Patent Abstract:
A light detector having a cathode wafer, a cavity wafer and an anode wafer. The cathode wafer may be bonded to one side of the cavity wafer and the anode wafer may be bonded to another side of the cavity wafer. The cathode wafer may have numerous cathodes, the anode wafer numerous anodes and the cavity wafer numerous cavities which may be aligned on a one-to-one basis to form a wafer structure of a plurality of detectors which may be diced into separable detector chips. When there is a voltage potential across a cathode and an anode, and a gas such as Ne or the like in the cavity, a reception of light such as ultra violet may result in an electronic discharge between the cathode and anode of the light detector.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to sensors and particularly to ultra violet light (UV) detectors. More particularly, the invention relates to detecting UV from various sources of light.  
         [0002]     Successful related art UV detectors have been primarily based on highly specialized processes built around “vacuum” tube technology. The physics of such detectors are that the tube of each detector may have a cathode electrode such as tungsten or copper which is the surface from which optically excited electrons are originated, and an anode grid that lets light pass through it but is charged such that it will collect electrons generated by the breakdown instigated by the photoemission of an electron at the cathode surface. The tube may be filled with a neon/hydrogen (Ne/H 2 ) gas mixture to facilitate the breakdown nominally at about 100 Torr residual pressure. Several factors that appear to define and limit device yield and performance may include tube glass cleanliness, gas mixture, plate spacing and gas contamination. These potential causes of problems may be eliminated or minimized with the present invention.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0003]     The present invention is a wafer-based UV detection device. It is effectively a micro-machined Geiger-Mueller tube type structure based on micro-fabrication processes, such as the new MEMS and silicon integrated current fabrication technology with wafer-scale batch processes. The silicon device may be a “mini tube” having equal or better performance, significantly smaller size and lower cost than the related art UV sensing tubes. The present device may involve an assembly of three wafers. They include a lower silica cathode wafer, an intermediate fused silica spacer/plasma wafer having a volume of space, and a top silica mode wafer. A “tube” chamber may exist between the top and bottom wafers. The chamber may be situated between the anode and cathode. The device may be an all-fused silica wafer stack. There may be various configuration permutations in the mask layout used for fabricating the wafer-based detection device, which may affect performance, yield and lifetime of the device. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0004]      FIG. 1  shows relative voltage levels for UV tube operation;  
         [0005]      FIG. 2  is a cross-section view of a wafer-based UV light detection device;  
         [0006]      FIG. 3  shows a plan view of the detection device revealing the anode grid;  
         [0007]      FIG. 4  shows a wafer with numerous devices prior to dicing;  
         [0008]      FIGS. 5   a ,  5   b ,  5   c ,  5   d  and  5   e  identify a chamber diameter, the cathode diameter, the anode opening size, the anode mesh size and the seal gap between cathode and spacer wafers of the UV detection device, respectively;  
         [0009]      FIGS. 6   a  and  6   b  are a cross-section view and top view, respectively, of the etched moat in the cathode wafer;  
         [0010]      FIGS. 7   a  and  7   b  show a deposit of cathode metal and a eutectic layer;  
         [0011]      FIGS. 8   a  and  8   b  show the removal of the eutectic layer to expose the cathode metal;  
         [0012]      FIGS. 9   a  and  9   b  reveal the patterned street features on the back of the cathode wafer;  
         [0013]      FIGS. 10   a  and  10   b  show the spacer wafer with a layer of metal on the front and back of it;  
         [0014]      FIGS. 11   a  and  11   b  show the spacer wafer with alignment marks for drilling;  
         [0015]      FIGS. 12   a  and  12   b  reveal anode metal and eutectic layers on the anode wafer;  
         [0016]      FIGS. 13   a  and  13   b  show the exposure of the anode metal with the unmasked portion of the eutectic layer removed;  
         [0017]      FIGS. 14   a  and  14   b  illustrate the pattern and etch of the anode grid on the anode wafer;  
         [0018]      FIGS. 15   a  and  15   b  reveal a contact hole for an external connection to the cathode;  
         [0019]      FIGS. 16   a  and  15   b  show the drilled chamber hole of the spacer wafer;  
         [0020]      FIGS. 17   a  and  17   b  reveal a contact hole for an external connection to the anode;  
         [0021]      FIGS. 18   a  and  18   b  illustrate the eutectic bonding of the cathode wafer and the spacer wafer; and  
         [0022]      FIGS. 19   a  and  19   b  illustrate the eutectic bonding of the anode wafer to the spacer wafer resulting in a three wafer bonded assembly of numerous “mini-tube” detectors. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION  
       [0023]      FIG. 1  reveals relative voltage ranges for a UV tube operation. Voltage range  11  shows a plasma discharge in the tube without the presence of UV light. Range  12  is where the breakdown voltage starts and voltage  15  is where the discharge stops without UV. Voltage  16  is the voltage starting level with UV. In voltage range  14 , between voltages  17  and  16 , the discharge may be sustained in the presence of UV light but will not start in the absence of UV. A voltage in range  15  below the discharge sustaining voltage  17 , there is no discharge even in the presence of UV light. Region  18  may be in a desired operating voltage range for UV tube operation.  
