Multilayer Thin Film Getter for Sustainable Vacuum in MEMS Packaging

Abstract

In this work, we investigate Au/Zr/V/Zr multilayer getters in order to get a sustainable low pressure in a packaging cavity. These films were analyzed by using four probe resistivity measurements, SEM and TEM cross section observations and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometry (EDX) measurements. It is demonstrated that the activation temperature of a zirconium layer covered with a vanadium layer depends on the vanadium layer thickness. Other experiments demonstrate that Au/Zr/V/Zr multilayer getter films can be activated at low temperature and that suitable sorption properties to get a low pressure in a medium size vacuum package during 9 months can be achieved after activation at 300 • C for 1 hour.

The exceptional oxidation of Ti6Al4V alloy with a pre-deposited silver layer

“…Vanadium is a strong oxidizing agent because of its multioxidation states as evidenced in Figure 8c. It was found by other researchers that a thin V layer on top of evaporated Zr films can lower the oxidation activation temperature of zirconium, promote the boundary diffusion of the captured oxygen from the surface to the bulk of the films and generate a much thicker zirconium oxide layer [30,31]. Furthermore, after annealing at 350°C for 1 hour, the oxygen diffusion length was 885 nm in vanadium layer verse only about 4 nm in zirconium layer.…”

Influence of Barrier Layers on ZrCoCe Getter Film Performance

“…Microelectromechanical system (MEMS) devices have been used in aerospace [ 1 ], biomedical [ 2 ], automotive [ 3 ], communications [ 4 ], as well as other high-tech fields [ 5 , 6 ], many of which use Ge as a substrate [ 7 , 8 , 9 ]. Getter films have attracted significant attention for their sorption performance in maintaining and improving the vacuum degree in MEMS vacuum devices for extended periods [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ]. Vacuum package and long-term reliability are important in MEMS gyroscopes to ensure their detection accuracy [ 12 , 14 , 15 ].…”