Patent Abstract:
In a MOEMS device and corresponding fabrication process, absorbing material along the optical axis of the device is removed. The result is a suspended optical coating, such as a dielectric thin film mirror stack. Such optical coatings can have very low absorption. Thus, the invention can materially lower the net absorption in the device, and thereby improve performance, by degrading power related dependencies.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    Examples of micro-optical electromechanical system (MEOMS) release structures include membranes and cantilevered structures. Both of these structures are used in a spectrum of optical applications. For example, they can be coated to be reflective for a spectral band of interest and then paired with another mirror to form a tunable Fabry-Perot (FP) cavity/filter. They can also be used as stand-alone reflective components to define the end of a laser or interferometer cavity, for example.  
           [0002]    The structures are typically produced by depositing a device layer over a sacrificial layer, which has been deposited on a support. This sacrificial layer is subsequently etched away or otherwise removed to produce the release structure in a release process. In some examples, the device layer is a silicon compound and the sacrificial layer can be polyimide or oxide, for example.  
           [0003]    Typically, release structure deflection is achieved by applying a voltage between the release structure and a fixed electrode on the support structure. Electrostatic attraction moves the structure in the direction of the fixed electrode as a function of the applied voltage. This results in changes in the reflector separation in case of an FP filter, laser, or other optical cavity.  
           [0004]    The performance of the MOEMS device typically is affected by the mechanical stability of the release structure and its susceptibility to interference from its immediate environment. It is not uncommon to install the device in a hermetic package with a temperature controller such a thermoelectric cooler. These safeguards help to limit long-term changes due to aging and thermally induced changes in the device.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    Stability, however, can be affected by other factors, such as signal power levels.  
           [0006]    Semiconductor materials, such as silicon, can absorb light. Even photons with energy below the intrinsic bandgap, such as in the infrared communication wavelengths, can be absorbed through surface states, defects, excess dopants, or two-photon absorption. This absorption can give rise to electron-hole pair generation, which impacts the electric fields surrounding the release structure. This effect can be aggravated by dielectric-based optical coatings because of charge trapping at dielectric interfaces. High powers can also yield temperature gradients.  
           [0007]    The effects can be observed in, for example, a tunable Fabry-Perot filter, when tuned to the signal frequency. The filter transforms from essentially reflecting all of the incident light to becoming transparent to it, thereby causing a large change in the surface potential, which moves the optical passband either away from or in the direction of the desired tuning position. The result is a power-dependent passband shape that makes optical parameters, such as the optical signal to noise ration (OSNR), difficult to measure at higher power levels. Another effect of the absorption is heating that gives rise to a power-dependent shift in passband frequency as the filter is thermally expanded by the incident light.  
           [0008]    These effects have been observed at mid-power ranges, e.g., −15 dBm to 0 dBm, and high-power, e.g., 0 dBm to 20 dBm, and higher. Such power levels are commonplace with the advent of the erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) and can be encountered by a receiver filter in a preamplified optical receiver, for example. The result can be the degradation of performance of a tunable MOEMS optical filter.  
           [0009]    The present invention is directed to a MOEMS device and corresponding fabrication process in which absorbing material along the optical axis of the device is removed. The result is a suspended optical coating, such as a dielectric thin film mirror stack. Such optical coatings can have very low absorption. Thus, the invention can materially lower the net absorption in the device, and thereby improve performance by, for example, reducing signal power dependencies.  
           [0010]    In general, according to one aspect, the invention features a process for fabricating a micro-optical electromechanical system device. The process comprises depositing an optical coating that is supported by a device layer. A sacrificial layer is removed to form a release structure in the device layer along the optical axis.  
           [0011]    Depending on the implementation, the optical coating can be deposited before or after removal of the sacrificial layer to form the release structure.  
           [0012]    Finally, a device layer port is formed by removing a portion of the device layer opposite the optical coating in a region around the optical axis. Thus, the optical signal propagating along the optical axis does not have to pass through the material of the device layer or at least less device layer material.  
           [0013]    In the described applications, the optical coating is a high reflectivity coating, having greater than 90% power reflectivity to thereby form a mirror structure.  
           [0014]    In the preferred embodiment, the optical coating is formed using thin film technology, in which the alternating layers of high and low refractive index materials are deposited on the device layer. The thickness of the layers is related to the wavelength of light that system is intended to handle. Typically, the layers are about one-quarter of a wavelength in thickness, with six or more layers being common for an highly reflecting (HR) coating.  