         [0024]      FIG. 2  is a cross-section view of the wafer-based UV light detection mini tube or device  20 . The three wafers that may be the structural basis of sensor or detector  20  include a silica cathode wafer  21 , a silica spacer wafer  22  and a silica anode wafer  23 . Other appropriate materials, particularly those with similar temperature coefficients of expansion, may be used in lieu of silica for one or more of wafers  21 ,  22  and  23 . Formed on wafer  21  may be a cathode metal  24  and on wafer  23  may be an anode metal  25 . Space wafer  22  is a support between wafers  21  and  23  to provide a discharge or plasma “tube-like” space, cavity or chamber  26  for detector  20 .  FIG. 3  reveals a grid-like appearance of anode  25 . Numerous detectors  20  may be fabricated together on wafer combination  27  of several inches in diameter as shown in  FIG. 4 . Wafer combination  27  may be diced into individual detector  20  chips or groups of detector  20  chips.  
         [0025]     Various dimensions of detector  20  may include cathode  24  size, anode  25  size, anode mesh size, the gap between the anode feature on the top anode wafer  23  and the chamber  26  hole in the fused silica wafer  22 .  FIG. 5   a  shows that the diameter  28  of chamber  26  may be 5 or 9 millimeters (mm). Diameter  28  may be chosen to be consistent with the standard tube cathode  24  area. The photo cathode  24  metal platform of  FIG. 5   b  may have a diameter  29  of 4, 5.6 or 8 mm. One may chose the smaller cathode and anode to increase die leverage for better cost per chip.  FIG. 5   c  notes that the ratio of anode  25  opening  31  area to the cathode  24  opening  29  area may vary from 1:1 to 0.5:1. This parameter may aid in an understanding of the interaction between a spacer silica  22  hole size  28  and an anode  25  size  31  and cathode  24  size  29 . In  FIG. 5   d , anode  25  may have a mesh size width  31  of 10 microns or 50 microns. This parameter may influence the anode  25  life as well as its transmission behavior.  FIG. 5   e  notes cathode silica to spacer silica seal gap  33 . Gap  33  may have a width of 100, 200 or 400 microns. This parameter may be used to control potential electrical leakage due to sputter deposition.  
         [0026]     A process sequence may be used in making detector  20 . Even though the ensuring steps in this description are related to only one detector device  20 , the effects of the steps may be multiplied by the number of devices  20  on the wafers because the steps may be applied to whole wafer of potential devices  20 . The order of the steps may be varied. Other steps may be added. Some steps may be skipped or deleted. Also, what constitutes a step may be changed. The materials mentioned in the present description are merely illustrative examples as other materials may be appropriate for the structure of the present invention.  
         [0027]     In the first step, a moat  34  may be patterned in cathode wafer  21  using LAM or a glass etcher. Moat  34  depth may be a parameter for splits. A first mask may be used for the pattern in etching wafer  21 . This step is shown in the cross-section view of  FIG. 6   a  and the top view of  FIG. 6   b.    
         [0028]     The second step may include depositing tungsten (W) cathode  24  material over the whole of wafer  25  at a maximum thickness, followed by 5000 angstons of sputtered silicon as a eutectic layer  35 . Other materials may be used for cathode  24 . The cross-section and top views of this step are shown in  FIGS. 7   a  and  7   b , respectively.  
         [0029]     In step three, a second mask may be used to pattern eutectic layer  35  on cathode wafer  21  to expose W cathode  24  surfaces as well as open alignment  36  for wafer drilling alignment. Alignment marks  36  may be aligned to moat cut  34 . This step is shown in  FIGS. 8   a  and  8   b.    
         [0030]     For step four, 200 angstroms of titanium-tungsten (TiW) may be deposited on the back of wafer  25  (not shown). Using a third mask, one may pattern street features  37  and wafer bonder marks on the back side of cathode wafer  25  for visual references. One may align front to back using standard masks. One thousand angstroms of sputtered silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4 ) may be deposited on the back to passivate the TiW in the bonder marks (not shown). Streets  37  are shown in  FIGS. 9   a  and  9   b.    
