Method for removing a sacrificial material with a compressed fluid

1. A method comprising:

depositing an organic material on a substrate;

depositing additional material different from said organic material after depositing the organic material; and

removing the organic material with a compressed fluid;

wherein the released and movable additional material forms a micromirror for a display system or optical switch.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the organic material is deposited as a sacrificial layer in a MEMS process.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein by removing the organic material, the additional material is released and is capable of movement.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the organic material is a polymer.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the polymer is an alkyd, acrylic, epoxy, polyxylylene, polyvinyl, polyurethane, fluorocarbon, phenolic, polyimide or silicone.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the organic material is a photoresist.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the photoresist is based on a cyclized rubber, novolac, hydroxystyrene, cyclic olefin, acrylate, or fluorocarbon.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the photoresist is light sensitive.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the organic material comprises a fluorocarbon or silicone.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the organic material is patterned prior to depositing the additional material.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the organic material is deposited by spin coating or chemical vapor deposition.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the patterning comprises directing light of a particular wavelength at the organic material and removing portions of the organic material.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the organic material is a spin-on low-k organic material.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the organic material is deposited by mixing an organic precursor material with a solvent or liquid carbon dioxide, and providing the mixture onto a substrate.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compressed fluid is a supercritical alkane, alkene or alcohol.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the organic material is removed with a supercritical fluid and a cosolvent.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the organic material is removed with supercritical carbon dioxide and an aromatic organic cosolvent.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the compressed fluid is a supercritical fluid, near-critical fluid, expanded liquid or highly compressed gas.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the fluid is carbon dioxide.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the fluid is water or nitrous oxide.

21. The method of claim 16 , wherein the cosolvent is an organic solvent.

22. The method of claim 16 , wherein the cosolvent is an ether, glycol ether, aromatic hydrocarbon, ketone or ester.

23. The method of claim 1 , wherein the additional material comprises silicon or a silicon compound.

24. The method of claim 1 , wherein the additional material comprises a metal.

25. The method of claim 1 , wherein the additional material is a plurality of layers.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein one of the layers comprises silicon nitride.

27. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a stiction reducing agent after removing the organic material.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein the stiction reducing agent is a silane or siloxane.

29. The method of claim 28 , wherein the stiction reducing agent is a chlorosilane.

30. A method comprising:

providing an organic layer on a substrate;

after providing the organic layer, providing one or more layers of a material different than the organic material of the organic layer;

removing the organic layer with a compressed fluid; and

providing an anti-stiction agent to material remaining after removal of the organic layer with a compressed fluid.

31. The method of claim 30 , wherein the compressed fluid is the same for removing the organic layer as for providing the anti-stiction agent.

32. The method of claim 30 , wherein the compressed fluid is a near critical or supercritical fluid.

33. The method of claim 32 , wherein the fluid is supercritical carbon dioxide, water or nitrous oxide.

34. The method of claim 30 , further comprising providing a compressed fluid for cleaning after removal of the organic material but before providing the anti-stiction agent.

35. The method of claim 34 , wherein supercritical carbon dioxide is used for removal of the organic material, cleaning and providing the anti-stiction agent.

36. The method of claim 35 , wherein the supercritical carbon dioxide is provided continuously or substantially continuously from the beginning of removing the organic material to the end of providing the anti-stiction agent.

37. The method of claim 30 , wherein the organic material is deposited as a sacrificial layer in a MEMS process.

38. The method of claim 30 , wherein by removing the organic material, the additional one or more layers are released and capable of movement.

39. The method of claim 38 , wherein the released and movable one or more layers forms a micromirror for a display or optical switch.

40. The method of claim 38 , wherein the released and movable one or more layers forms an accelerometer, DC relay, RF switch, filter, oscillator, variable capacitors or inductor.

41. The method of claim 30 , wherein the organic material is a polymer.

42. The method of claim 41 , wherein the polymer is an alkyd, acrylic, epoxy, polyxylylene, polyvinyl, polyurethane, fluorocarbon, phenolic, polyimide or silicone.

43. The method of claim 30 , wherein the organic material is a photoresist.

44. The method of claim 43 , wherein the photoresist is based on a cyclized rubber, novolac, hydroxystyrene, cyclic olefin, acrylate, or fluorocarbon.

