Patent Abstract:
An electrically insulating sheathing for a piezoresistor and a semiconductor material are provided such that the piezoresistor is able to be used in the high temperature range, e.g., for measurements at higher ambient temperatures than 200° C. A doped resistance area is initially laterally delineated by at least one circumferential essentially vertical trench and is undercut by etching over the entire area. An electrically insulating layer is then created on the wall of the trench and the undercut area, so that the resistance area is electrically insulated from the adjacent semiconductor material by the electrically insulating layer.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a method for creating monocrystalline piezoresistors in the surface of a semiconductor substrate, in which at least one dopant is introduced into the resistance area and in which the resistance area is provided with an electrically insulating sheathing. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     It is known that monocrystalline piezoresistors may be created in a monocrystalline silicon layer by doping the resistance area. Such monocrystalline piezoresistors have a high sensitivity to mechanical stress and also have long-term stability. These piezoresistors are therefore used for signal detection in a number of micromechanical sensor elements, for example, acceleration, force or pressure sensor elements. 
     In a temperature range below 160° C., piezoresistors in monocrystalline silicon are electrically insulated already just by the depletion zone of the pn-junction between the resistance area and the surrounding silicon. However, with an increase in the ambient temperature, leakage currents occur at this pn-junction. Such piezoresistors are therefore used for measuring purposes only up to an ambient temperature of approximately 160° C. to a maximum of 200° C. At higher temperatures, the leakage currents occurring at the pn-junction lead to an unacceptable distortion of the measurement results. 
     Published German patent application document DE 10 2008 043 084 A1 proposes embedding the piezoresistor in an oxide area in order to reliably insulate a monocrystalline piezoresistor electrically from the adjacent silicon material, even at higher ambient temperatures. According to published German patent application document DE 10 2008 043 084 A1, the silicon environment of the piezoresistor is therefore initially etched to make it porous, and then the porous etched silicon material is oxidized. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Alternative possibilities for creating an electrically insulating sheathing for a piezoresistor in a semiconductor material are proposed with the present invention, so that such a piezoresistor may also be used in the high-temperature range, i.e., for measurements at ambient temperatures higher than 200° C. 
     According to the present invention, the resistance area is initially delineated laterally by at least one circumferential, essentially vertical trench and then undercut by etching over the entire area. Next an electrically insulating layer is created on the wall of the trench and the undercut area, so that this electrically insulating layer is electrically insulated from the adjacent semiconductor material. 
     In contrast with the method described in published German patent application document DE 10 2008 043 084 A1, the method according to the present invention may be applied to different semiconductor materials and is not limited to monocrystalline silicon. Thus not only monocrystalline piezoresistors may be created and electrically insulated in a monocrystalline silicon layer but also piezoresistors may be created in other semiconductor materials. Materials other than silicon oxide are also used in particular for implementation of a thermally stable electrical insulation of the piezoresistors. As in the case of published German patent application document DE 10 2008 043 084 A1, the insulating layer surrounding the piezoresistor is created exclusively with the aid of standard surface micromechanical methods, which are readily controllable, according to the present invention. 
     The electrically insulating layer should sheath the piezoresistor as thoroughly as possible, at least on the substrate side, to ensure that even at higher temperatures, leakage currents do not occur at any point between the piezoresistor and the adjacent semiconductor material. The resistance area must therefore be undercut by etching throughout the entire area. The etching attack required for this purpose is advantageously performed over the vertical trench delineating the resistance area laterally. The resistance area is then undercut by etching in an isotropic etching step in which the base area of the trench is widened. This variant of the method results in completely undercutting the resistance area only if the lateral extent of the resistance area is small enough in relation to the isotropic widening of the trench. 
     Otherwise it is advisable to also create trench openings within the cohesive resistance area, these openings extending to beneath the resistance area. These trench openings are then widened in the base area in an isotropic etching step together with the circumferential trench, so that the resistance area is undercut by etching starting from the edge area and also in the central area at the same time. 
     In the method according to the present invention, it is important to be sure that the resistance area remains mechanically connected to the semiconductor substrate despite the circumferential trench and complete undercutting. The mechanical connection may be implemented at points in the form of webs, for example, between the resistance area and the surrounding semiconductor substrate. In this case, the webs should be formed from an electrically insulating material if at all possible. 
