SBIR Phase I: Dual Substrate Cantilevered MEMS switch

这个小企业创新研究计划第一阶段（SBIR）项目将测试和确认一种制造小型悬臂式MEMS电气开关的新方法。该方法消除或改善了使用本发明的表面加工方法来制造这些开关所存在的大量问题。该方法将开关部件划分在两个基板之间，其中移动悬臂部分在上基板上，而固定触点在下基板上。移动部分可以由单晶硅的无应力层形成，因此没有翘曲或变形的趋势。使用两个衬底允许触点在整个处理过程中完全暴露，直到衬底结合在一起以形成开关。由于接触件是暴露的，因此它们可以在两个晶片之间的气密密封中密封之前被有效地清洁，从而减小结的接触电阻。此外，双基板方法提供了许多使用表面加工方法不可用的设计选项。如果成功，这里描述的方法将用于生产MEMS悬臂式开关，用于广泛的应用，从直流电源处理应用到RF和雷达应用。由于MEMS开关具有高载流、高频率特性、小尺寸和低成本，因此MEMS开关可以作为FET开关或微型继电器在各种器件中的可行替代品。该方法还可以适用于其他种类的MEMS器件，例如传感器和致动器，其可以具有悬置在衬底上方的可移动部件，该可移动部件与衬底上的固定部件相互作用。因此，这种方法可以从根本上改变这些器件的制造方式，并开辟目前MEMS器件所不具备的广泛应用。

This Small Business Innovation Research Program Phase I (SBIR) project will test and confirm a novel approach to the manufacture of small cantilevered MEMS electrical switches. The approach obviates or ameliorates a multitude of problems which exist using the present surface machining approach to the fabrication of these switches. The approach divides the switch components between two substrates, with the moving cantilevered portion on an upper substrate, and the stationary contacts on the lower substrate. The moving portion may be formed from a stress-free layer of single crystal silicon, and therefore has no tendency to warp or distort. Using two substrates allows the contacts to be fully exposed throughout processing, until the substrates are bonded together to form the switch. Because the contacts are exposed, they can be effectively cleaned just prior to sealing in the hermetic seal between the two wafers, thereby reducing the contact resistance of the junctions. In addition, the dual substrate approach affords a number of design options not available using the surface machining approach. If successful, the approach described here will be used to produce MEMS cantilevered switches for a broad range of applications, from DC power handling applications to RF and radar applications. Because of their high current-carrying, high frequency characteristics with small size and low cost, the MEMS switches may serve as viable replacements for FET switches or micro relays in a wide range of devices. The approach may also be applicable to other sorts of MEMS devices, such as sensors and actuators, which may have a movable component suspended over a substrate which interacts with a fixed component on the substrate. This approach may therefore fundamentally alter how these devices are manufactured, and open up a wide range of applications not presently served by MEMS devices.