45. The method of claim 43 , wherein the photoresist is light sensitive.

46. The method of claim 30 , wherein the organic material comprises a fluorocarbon or silicone.

47. The method of claim 30 , wherein the organic material is patterned prior to depositing the additional material.

48. The method of claim 30 , wherein the organic material is deposited by spin coating or chemical vapor deposition.

49. The method of claim 47 , wherein the patterning comprises directing light of a particular wavelength at the organic material and removing portions of the organic material.

50. The method of claim 30 , wherein the organic material is a spin-on low-k organic material.

51. The method of claim 30 , wherein the organic material is deposited by mixing an organic precursor material with a solvent or liquid carbon dioxide, and providing the mixture onto a substrate.

52. The method of claim 30 , wherein the compressed fluid is a supercritical alkane, alkene or alcohol.

53. The method of claim 30 , wherein the organic material is removed with a supercritical fluid and a cosolvent.

54. The method of claim 30 , wherein the organic material is removed with supercritical carbon dioxide and an aromatic organic cosolvent.

55. The method of claim 54 , wherein the compressed fluid is a supercritical fluid, near-critical fluid, expanded liquid or highly compressed gas.

56. The method of claim 55 , wherein the fluid is carbon dioxide.

57. The method of claim 55 , wherein the fluid is water or nitrous oxide.

58. The method of claim 53 , wherein the cosolvent is an organic solvent.

59. The method of claim 53 , wherein the cosolvent is an ether, glycol ether, aromatic hydrocarbon, ketone or ester.

60. The method of claim 30 , wherein the additional material comprises silicon or a silicon compound.

61. The method of claim 30 , wherein the additional material comprises a metal.

62. The method of claim 30 , wherein the additional material is a plurality of layers.

63. The method of claim 62 , wherein one of the layers comprises silicon nitride.

64. The method of claim 30 , further comprising providing a stiction reducing agent after removing the organic material.

65. The method of claim 64 , wherein the stiction reducing agent is a silane or siloxane.

66. The method of claim 65 , wherein the stiction reducing agent is a chlorosilane.

67. A method for making a micromirror array, comprising:

depositing and patterning an organic material on a substrate;

depositing additional material different from said organic material after depositing the organic material;

patterning said additional material to define a plurality of micromirror elements; and

removing the organic material with a compressed fluid.

68. A method comprising:

depositing an organic material on a substrate;

depositing additional material different from said organic material after depositing the organic material; and

removing the organic material, with a compressed fluid;

wherein the released and movable additional material forms an accelerometer, DC relay, RF switch, filter, oscillator, variable capacitor, or inductor.

69. The method of claim 68 , wherein by removing the organic material, the additional material is released and is capable of movement.

70. The method of claim 68 , wherein the organic material is a polymer.

71. method of claim 70 , wherein the polymer is an alkyd, acrylic, epoxy, polyxylyjene, polyvinyl, polyurethane, fluorocarbon, phenolic, polyimide or silicone.

72. The method of claim 68 , wherein the organic material is a photoresist.

73. The method of claim 72 , wherein the photoresist is based on a cyclized rubber, novolac, hydroxystyrene, cyclic olefin, acrylate, or fluorocarbon.

74. The method of claim 72 , wherein the photoresist is light sensitive.

75. The method of claim 68 , wherein the organic material is deposited by spin coating or chemical vapor deposition.

76. The method of claim 68 , wherein the organic material is a spin-on low-k organic material.

77. The method of claim 68 , wherein the organic material is deposited by mixing an organic precursor material with a solvent or liquid carbon dioxide, and providing the mixture onto a substrate.

78. The method of claim 68 , wherein the organic material is removed with a supercritical fluid and a cosolvent.

79. The method of claim 68 , wherein the organic material is removed with supercritical carbon dioxide and an aromatic organic cosolvent.

80. The method of claim 79 , wherein the compressed fluid is a supercritical fluid, near-critical fluid, expanded liquid or highly compressed gas.

81. The method of claim 80 , wherein the fluid is carbon dioxide.

82. A method comprising:

depositing an organic material on a substrate;

depositing additional material different from said organic material after depositing the organic material;

removing the organic material with a compressed fluid;

wherein the organic material comprises a fluorocarbon or silicone; and

wherein by removing the organic material, the additional material is released and is capable of movement.

83. The method of claim 82 , wherein the organic material is a polymer.

84. The method of claim 83 , the polymer is an alkyd, acrylic, epoxy, polyxylylene, polyvinyl, polyurethane, fluorocarbon, phenolic, polyimide or silicone.

