Transferable silicon nitride microcavities

The ability to construct self-supporting or suspended structures is essenti al for many micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS). Well-established techn ologies exist for the fabrication of such structures using deposition of Si Nx grown by low-pressure chemical vapour deposition (LPCVD). However, such techniques are not suitable for temperature-sensitive substrates. While low er process temperatures (<300 degrees C) can be achieved through plasma-enh anced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD), restrictions may still be imposed on the order in which processing steps can occur, making difficult or even prohibiting the use of MEMS technology for semiconductor materials such as HgCdTe (MCT). A novel self-supporting SiNx membrane technology that can be applied to temperature-sensitive semiconductor devices has been developed. To demonstrate this technology, a microcavity structure was constructed on a reusable GaAs substrate. The structure was then removed and bonded via v an der Waals forces to a new substrate. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.