In-Frame Fabrication, Rev.

4, Last Modified 2/13/2017 7:53 AM

1. Silicon wafer with a 250 mm

thickness (4-inches, p-doped,
double-side polished, 100 crystal
orientation)

2. The wafer is coated with 50 nm thick

low stress silicon nitride thin film by 2
Low-Pressure Chemical Vapor
Deposition (LPCVD)

3. With lithography and reactive

ion etching (RIE) a pattern is made
on silicon nitride film. The
patterned silicon nitride film is used
as an etching mask for the KOH
process.

4. Anisotropic silicon bulk micromachining by

30% KOH etchant (diluted from 45% w/w
Potassium hydroxide by DI water) at 80 C is
used to cave the silicon substrate, form the
socket/plug structures, and define the
geometry of the window.

5. Again Reactive ion etching (RIE)

is done before second round of KOH
In-Frame Fabrication etching. The patterned silicon nitride
film is used as an etching mask for
the KOH process

6. Second round KOH etching will hollow out

the window of the in-frame and release the
silicon nitride membrane. In this process, the
lid part is made by caving the substrate from
the backside with 20 mm of silicon left.

5. Finally UV laser dicing is used to cut out the chip

Self-aligned wet-cell for hydrated microbiology observation in TEM