Providing a charge dissipation structure for an electrostatically driven device
View Patent ↗In one embodiment, an electrode is disposed on a surface of a first portion of the dielectric, with the first portion and the electrode forming an electrode region of the device. A charge-dissipation structure is then formed by implanting ions into the electrode region and a second portion of the dielectric located outside of the electrode region. In another embodiment, a charge-dissipation structure is formed by implanting ions into the dielectric of a movable part of an electro-mechanical system. Advantageously, ion implantation can be performed without masking, lithography, or elevated temperatures; the electrical properties of the resulting charge dissipation structure can be controlled relatively easily; and portions of the charge dissipation structure are protected from oxidation and/or corrosion by the dielectric material.
1. A method of fabricating a device, comprising:
(A) disposing at least one electrode on a surface of a first portion of a dielectric, wherein the first portion and the at least one electrode form an electrode region of the device; and
(B) forming a charge-dissipation structure in the electrode region and in a second portion of the dielectric located outside of the electrode region, wherein:
said forming the charge-dissipation structure comprises implanting ions into the electrode region and the second portion; and
the implanting into the electrode region and the second portion is performed before the at least one electrode is disposed; and
forming the charge-dissipation structure further comprises implanting ions into the at least one electrode.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the implanting is performed without masking or lithography.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ions comprise ions of at least one of argon and xenon.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the ions include gold or antimony ions;
the ions are implanted with energies of between about 15 keV and about 50 keV, and
a dose of the ions is between about 10 13 ions/cm 2 and about 10 17 ions/cm 2 .
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ions include non-metal ions.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the device is an electro-mechanical system having a stationary part and a movable part, which is adapted to move with respect to the stationary part.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the stationary part includes a portion of the charge dissipation structure.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the movable part includes at least a portion of the charge-dissipation structure.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the charge-dissipation structure comprises forming a thin conductive layer below and adjacent the surface of the dielectric, wherein the charge-dissipation structure includes said conductive layer.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the charge-dissipation structure further comprises forming a part of the charge-dissipation structure in the at least one electrode.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the charge-dissipation structure comprises forming a part of the charge-dissipation structure in the first portion of the dielectric.
12. A method of fabricating a device, comprising:
(A) disposing at least one electrode on a surface of a dielectric; and
(B) implanting ions into the dielectric to form a charge-dissipation structure, wherein:
the device is an electro-mechanical system having a stationary part and a movable part, which is adapted to move with respect to the stationary part;
the stationary part comprises a substrate;
the movable part comprises a membrane having at least a portion of said dielectric and disposed at an offset distance from the substrate;
the membrane is adapted to deform in response to a voltage differential applied between the substrate and the at least one electrode;
the movable part includes at least a portion of the charge-dissipation structure; and
the implanting is performed before the at least one electrode is disposed.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the ions comprise ions of at least one of argon and xenon.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the method comprises implanting ions into the at least one electrode.
15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the stationary part includes a portion of the charge dissipation structure.
16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the implanting is performed without masking or lithography.
17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the charge-dissipation structure is adapted to drain mobile charges within the dielectric.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the charge-dissipation structure is adapted to drain mobile charges within the dielectric.
19. The method of claim 6 , wherein the charge-dissipation structure is adapted to electrostatically screen mobile charges within the dielectric from the movable part.
20. The method of claim 8 , wherein the stationary part includes a portion of the charge dissipation structure.
21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the charge-dissipation structure covers an entire footprint of said at least one electrode in said first portion.
22. The method of claim 12 , wherein the charge-dissipation structure covers an entire footprint of said at least one electrode in said dielectric.
23. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the device is an electro-mechanical system having a stationary part and a movable part, which is adapted to move with respect to the stationary part;
the stationary part comprises a substrate;
the movable part comprises a membrane having at least a portion of said dielectric and disposed at an offset distance from the substrate;
the membrane is adapted to deform in response to a voltage differential applied between the substrate and the at least one electrode; and
the movable part includes at least a portion of the charge-dissipation structure.