Process for reconditioning semiconductor surface to facilitate bonding

1. A method of reconditioning a surface of a semiconductor device having a micro structural defect, comprising:

a) identifying a micro structural defect in a surface; and

b) utilizing wet chemistry methods to remove material from the surface to a depth below the maximum depth of the micro structural defect.

2. The method of claim 1 , where the semiconductor device is made of silicon, and wherein step b) includes the sub-steps:

b1) exposing the surface to liquid nitric acid to grow an oxide layer on the surface; and

b2) removing the oxide layer to reveal a surface substantially free of micro structural defects.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein step b2) includes removing the oxide layer using a wet oxide strip method.

4. A method of reconditioning a surface of a microvalve device, comprising:

a) micromachining a component of a microvalve device from silicon;

b) identifying a micro structural defect in a surface of the component; and

c) utilizing a non-abrading wet chemistry method to remove material from the surface to a depth below the maximum depth of the micro structural defect.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein step c) includes the sub-steps:

c1) applying liquid nitric acid to the surface to grow an oxide layer on the surface below the depth of the micro structural defect; and

c2) removing the oxide layer using a wet oxide strip method to reveal a surface substantially free of micro structural defects.

6. The method of claim 4 , Wherein between step b) and step c), the following intermediate steps are performed:

x1) forming a high temperature oxide layer on the surface; and

x2) removing the high temperature oxide layer.

7. A method of fabricating a multi-layer silicon micromachined device, comprising the steps of:

a) micromachining a first layer of a silicon micromachined device, the first layer having a first bonding interface surface;

b) micromachining a second layer of the silicon micromachined device, the second layer having a second bonding interface surface for bonding to the first bonding interface surface;

c) identifying a surface defect in the form of a micro structural defect in at least one of the first bonding interface surface and the second bonding interface surface;

d) utilizing a non-abrading wet chemistry method to remove material from the in at least one of the first bonding interface surface and the second bonding interface surface to a depth below a maximum depth of the micro structural defect and render in at least one of the first bonding interface surface and the second bonding interface surface satisfactory for fusion bonding; and

e) fusion bonding the first bonding interface surface to the second bonding interface surface to join the first layer to the second layer of the multi-layer silicon micromachined device.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the micromachined device is a silicon microvalve.

9. A method of manufacturing a MEMS device with a moving mechanical component, comprising:

a) micromachining a surface of a component to create a feature, the surface with a feature being a surface of a component part of a MEMS device with a moving mechanical component;

b) identifying a micro structural defect in the surface with a feature;

c) utilizing a non-abrasive wet chemistry method to remove material from the surface to a depth below the maximum depth of the micro structural defect;

d) assembling the component with other components to complete manufacture of the MEMS device with a moving mechanical component.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the surface was a bond interface surface, and step d) further includes bonding the component to another component of the MEMS device utilizing fusion bonding.

11. The method claim 9 , wherein step c) includes utilizing a wet chemistry method to remove material from the surface to a depth below the maximum depth of the micro structural defect.