Microelectromechanical microphone with membrane trench reinforcements and method of fabrication

1. A method of fabricating a Microelectromechanical System (MEMS) microphone, comprising:

depositing, on a frontside of a wafer, a first oxide layer over a silicon nitride thin film and over and adjacent the wafer, wherein the silicon nitride thin film is disposed over the wafer;

depositing a membrane protection layer over the first oxide layer between a first side of a first cavity formed in the wafer and a second side of a second cavity formed in the wafer;

depositing a second oxide layer over and adjacent the membrane protection layer;

depositing a first membrane nitride layer over the second oxide layer;

depositing a membrane polysilicon layer over the first membrane nitride layer;

depositing a second membrane nitride layer over the membrane polysilicon layer;

depositing a third oxide layer over the second membrane nitride layer

depositing a fourth oxide layer over the third oxide layer and opening a lateral etch stop;

depositing a backplate nitride underlayer over and adjacent the fourth oxide layer and the lateral etch stop;

depositing a first backplate polysilicon layer over and adjacent the backplate nitride underlayer;

depositing a fifth oxide layer at respective portions of the first backplate polysilicon layer and filling the lateral etch stop;

depositing a second backplate polysilicon layer over the fifth oxide layer and the first backplate polysilicon layer;

depositing metal over the second backplate polysilicon layer and over the first backplate polysilicon layer;

defining a cavity on a backside of the wafer, resulting in a defined structure;

performing a first release of the defined structure;

removing the membrane protection layer;

performing a second release of the defined structure; and

depositing a self-assembled monolayer coating.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

removing at least a first portion of the fifth oxide layer that is over the first backplate polysilicon layer, wherein at least a second portion of the fifth oxide layer, located at the lateral etch stop is not removed during the removing.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

depositing photo resists over the fifth oxide layer; and

prior to the depositing the second backplate polysilicon layer, etching the fifth oxide layer.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

prior to the depositing the first membrane nitride layer, depositing a nitride reinforcement layer over and adjacent the second oxide layer; and

defining the nitride reinforcement layer.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the defining comprises creating one or more ventilation holes and an active electrode.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

prior to the depositing the second membrane nitride layer, depositing an oxide reinforcement layer; and

defining the oxide reinforcement layer.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the depositing the membrane polysilicon layer further comprises defining the membrane polysilicon layer and an area of the membrane polysilicon layer.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the depositing the second oxide layer further comprises opening a first lateral etch stop, wherein a corner radius of the first lateral etch stop is more than 100 nanometers.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lateral etch stop comprises a first corner radius and a second corner radius, and wherein etching the first corner radius comprises etching the first corner radius to a radius of more than 100 nanometers.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein etching the second corner radius comprises etching the second corner radius to a radius of more than 25 nanometers.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein a step width between the first corner radius and the second corner radius is less than 4 micrometers.