IP Library › Granted Patent US 7,364,932
Granted Patent B2
US 7,364,932 · App. 10/515,359 · Granted Apr 29, 2008

Electronic device and method of manufacturing the same

Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,364,932
App. No.
10/515,359
Granted
Apr 29, 2008
Kind
B2
Abstract

In the present invention, an etching hole 21 is formed in a polysilicon film 14 as a cavity-wall member. Through the etching hole 21 , hydrofluoric acid is injected, so as to dissolve a silicon oxide film 13 , thereby forming a cavity 22 . In the cavity 22 , a detecting unit 12 of a sensor is in an exposed condition. Next, by sputtering, an Al film 16 is deposited in the etching hole 21 and on an upper face of a substrate. Thereafter, a portion of the Al film 16 positioned on the polysilicon film 14 is removed by etching back, thereby leaving only a metal closure 16 a of Al which closes the etching hole. The sputtering step is performed under a pressure of 5 Pa or less, so that the pressure in the cavity can be held to be low.

Claims (27)

1. A method of fabricating an electronic device comprising the steps of:

(a) preparing a substrate on which part of the electronic device is disposed, and forming a sacrificial layer which covers the part of the electronic device on a selected region of the substrate;

(b) forming a cavity-wall film which covers the sacrificial layer on the substrate;

(c) forming at least one opening which runs through the cavity-wall film and reaches the sacrificial layer in the cavity-wall film;

(d) selectively etching at least part of the sacrificial layer via the opening, thereby forming a cavity surrounding the part of the electronic device; and

(e) forming a sealing member for closing the opening by sputtering,

wherein the part of the electronic device is a detecting unit of an infrared sensor,

in the step (a), the sacrificial layer is formed from a polysilicon film, and

in the step (b), a polysilicon film and a silicon oxide film enwrapping the polysilicon film are formed as the cavity-wall film.

2. A method of fabricating an electronic device comprising the steps of:

(a) preparing a substrate on which part of the electronic device is disposed, and forming a sacrificial layer which covers the part of the electronic device on a selected region of the substrate;

(b) forming a cavity-wall film which covers the sacrificial layer on the substrate;

(c) forming at least one opening which runs though the cavity-wall film and reaches the sacrificial layer in the cavity-wall film;

(d) selectively etching at least part of the sacrificial layer via the opening, thereby forming a cavity surrounding the part of the electronic device; and

(e) forming a sealing member for closing the opening by sputtering,

further comprising the step of, after the step (d) and before the step (e), depositing a film on an exposed surface of the cavity-wall film by CVD, thereby making the opening smaller.

3. An electronic device comprising:

a substrate;

part of the electronic device disposed on the substrate;

a cavity-wall member surrounding the part of the electronic device with a cavity interposed therebetween; and

a sealing member for closing an opening disposed in a ceiling portion of the cavity-wall member, wherein

the sealing member is formed by sputtering,

the part of the electronic device is a detecting unit of an infrared sensor, and

the cavity-wall member is constituted by polysilicon and a silicon oxide film enwrapping the polysilicon.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the part of the electronic device is a detecting unit of an infrared sensor, and

the side and the bottom side of the detecting unit are surrounded by a lower cavity.

5. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the opening does not overlap the part of the electronic device as seen from the direction of sputtering.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 20, 2008
From: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 021930/0876 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 22, 2004
From: IKUSHIMA, KIMIYA; KOMOBUCHI, HIROYOSHI; BABA, ASAKO; UCHIDA, MIKIYA
To: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 016505/0732 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2002-379357 · Dec 27, 2002 · national
JP 2003-289888 · Aug 8, 2003 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20050176179A1 · Aug 11, 2005