           [0015]    In the typical implementation, the sacrificial layer is removed via an etch process. This sacrificial layer is commonly sandwiched in a region between the device layer and a support. The support can be silicon handle wafer material. In such cases, it is not uncommon to fabricate a support optical port through the wafer material.  
           [0016]    According to one implementation, an etch stop layer is first deposited on the device layer, then the optical coating is deposited on the etch stop layer. Then, when the device layer port is formed, an etch is performed through the device layer to the etch stop layer, which can then be later cleared away in another etch process.  
           [0017]    In general, according to another aspect, the invention features a MOEMS device. This device comprises at least a first mirror structure and a second mirror structure. These mirror structures define an optical cavity. Further, a support is provided and a deflectable structure on the support that holds the first mirror structure. This deflectable structure is located on an external side of the first mirror relative to the optical cavity. The deflectable structure has an optical port in a region around the optical axis of the optical cavity.  
           [0018]    The location of the deflectable or membrane structure on the outside of the cavity prevents intracavity losses, but renders the device susceptible to instability in operation. The magnitude of light transmitted through the material can change dramatically as the filter&#39;s resonance is tuned on and off a signal of interest. This is avoided in the present invention by providing the optical port through the deflectable structure.  
           [0019]    The first and second mirror structures preferably comprise dielectric thin film coatings. The support can be fabricated from silicon wafer material. The insulating layer is preferably provided between the support and the deflectable structure. This insulating layer, in one embodiment, functions as an electrostatic cavity spacer. The optical port is typically sized in response to the mode field diameter, so that absorption is minimized.  
           [0020]    The above and other features of the invention including various novel details of construction and combinations of parts, and other advantages, will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims. It will be understood that the particular method and device embodying the invention are shown by way of illustration and not as a limitation of the invention. The principles and features of this invention may be employed in various and numerous embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0021]    In the accompanying drawings, reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale; emphasis has instead been placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. Of the drawings:  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the inventive optical membrane device showing the optional backside optical port, in phantom;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 2 is an elevation view of the distal side of the inventive optical membrane device showing the optical port;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIGS. 3A through 3M are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating a process for fabricating a membrane device according to the present invention;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the membrane device in tunable Fabry-Perot filter;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIGS. 5A through 5I are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating a process for fabricating the membrane device according to a second embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the membrane device constructed according to the second embodiment process in tunable Fabry-Perot filter; and  
         [0028]    [0028]FIGS. 7A and 7B are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating a process for fabricating a membrane device according to a modification of the first embodiment process of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0029]    [0029]FIG. 1 shows an optical membrane device  110  to which the principles of the present invention are applicable in one example.  
         [0030]    Generally, the optical membrane device  110  comprises handle material  210  that functions as a support. Currently, the handle material is wafer material such as from a silicon handle wafer, which has been subsequently singulated into the illustrated device.  
         [0031]    A device or membrane layer  212  is added to the handle wafer material  210 . The release or membrane structure  214  is formed in this device layer  212 . Currently, the device layer is between 5 and 10 micrometers in thickness. Preferably, it is between 6 and 8 micrometers in thickness.  
         [0032]    An electrically insulating or sacrificial layer  216  separates the membrane layer  212  from the handle wafer material  210  and further defines an electrostatic cavity between the membrane and the electrode of the handle wafer. During manufacture, this insulating layer functions as a sacrificial layer, which is partially removed to release the membrane structure is  214  from the handle wafer material  210 . In the preferred embodiment, this insulating layer is between 3 and 6 micrometers in thickness.  
         [0033]    Currently, the membrane layer  212  is silicon. The membrane layer is manufactured from a silicon wafer that has been bonded to the insulating layer  216  under elevated heat and pressure. Other alternatives are, however, silicon nitride, polycrystalline silicon, or essentially single crystal silicon, which are deposited on the insulating layer.  
         [0034]    In the illustrated embodiment, the membrane structure  214  comprises a body portion  218 . The optical axis  10  of the device  100  passes concentrically through this body portion  218  and orthogonal to a plane defined by the membrane layer  212 . A diameter of this body portion  218  can be preferably 300 to 600 micrometers; currently it is about 500 micrometers.  
         [0035]    Tethers  220  extend at least partially in a radial direction from the body portion  218  to an outer portion  222 , which comprises the ring where the tethers  220  terminate. In the current embodiment, a spiral tether pattern is used. Other examples include tethers that extend only in the radial direction.  
