Effects of Sputtering Metal Deposition Parameters in the Photoresist used as a Sacrificial Layer in Micro-electromechanical System Devices

Abstract

The present letter describes a reliability study of the micro-electromechanical system fabrication with a photoresist layer used as sacrificial layer with an aluminum beam deposited by means of RF sputtering method. This work reports changes of the roughness and planarity of the sacrificial layer beneath the aluminum film following the sputtering deposition. Such changes may be attributed to the alteration of the photoresist properties due principally to the outgassing of hydrogen by decomposition of C-H bonds under argon plasma. A safe deposition parameters area was identified where the photoresist layer keeps its properties and may be used as sacrificial layer.

Transient discharge current measurements to study dielectric charging in MEMS

“…However, complex processes are needed to deposit, etch and release these films. Then, a photoresist is used to form the sacrificial layer that simplifies and made reliable the beam formation [9]. An aluminum layer was deposited and patterned by RF sputtering to form the structural beam (700nm).…”