ALUMINUM NITRIDE PROTECTION OF SILVER APPARATUS, SYSTEM AND METHOD
A semiconductor apparatus including a wafer base with a top side and a bottom side, a silver base with a top side and a bottom side, wherein the bottom side of the silver base is attached to the top side of the wafer base and wherein the silver base provides a reflective surface, and an aluminum nitride protective layer attached to the top side of the silver base, wherein the aluminum nitride protective layer shields the silver base from the environment.
1 . A semiconductor apparatus, the semiconductor apparatus, comprising:
a wafer base with a top side and a bottom side;
a silver base with a top side and a bottom side, wherein the bottom side of the silver base is attached to the top side of the wafer base and wherein the silver base provides a reflective surface;
an aluminum nitride protective layer attached to the top side of the silver base; wherein the aluminum nitride protective layer shields the silver base from the environment.
2 . The semiconductor apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the wafer base is formed from silicon.
3 . The semiconductor apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the wafer base is a patterned wafer base.
4 . The semiconductor apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the patterned wafer base is a predetermined patterned wafer base.
5 . The semiconductor apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the aluminum nitride protective layer is attached through physical vapor deposition.
6 . The semiconductor apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the aluminum nitride protective layer is formed from nitrogen plasma.
7 . The semiconductor apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the nitrogen plasma is used with argon plasma.
8 . The semiconductor apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the silver base has a first set of reflective properties.
9 . The semiconductor apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first set of reflective properties are unchanged after the attachment of the aluminum nitride protective layer.
10 . The semiconductor apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first set of reflective properties are nearly unchanged after the attachment of the aluminum nitride protective layer.
11 . The semiconductor apparatus of claim 1 wherein aluminum nitride protective layer is less than 200 angstroms thick.
12 . A method for forming a semiconductor apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a wafer base;
attaching a silver base to the wafer base;
attaching an aluminum nitride protective layer to the silver base.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the step of attaching the aluminum nitride protective layer to the silver base comprises the deposition of aluminum nitride on to the silver base.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the step of the deposition of aluminum nitride on to the silver base comprises physical vapor deposition.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the step of physical vapor deposition comprises bombarding aluminum with nitrogen plasma.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of bombarding aluminum with nitrogen plasma further comprises bombarding aluminum with nitrogen plasma and argon plasma.
17 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the step of providing a wafer base comprises the step of providing a wafer base formed from silicon.
18 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the step of providing a wafer base comprises the step of providing a patterned wafer base.
19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the step of providing a patterned wafer base comprises the step of providing a predetermined patterned wafer base.
20 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the step of attaching an aluminum nitride protective layer has no impact to reflective properties of the silver base.