b are in turn connected to the substrate 17 via anchors 325a, 325b.
• insulation regions 320a, 320b which electrically insulate the inner region of the seismic mass 300.
• comb structures 355a, 355b Connected to the beams 360a, 360b are comb structures 355a, 355b which have combs which interact with corresponding combs which are provided on anchors 350a, 350b.
• the comb structures 355a, 355b serve this Drive of the seismic mass 300. Displacements of the seismic mass 300 can be capacitively detected in a known manner via capacitor devices C1 to C4.
• the drive structures are decoupled from the oscillating structures via the bending springs 330a, b. As described, these are also electrically isolated from the actual vibration structure.
• the rotation rate signals are detected by means of the capacitive structures C1-C4 against the vibrating structure or its stationary frame parts.
• the drive structure and the rest of the vibrating structure can also be electrically contacted separately via separate fastening elements. That A bending spring must also be connected to the earth.
• 400 denotes a further seismic mass, which has an annular shape.
• comb structures 455a-d are provided at predetermined locations, which have combs which interact with corresponding combs which are connected to the substrate 17 via anchors 450a to 450d.
• the insulation regions 420a to 420d ensure that the drive structures constructed in this way are decoupled from the inner region or the inner regions of the seismic mass 400.
• 5 therefore shows a rotary oscillator in which the elements of the oscillating mass engaging in the drive comb structures are electrically insulated from the remaining oscillating mass.
• the remaining vibrating mass and the drive parts (not shown) are each electrically contacted separately.
• the detection is preferably carried out again out-of-plane by means of lower capacitor plates (not shown), via which the distance of the remaining oscillating mass from the electrode plates is determined.
• Another component for which the invention can be used is a micromechanical ring gyro with piezoelectric signal conversion.
• FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of a ring gyro structure with a deformable ring structure 500.
• FIG. 6 shows waveforms of the ring structure 500 with the two indicated vibration limit shapes.
• One "dead center” of the movement is the vertical cigar shape
• the other "dead center” of the movement is the horizontal cigar shape.
• the arrows mark the nodes of this mode of vibration, ie locations without any significant movement amplitude. Since the ring is or should be isotropic, the oscillation mode can in principle assume any other position in the plane.
• the mode orientation in the plane usually comes about through the vibration drive, which the rota- tional symmetry of the arrangement breaks and excellent main axes.
• the oscillation When the oscillating ring 500 rotates about an axis perpendicular to the ring plane, the oscillation tries to remain stationary against the rotation, so that an amplitude of movement occurs in the previous nodes of the oscillation mode.
• the turning away of the base mode is usually suitably detected in the nodes or compensated by an electromechanical negative feedback.
• the level of the compensation signal is the most commonly used measure of the rotational speed at which the ring 500 is rotated and the measurement variable that is actually of interest. Thanks to their high internal symmetry, ring gyros are very insensitive to external disturbances. The resolution can be increased very far.
• Conventional embodiments use either magnetic induction loops in an external magnetic field for driving and detecting the oscillation mode or piezoelectric drive and detection elements which are soldered onto the circumference of a precision mechanical ring or cylinder.
• the invention provides a suitable technique for representing micromechanical, preferably surface micromechanical Si ring gyros, which provides both sufficiently large driving forces and sufficiently large detection signals without impairing the symmetry of the ring structure which is essential for the function. It makes it possible to connect micromechanical, in particular surface micromechanical Si ring gyros with piezoelectric drive and detection fields and thus to obtain large drive forces and useful signals with a relatively low source impedance.
• the technology according to the invention enables the production of electrically insulated, freely movable sensor substructures. Trench trenches previously created are filled with piezoelectric material and then planarized. The actual silicon structures are then produced by trench etching.
• the isotropic gas phase etching technology using silicon sacrificial layers makes it possible to manufacture self-supporting, vibrating structures without damaging functional dielectrics or piezoelectrics.
• 7 shows a schematic illustration of a ring gyro structure according to a sixth embodiment of the invention.
• 520 denotes a rotating piezoelectric layer 520, which is incorporated in the functional layer 15 according to FIG. 1 or 2 according to an embodiment of the method according to the invention.
• 530a to 530g are bending springs made of conductive polysilicon, which are provided adjacent to the piezoelectric layer 520.
• 550a to 550h denote anchors which anchor the spiral springs 530a to 530h.
• an annular trench around the later silicon ring structure 500 is exposed after the underlying layer system consisting of insulation layers and the active silicon layer or functional layer located above it.
• This trench trench is filled with the piezoelectric material 520 and the wafer surface is then planarized.
• the actual silicon structures are then produced by trench etching, that is to say etched out of the still essentially coherent surface silicon layer. This applies to the inner ring (the actual ring vibrator) 500, the anchors 550a-h and the spiral springs 530a-h for the central ring 500, which simultaneously feed the electrode voltages to corresponding contact elements or tap them.
