Analysis of the technological characteristics in fabricating SOI MEMS transducers

Abstract

With the ongoing progress in micro- and nanoelectronics, the technology of fabricating siliconon- insulator (SOI) structures is being increasingly applied in industrial processes. SOI structures have become a genuine breakthrough in micro- and nanoelectronics that have opened a real possibility of producing transistors and circuits with a channel length of up to ∼20 nm [9]. The high mobility of the charge carriers in the strained SiGe layers and the possibility of stimulating radiation in the terahertz frequency range of electromagnetic waves have secured an important place for SiGe/Si heterostructures in modern electronics and silicon optoelectronics [6]. The nc-Si/SiO₂ layer is regarded as a promising material for designing storage elements [10] and silicon-based light-emitting systems. In recent years, various MEMS devises and transducers of mechanical quantities (pressure sensors, microgyroscopes, and microaccelerometers) were designed based on SOI structures. The continuous improvement of the technological processes, which have been actively introduced in the field of navigation systems, aerospace engineering, and other high-tech industries, is of paramount importance for fabricating highly reliable quality products. Nonetheless, researchers and production engineers face the problem of reducing the level of mechanical stresses and other defects that can appear in the technological process when fabricating SOI structures.