Semiconductor device comprising different types of microelectromechanical systems devices
View Patent ↗Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes an interconnect structure disposed over a semiconductor substrate. A dielectric structure is disposed over the interconnect structure. A first cavity and a second cavity are disposed in the dielectric structure. A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) substrate is disposed over the dielectric structure, where the MEMS substrate comprises a first movable membrane overlying the first cavity and a second movable membrane overlying the second cavity. A first functional structure overlies the first movable membrane, where the first functional structure comprises a first material having a first chemical composition. A second functional structure overlies the second movable membrane, where the second functional structure is laterally spaced from the first functional structure, and where the second functional structure comprises a second material having a second chemical composition different than the first chemical composition.
1. A semiconductor device, comprising:
an interconnect structure disposed over a semiconductor substrate;
a first dielectric structure disposed over the interconnect structure;
a first cavity disposed in the first dielectric structure;
a second cavity disposed in the first dielectric structure and laterally spaced from the first cavity;
a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) substrate disposed over the first dielectric structure, wherein the MEMS substrate comprises a first movable membrane overlying the first cavity and a second movable membrane overlying the second cavity;
a first functional layer overlying and contacting the first movable membrane, wherein the first functional layer comprises a first material having a first chemical composition, wherein the first material is different from a material of the first movable membrane; and
a second functional layer overlying the second movable membrane and the second cavity, wherein the second functional layer is laterally spaced from the first functional layer, and wherein the second functional layer comprises a second material having a second chemical composition different than the first chemical composition.
2. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein:
the first functional layer is configured to deflect the first movable membrane in response to a first stimulus; and
the second functional layer is configured to deflect the second movable membrane in response to a second stimulus different than the first stimulus.
3. The semiconductor device of claim 2 , wherein:
the first functional layer deflects the first movable membrane a first distance in response to the first stimulus; and
the second functional layer either does not deflect the second movable membrane in response to the first stimulus or deflects the second movable membrane a second distance less than the first distance in response to the first stimulus.
4. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein:
a bottommost surface of the first functional layer is substantially co-planar with a bottommost surface of the second functional layer.
5. The semiconductor device of claim 4 , wherein:
the first functional layer has a first thickness; and
the second functional layer has a second thickness different than the first thickness.
6. The semiconductor device of claim 4 , wherein:
the first functional layer has a first thickness; and
the second functional layer has a second thickness that is substantially the same as the first thickness.
7. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second dielectric structure disposed between the first dielectric structure and the semiconductor substrate;
a first electrode disposed in the second dielectric structure and electrically coupled to the interconnect structure, wherein the first cavity overlies the first electrode, and wherein the first electrode outputs a first electrical signal that corresponds to a first distance in which the first movable membrane is spaced from the first electrode; and
a second electrode disposed in the second dielectric structure and electrically coupled to the interconnect structure, wherein the second cavity overlies the second electrode, and wherein the second electrode outputs a second electrical signal that corresponds to a second distance in which the second movable membrane is spaced from the second electrode.
8. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a fluid communication channel disposed in the first dielectric structure, wherein the fluid communication channel extends laterally between the first cavity and the second cavity, such that the first cavity and the second cavity are in fluid communication.
9. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein:
the first material is an infrared radiation (IR) sensitive material; and
the second material is not an IR sensitive material.
10. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein:
the first material is a piezoelectric material; and
the second material is not a piezoelectric material.
11. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein:
the first material is a biosensitive material; and
the second material is not a biosensitive material.
12. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein:
the first material is a polymer; and
the second material is not a polymer.
13. A semiconductor device, comprising:
an interconnect structure disposed over a semiconductor substrate;
a dielectric structure disposed over the interconnect structure;
a first cavity disposed in the dielectric structure;
a second cavity disposed in the dielectric structure and laterally spaced from the first cavity;
a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) substrate disposed over the dielectric structure, wherein the MEMS substrate comprises a first movable membrane overlying the first cavity and a second movable membrane overlying the second cavity;
a sensing structure overlying the first movable membrane and the first cavity, wherein a physical property of the sensing structure changes in response to an external stimulus; and
a passivation layer disposed over the MEMS substrate, wherein the sensing structure vertically separates a first bottom surface of the passivation layer from an upper surface of the first movable membrane, wherein a second bottom surface of the passivation layer overlies the second movable membrane and is disposed vertically between the first bottom surface and the upper surface of the first movable membrane, wherein the passivation layer directly contacts an upper surface of the sensing structure and an upper surface of the second movable membrane.
14. The semiconductor device of claim 13 , wherein:
the sensing structure has a first chemical composition; and
the passivation layer has a second chemical composition that is different than the sensing structure.
15. The semiconductor device of claim 13 , further comprising:
a fluid communication channel disposed in the dielectric structure, wherein the fluid communication channel extends laterally between the first cavity and the second cavity, such that the first cavity and the second cavity are in fluid communication.
16. The semiconductor device of claim 15 , further comprising:
a vent hole disposed in the MEMS substrate, wherein the vent hole extends vertically from the fluid communication channel through an uppermost surface of the MEMS substrate; and
a plug disposed over the MEMS substrate and covering the vent hole, wherein the passivation layer is a continuous layer that covers both the sensing structure and the plug.
17. A semiconductor device, comprising:
a first microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device over a semiconductor substrate, wherein the first MEMS device comprises a first movable membrane overlying a first cavity and a first sensing layer overlying and directly contacting the first movable membrane, wherein the first movable membrane is part of a MEMS substrate, wherein the first sensing layer is discrete from the MEMS substrate; and
a second MEMS device over the semiconductor substrate and laterally adjacent to the first MEMS device, wherein the second MEMS device comprises a second movable membrane overlying a second cavity and a second sensing layer overlying and directly contacting the second movable membrane, wherein the first sensing layer is different from the second sensing layer.
18. The semiconductor device of claim 17 , wherein the first sensing layer comprises a first material and the second sensing layer comprises a second material different from the first material.
19. The semiconductor device of claim 17 ,
wherein the second movable membrane is part of the MEMS substrate, wherein a top surface of the MEMS substrate is aligned with a horizontal line, wherein a bottom surface of the first sensing layer and a bottom surface of the second sensing layer are aligned with the horizontal line.
20. The semiconductor device of claim 17 , wherein the second sensing layer is discrete from the MEMS substrate.