         [0036]    An optical coating dot  230  is typically deposited on the body portion  218  of the membrane structure  214 . In a Fabry-Perot filter or other application requiring a reflecting release structure, the optical dot  230  is preferably a highly reflecting (HR) dielectric mirror stack. This yields a low absorption structure that is desirable in, for example, the manufacture of high finesse Fabry-Perot filters. The optical dot can have a concave curvature to form a concave lens. Alternatively, a convex curvature can be provided with an AR coating, for example, to yield a lens.  
         [0037]    In the illustrated embodiment, bond pads  234  are deposited on the front side of the membrane device  210 . These are used to solder bond, for example, a stationary mirror structure onto the proximal face of the membrane device  110 . Bond pads  234  are also useful when installing the membrane device  110  on a micro-optical bench, for example. Also provided are a membrane layer wire bond pad  334  and a handle wafer wire bond pad  336 . The membrane layer bond pad is a wire bonding location for electrical control of the membrane layer. The handle wafer bond pad  336  is a wire bond pad for electrical access to handle wafer material.  
         [0038]    A support optical port  240  (shown in phantom) is provided, in some embodiments, extending from a distal side of the handle wafer material  210  to the membrane structure  214 .  
         [0039]    In the illustrated embodiment, artifacts of the manufacture of the membrane structure  214  are release holes  232 . These holes allow an etchant to pass through the body portion  218  of the membrane structure  214  to assist in the removal of the insulating layer  216  during the release process.  
         [0040]    [0040]FIG. 2 further shows the support optical port  240  formed through the distal side of the handle wafer material  210  in the optical membrane device  110 . Specifically, the support optical port  240  has generally inward sloping sidewalls  244  that end in the port opening  246 . As a result, looking through the distal side of the handle wafer material, the body portion  218  of the membrane structure can be observed and is preferably concentric with the optical coating  230 .  
         [0041]    According to the invention, a device layer optical port  314  is further provided. As a result, in one embodiment, direct access to the optical dot  230  is provided from the backside. Alternatively, the device layer optical port can be formed only partially through the device layer to thereby reduce the total absorption in the device layer relative to a configuration with no port.  
         [0042]    FIGS.  3 A- 3 M illustrate the fabrication steps for the MOEMS optical membrane device illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.  
         [0043]    Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 3A, the process, according to the present implementation, the optical port  240  is formed in the backside of the support or handle wafer material  210 . A silicon oxide sacrificial layer  216  is formed on the support  210  and a device layer  212  is deposited or installed on the sacrificial layer  216 . Further, as also illustrated, the membrane  214  has been patterned into the device layer  212 , including the release holes  232  and the trenches  231  defining the tethers  220 .  
         [0044]    Next, as illustrated in FIG. 3B, a second sacrificial layer  310  is deposited on the device layer  212 . The material of this second sacrificial layer is selected based on its ability to be selectively etched relative to an HR coating and the device or membrane layer  212 . Presently, a metal such as gold is used.  
         [0045]    In FIG. 3C, the highly reflective HR coating  230  is deposited on the sacrificial layer  310 . In one embodiment, the patterned HR coating  230  is formed by depositing the coating over the entire sacrificial layer  310  and then patterning using as a dry etch process, for example. In an alternative embodiment, the patterned HR coating  230  is deposited on the second sacrificial layer  310  using a shadow mask or lift-off process.  
         [0046]    In FIG. 3D, a backside photoresist coating is deposited. Specifically, a photoresist layer  312  is coated over the backside including into the optical port  240 .  
         [0047]    [0047]FIG. 3E illustrates the patterning of the backside photoresist  312 . Specifically, a pattern  313  for the device layer port is formed along in a region surrounding the optical axis  10 .  
         [0048]    Next, as illustrated in FIG. 3F, the sacrificial oxide layer  216  is removed to access the device layer  212  using an oxide etch process.  
         [0049]    As illustrated in FIG. 3G, the pattern in photoresist layer  312  and sacrificial layer  216  is transferred to the device layer  212  to form the device layer optical port  314 . This etch of the vice layer is to the depth of the sacrificial layer  310  using a silicon etch process.  
         [0050]    As illustrated in FIG. 3H, the backside photoresist is cleared and a front side protection layer  316  is deposited over the frontside including the HR coating  230  to protect it during Subsequent processing steps. A thick photoresist layer  318  is spun-on the front side in FIG. 3I. As illustrated in FIG. 3J, this frontside photoresist layer  318  is patterned back to expose the membrane pattern  214 , and specifically the release holes  232  and the trenches  231 .  