         [0031]     In step five, 1000 angstroms of TiW and 6 microns of gold (Au) may be deposited on the top side of gap wafer  22 . In step six, 1000 angstroms of TiW and 6 microns of Au may be deposited on the bottom side of gap wafer  22 . The six microns of gold in the eutectic bonding layer on the top and bottom surfaces of gap or spacer wafer  22  may accommodate flatness discrepancies between wafer  22  and wafers  23  and  21 , respectfully. These depositions are represented by layers  38  and  39  in  FIGS. 10   a  and  10   b . Further, a thin layer of gold or like material may be deposited on the surface of each wafer ( 21 ,  22  and  23 ) where other bonding material is to be applied for the purpose of a bonding to another wafer. In step seven, the top side of gap wafer  22  may be patterned with a flag clearing mask (i.e., the fourth mask). Likewise, the bottom side of wafer  22  may be patterned. Then layers  38  and  39  of Au and TiW may be wet etched in areas  41  and  40 , respectively, as shown by  FIG. 11   a .  FIG. 11   b  shows the top side of etched layer  38 .  
         [0032]     For step eight, 5000 angstroms on Ni may be deposited on the bottom side of anode wafer  23 , followed by a deposit of 5000 angstroms of silicon (Si) or the like, as indicated by layers  25  and  42 , respectively. A nickel (Ni) layer  25  may be the anode material. Other materials may be used in lieu of Ni. The Si deposition may be for a eutectic layer  42 .  FIGS. 12   a  and  12   b  show this step.  
         [0033]     For step nine, a fifth mask may be used to pattern an anode seal feature. The mask pattern may be centered as well as possible. Etching may be used to remove the unmasked portion of eutectic layer  42 . Anode layer  25  of Ni functions as an etch stop in this step. The step result is shown in a cross-section view in  FIG. 13   a  and a top view in  FIG. 13   b.    
         [0034]     In step ten, an anode grid feature with dimension  32  may be patterned with a sixth mask on Ni layer  25  of wafer  23 . The pattern of the sixth mask may be aligned with the eutectic layer cut of the fifth mask. The etching of the pattern into the nickel may result in anode grid  25 .  FIGS. 14   a  and  14   b  reveal the resultant anode grid  25 .  
         [0035]     In step  11 , cathode wafer  21  may have a contact hole  43  drilled, as shown in  FIGS. 12   a  and  12   b  (top view). The hole may be 1 mm in diameter for a contact from outside wafer  21  to cathode  24 . The hole is shown in  FIGS. 15   a  and  15   b . An external contact connection to cathode  24  may be placed through hole  43 .  
         [0036]     In step  12 , spacer wafer  22  may have a 5 mm or 9 mm chamber hole drilled and/or machined to obtain space  26  between cathode  24  and anode  25  after assembly of detector  20 . The resulting hole, chamber or space  26  in spacer wafer  22  is shown in  FIGS. 16   a  and  16   b.    
         [0037]     In step  13 , a 1 mm hole  44  may be drilled in anode wafer  23  for providing contact to anode  25  from outside of wafer  23 . Hole  44  is shown in  FIGS. 16   a  and  16   b  (bottom view). An external contact connection to anode  25  may be placed in hole  44 .  
         [0038]     Step  14  may include bringing eutectic bond silicon surface  35  of cathode wafer  21  to bottom Au layer  39  of spacer wafer  22  in a bonder but ensuring that the Au surface of layer  39  does not touch the silicon carbide (SiC) chuck. First, wafer  21  may be put in the bonder with cathode  24  facing down. An image may be captured and then wafer  22  may be put in the bonder with the patterned gold face down (flag zones). The alignment masks between the cathode cut and flag clear the cut. Contact between patterned layers  39  and  35  may result in a eutectical bonding of wafers  22  and  21 . These bonded wafers are shown in  FIGS. 18   a  and  18   b  (top view).  
         [0039]     Step  15  may involve aligning and baking out the cathode wafer  21 /spacer wafer  22  bonded pair before the final eutectic bond with anode wafer  23 , and backfilling with 15 percent hydrogen and 85 percent neon gas. To eutectically bond anode wafer  23  to the bonded pair of wafers  21  and  22 , one may load anode wafer  23  first with the anode  25  features face down. Then one may align and capture an image, load the bonded wafer  21 / 22  pair with the wafer  21  face down and the TiW/Au surface of layer  39  face up. The marks on the back of wafer  21  may be aligned to the captured image. The flags are pulled to form the eutectic bond of wafers  22  and  23  upon contact of areas of layers  38  and  42 , resulting in a bonded triple wafer of wafers  21 ,  22  and  23 . For step  16 , the bonded wafers may be sawed or diced into separate chips or devices  20 . Then the devices may be tested.  
         [0040]     Although the invention has been described with respect to at least one illustrative embodiment, many variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the present specification. It is therefore the intention that the appended claims be interpreted as broadly as possible in view of the prior art to include all such variations and modifications.

Technology Classification (CPC): 6