• FIG. 7 shows a continuous piezoelectric layer 520 with structured outer Si electrodes as the end of the spiral springs 530a-h.
• Highly doped, highly conductive silicon of p- or n-type is preferably used as the silicon starting material, particularly preferably highly doped p-material with a boron doping. Since the piezoelectric layer 520 is designed as a continuous outer ring, this can lead to increased electrical crosstalk between adjacent electrodes.
• FIG. 8 shows a schematic representation of a ring gyr structure according to a sixth embodiment of the invention.
• the piezoelectric fields are also separated from one another.
• the separation is brought about by initially creating a continuous ring 520 for the refill, but rather eight ring segments 520a g, which are separated from one another by cutouts 525 a-g, which in turn results in eight separate piezoelectric sub-segments after the refill and planarization arise.
• the electrical crosstalk between adjacent electrodes is reduced.
• open boundary areas of the piezoelectric material can occur between the outer electrodes and the central inner ring. With certain piezoelectrics (eg ZnO), electrical shunts between the inner ring electrode and the outer electrodes can occur due to the occurrence of surface conductivities.
• the structuring processes must therefore be optimized so that ion damage is minimized.
• the process for deep silicon structuring disclosed in DE 4241045 fulfills this requirement, since it manages with only low ion energies to achieve an anisotropic etching result, which cannot significantly damage the open edge or boundary surfaces of the piezoelectric fields.
• the electrical connection of the outer electrodes thus takes place via the associated anchoring and the associated spring, which must be sufficiently conductive due to high doping (p or n, preferably p).
• high doping p or n, preferably p.
• direct contacting of the inner ring can be dispensed with if all drive signals are supplied to the outer electrodes as complementary voltages and all signal taps are taken from the outer electrodes in a differential form.
• the vibration drive can take place in such a way that the drive field in the 12 o'clock position and that in the 3 o'clock position are each driven with complementary voltage and the output voltages of the fields at 6 o'clock and 9 o'clock for vibration detection Position are subtracted from each other.
• the node movement can be measured by using the output voltages of the two fields on the right and left of the 3 o'clock position are subtracted from each other, and the compensation of the node movement is carried out by feeding the compensation voltage into the piezo fields on the right and left of the 9 o'clock position.
• the central Si ring although not directly electrically contacted, always remains at a virtual zero potential.
• a layer structure is even more expedient, which also allows direct contact of the central ring via an Al conductor track.
• an insulation oxide layer is applied and structured over the spring bars before the deep trench process for working out the active structures, and an Al layer is applied over it and structured to form conductor tracks.
• the conductor tracks each contact the central Si ring and allow the ring to be connected to a defined potential, preferably earth potential or a reference potential.
• the AI conductor tracks should be as thin as possible, for example only 50-200 nm thick.
• it is advantageous to provide all spring bars with a conductor track used to connect the central ring structure although it would be sufficient in itself if only one spring bar were used to make contact with the inner ring).
• By utilizing all spring bars an electrical parallel connection of all eight conductor tracks is achieved, and you can get by with thinner conductor tracks. It also becomes very important also maintain the symmetry of the arrangement (all spring bars are the same).
• a further advantage is the possibility of poling piezoelectrics particularly effectively, as e.g. is required for PZT materials. After the deposition and structuring and baking of the PZT ceramic, these materials must first be pre-polarized by applying a pole voltage - a high DC voltage - between the outer electrode and the inner ring at elevated temperature and thus made piezoelectric. This polarity can be carried out in a particularly well-defined manner by individually connecting the inner ungi ring to each electrode field. Another advantage is the further reduction of electrical crosstalk between neighboring electrode fields.
• a micromechanical component preferably a surface micromechanical ring gyro
• a micromechanical component which overcomes the known problems of capacitive / electrostatic readout, in that piezoelectric fields can be implemented in a new manufacturing process.
• the process control allows the exposure of micromechanical structures without damaging functional dielectric or piezoelectric layers.
• vertically structured piezo fields can be displayed on a vibrating Si ring.
• the advantages of piezoelectric signal conversion are comparatively large signal voltages and low source impedances, detection of mechanical ' stresses and strains instead of movement amplitudes and small space requirements in comparison to capacitive structures.
• the invention is not limited to the illustrated applications.
• Another application example would be a microswitch, the actuator part should ideally be completely galvanically decoupled from the actual switch part in analogy to conventional relays.
• any other functional areas can be introduced, e.g. for the detection of mechanical forces by means of piezoelectric effects (through ZnO, AIN, PZT,) or for the integration of
• Piezo actuators in the structures In any case, the new process control opens up a multitude of new OMM components.
• the protective layer for the sacrificial layer etching technique can first be deposited in the entire trench and then removed from the trench floor.
• a known plasma planarization process can also be used (provided the refill material can be removed in the plasma) or etched back wet.

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