         [0051]    Then, as illustrated by FIG. 3K, a release process is performed in which the oxide sacrificial layer  216  is etched to release the membrane or release structure  214 . Note that the HR coating  230  is protected by the front side photoresist layer  318  during this oxide etch.  
         [0052]    Then, as illustrated in FIG. 3L, the photoresist  318  is then stripped. In FIG. 3M, the protection layer  316  is removed along with the exposed portions of the second, frontside sacrificial layer  310 . This leaves small remnants  310 ′ of the second sacrificial layer attaching the HR coating  230  to the membrane release structure  214  of the membrane layer  212 .  
         [0053]    [0053]FIG. 4 shows a Fabry-Perot tunable filter  100  that is assembled using the membrane device  110  with the suspended HR coating  230 . Specifically, a stationary mirror device  112  is attached to the membrane device  110  such as by a solder or thermocompression bond  111 . Mirror device  112  comprises a stationary mirror structure  150 , which is located opposite mirror structure  230  along the optical axis  10 , which passes through the device layer optical port  314  and the suspended HR coating  230 .  
         [0054]    In the illustrated example, the stationary mirror structure  150  is shown as being curved.  
         [0055]    The mode field diameter of the lowest order mode of light resonating in the cavity between the stationary mirror structure  150  and the membrane mirror structure  230  is a function of the spacing between the mirror structures and the mirror curvatures. The port  314  is sized to be preferably greater than the mode field diameter of this lowest order mode to thereby prevent aperturing related losses.  
         [0056]    FIGS.  5 A- 5 I illustrate an alternative process for manufacturing the suspended optical coating.  
         [0057]    Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 5A, in addition to patterning the device layer  212  with the membrane pattern  214 , which includes the release holes  232  and trenches  231 , the device layer optical port  314  is also patterned at this early stage in the process. Then, as illustrated in FIG. 5B, a second sacrificial layer  340  is deposited on the front side. In the present implementation, the sacrificial layer  340  is gold or another metal. An HR coating  230  is then deposited on the front side. This HR coating extends into the region of the device layer optical port  314 . This patterned HR can also extend to the periphery of the membrane  214  to reduce alignment tolerances. As described previously, the HR layer  230  can be patterned by a blanket deposition followed by an etch back, or alternatively a lift off or shadow mask process can be used.  
         [0058]    Next, as illustrated in FIG. 5D, a protection layer  342  is deposited on the front side. A blanket photoresist  344  is next spin coated on the front side in FIG. 5E. This photoresist layer is patterned to protect the HR coatings  230  but the membrane patterning such as release holes  232  and trenches  231  are exposed as illustrated in FIG. 5F. In FIG. 5G, the release process is performed in which the exposed portions of the sacrificial oxide layer  216  are removed. Note, the HR coating  230  is protected by the photoresist layer  344  during this release process. Then the photoresist is striped as illustrated in FIG. 5H. The protection and sacrificial layers  342 ,  340  are removed. The only remnants of sacrificial layer  340 ′ remain are under the wings of the HR coating  230 , as illustrated in FIG. 5I  
         [0059]    [0059]FIG. 6 shows a Fabry-Perot tunable filter  100  that is assembled using the membrane device  110  with the suspended HR coating  230  fabricated according to the process outlined in FIGS. 5A through 5I. Specifically, stationary mirror device  112  is attached to the membrane device  110  such as by a solder bond  11 .  
         [0060]    In the previously described implementations, the deflectable mirror structure  230  is flat or near flat. FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate a process modification to produce a curved suspected HR coating.  
         [0061]    As illustrated in FIG. 7A, a concave depression  710  is formed on the membrane layer  212  prior to the deposition of the second sacrificial layer  310  by etching a depression in the sacrificial layer  310  directly, for example. The general approach is illustrated in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/804,618, file on Mar. 12, 2001, entitled MEMS Membrane with Integral Mirror/Lens by Flanders, et al., the teachings of which are incorporated herein by this references in their entirety.  
         [0062]    [0062]FIG. 7B illustrates the final membrane device  110 . Specifically, the depression  710  yields a concave mirror structure in the HR coating  230 . This device can be paired with a stationary, relatively flat mirror structure or used to define the end of a laser resonator, for example.  
         [0063]    While this invention has been particularly shown and described with references to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention encompassed by the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 6