85. The method of claim 82 , wherein the organic material is a photoresist.

86. The method of claim 85 , wherein the photoresist is based on a cyclized rubber, novolac, hydroxystyrene, cyclic olefin, acrylate, or fluorocarbon.

87. The method of claim 85 , wherein the photoresist is light sensitive.

88. The method of claim 82 , wherein the organic material is deposited by spin coating or chemical vapor deposition.

89. The method of claim 82 , wherein the organic material is a spin-on low-k organic material.

90. The method of claim 82 , wherein the organic material is deposited by mixing an organic precursor material with a solvent or liquid carbon dioxide, and providing the mixture onto a substrate.

91. The method of claim 82 , wherein the organic material is removed with a supercritical fluid and a cosolvent.

92. The method of claim 82 , wherein the organic material is removed with supercritical carbon dioxide and an aromatic organic cosolvent.

93. The method of claim 92 , wherein the compressed fluid is a supercritical fluid, near-critical fluid, expanded liquid or highly compressed gas.

94. The method of claim 93 , wherein the fluid is carbon dioxide.

95. A method comprising:

depositing an organic material on a substrate;

depositing additional material different from said organic material after depositing the organic material; and

removing the organic material with a compressed fluid;

wherein the additional material comprises silicon or a silicon compound.

96. The method of claim 95 , wherein by removing the organic material, the additional material is released and is capable of movement.

97. The method of claim 95 , wherein the organic material is a polymer.

98. The method of claim 97 , wherein the polymer is an alkyd, acrylic, epoxy, polyxylylene, polyvinyl, polyurethane, fluorocarbon, phenolic, polyimide or silicone.

99. The method of claim 95 , wherein the organic material is a photoresist.

100. The method of claim 99 , wherein the photoresist is based on a cyclized rubber, novolac, hydroxystyrene, cyclic olefin, acrylate, or fluorocarbon.

101. The method of claim 99 , wherein the photoresist is light sensitive.

102. The method of claim 95 , wherein the organic material is deposited by spin coating or chemical vapor deposition.

103. The method of claim 95 , wherein the organic material is a spin-on low-k organic material.

104. The method of claim 95 , wherein the organic material is deposited by mixing an organic precursor material with a solvent or liquid carbon dioxide, and providing the mixture onto a substrate.

105. The method of claim 95 , wherein the organic material is removed with a supercritical fluid and a cosolvent.

106. The method of claim 95 , wherein the organic material is removed with supercritical carbon dioxide and an aromatic organic cosolvent.

107. The method of claim 96 , wherein the compressed fluid is a supercritical fluid, near-critical fluid, expanded liquid or highly compressed gas.

108. The method of claim 107 , wherein the fluid is carbon dioxide.

109. A method comprising:

depositing an organic material on a substrate;

depositing additional material different from said organic material after depositing the organic material; and

removing the organic material with a compressed fluid;

wherein the additional material is a plurality of layers.

110. The method of claim 109 , wherein by removing the organic material, the additional material is released and is capable of movement.

111. The method of claim 109 , wherein the organic material is a polymer.

112. The method of claim 111 , wherein the polymer is an alkyd, acrylic, epoxy, polyxylylene, polyvinyl, polyurethane, fluorocarbon, phenolic, polyimide or silicone.

113. The method of claim 109 , wherein the organic material is a photoresist.

114. The method of claim 113 , wherein the photoresist is based on a cyclized rubber, novolac, hydroxystyrene, cyclic olefin, acrylate, or fluorocarbon.

115. The method of claim 113 , wherein the photoresist is light sensitive.

116. The method of claim 109 , wherein the organic material is deposited by spin coating or chemical vapor deposition.

117. The method of claim 109 , wherein the organic material is a spin-on low-k organic material.

118. The method of claim 109 , wherein the organic material is deposited by mixing an organic precursor material with a solvent or liquid carbon dioxide, and providing the mixture onto a substrate.

119. The method of claim 109 , wherein the organic material is removed with supercritical fluid and a cosolvent.

120. The method of claim 109 , wherein the organic material is removed with supercritical carbon dioxide and an aromatic organic cosolvent.

121. The method of claim 110 , wherein the compressed fluid is a supercritical fluid, near-critical fluid, expanded liquid or highly compressed gas.

122. The method of claim 121 , wherein the fluid is carbon dioxide.