Controlling electromechanical behavior of structures within a microelectromechanical systems device
View Patent ↗In one embodiment, the invention provides a method for fabricating a microelectromechanical systems device. The method comprises fabricating a first layer comprising a film having a characteristic electromechanical response, and a characteristic optical response, wherein the characteristic optical response is desirable and the characteristic electromechanical response is undesirable; and modifying the characteristic electromechanical response of the first layer by at least reducing charge build up thereon during activation of the microelectromechanical systems device.
1. A MEMS device having a substrate comprising:
an electrode layer formed over the substrate;
a dielectric layer formed over the electrode layer, wherein the dielectric layer comprises silicon oxide;
a first etch barrier layer formed over the dielectric layer;
a cavity located above the first etch barrier;
a moving layer located above the cavity; and
a fourth layer formed between the electrode layer and the first dielectric layer, said fourth layer comprising aluminum oxide.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first etch barrier layer comprises aluminum oxide.
3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is an interferometric modulator.
4. The device of claim 1 , additionally comprising a second etch barrier layer formed over the first etch barrier layer.
5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the second etch barrier layer comprises silicon oxide.
6. The device of claim 4 , wherein the second etch barrier layer comprises silicon nitride.
7. The device of claim 4 , wherein the second etch barrier layer comprises titanium.
8. The device of claim 4 , wherein the second etch barrier layer comprises molybdenum.
9. The device of claim 4 , wherein the second etch barrier layer comprises amorphous silicon.
10. The device of claim 4 , wherein the second etch barrier layer has a varying thickness over the surface of the first etch barrier layer.
11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the second etch barrier covers only a portion of the first etch barrier layer.