     In a preferred variant of the method according to the present invention, the mechanical connection of the resistance area is ensured with the aid of the trench mask. The trench mask is therefore not opened completely in the area of the circumferential trench to be created but instead is merely provided with perforations through which the etching attack of the trench process takes place. The distance and size of the perforation openings here are selected in such a way that the perforation area of the trench mask is completely undercut by etching during the trench process. In this procedure, the resistance area is held by the trench mask until it is again bound to the semiconductor substrate by the electrically insulating layer created on the wall of the trench and the undercut area. Therefore, in this case, no additional measures are necessary for electrical insulation of the mechanical connection of the resistance area in this case. An oxide layer is preferably created on the substrate surface as the trench mask, which is easily structured accordingly. 
     As already mentioned, the trench and the undercut area may essentially be coated with any electrically insulating material to electrically insulate the resistance area, for example, coating it with silicon nitride or silicon carbide. An oxide layer is preferably created on the wall of the trench and the undercut area because standard methods such as thermal oxidation and/or CVD (chemical vapor deposition) methods may be used for this. 
     In most cases, the trench and the trench openings, if necessary, are filled at least to the extent that a closed planar surface is formed. In the simplest case, this may be continued for coating the wall of the trench and the undercut area until the trench and the trench openings are sealed with the coating material, at least superficially. 
     In the case of a larger opening area of the trench and the trench openings, a first oxide layer may also be created initially in the area of the trench, the trench openings, if necessary, and the undercut area and then a polysilicon layer being deposited thereon which is subsequently oxidized in an additional method step. 
     Within the context of the manufacturing method according to the present invention, the substrate surface is usually also coated with the electrically insulating material with which the piezoresistor is sheathed on the substrate side. Therefore, not only the piezoresistor but also the entire substrate surface is protected very well from environmental influences. For contacting the piezoresistor, terminal pads may then be formed easily in a metal layer which extends over corresponding contact openings in this passivation layer of electrically insulating material. With regard to a particularly good media resistance, it has proven advantageous if the terminal pads are formed from a noble metal such as platinum or gold. This also prevents Kirkendall voiding in particular, which occurs at the connection of aluminum pads to gold bond wires at higher temperatures. 
     In a particularly advantageous layout variant, in which a resistance area is provided with two metal contacts on opposite end sections of the resistance area, these end sections are designed to be wider than the central area of the resistance area, to better transmit any mechanical stresses in the area of the piezoresistor and in particular the connecting area to the adjacent semiconductor substrate. 
     The method according to the present invention is based initially only on the formation of an electrical insulation between a monocrystalline piezoresistor, which has been created in the surface of a semiconductor substrate, and the adjacent semiconductor material. Depending on the function of the component equipped with such a piezoresistor, additional layers are created on this monocrystalline layer and processed. 
     A preferred field of application for monocrystalline piezoresistors is the detection of mechanical stresses in a micromechanical component structure, for example, in the diaphragm of pressure sensors and microphones or in bending beams of an acceleration sensor, a balance and a force sensor or a torsion sensor. Since the piezoresistors according to the present invention are created in the substrate surface, they are on the diaphragm surface or on the surface of the bending beam and are thus at the greatest possible distance from the neutral fiber of the micromechanical measurement structure. This contributes significantly toward an increase in measurement sensitivity. Signal detection in the case of yaw-rate sensors or actuators, for example, micromirrors, may also be mentioned here as possible applications. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIGS. 1   a  through  1   d  show a schematic sectional diagram through a substrate  10  according to individual method steps of a first variant of the method according to the present invention for creating a piezoresistor. 
         FIGS. 2   a  through  2   d  each show a schematic sectional diagram through a substrate  20  according to individual method steps of a second method variant. 
         FIGS. 3   a ,  3   b  illustrate a method variant for filling the trenches on the basis of schematic sectional diagrams through the structured substrate  20 . 
         FIGS. 4   a  to  4   c  show three different resistor layouts. 
         FIG. 5  shows a schematic sectional diagram through a first pressure sensor element  50   
         FIG. 6  shows a schematic sectional diagram through a second pressure sensor element  60 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIGS. 1   a  through  1   d  illustrate a method for creating piezoresistors in the surface of a semiconductor substrate  10 , which is preferably monocrystalline, so that the piezoresistors are also monocrystalline. Semiconductor substrate  10  may be a silicon wafer, for example, having any basic doping. In the simplest case, this substrate doping forms the doping of resistance area  11 . If resistance area  11  is to be provided with another doping, the entire substrate surface may be doped accordingly. Structured doping is not absolutely necessary because resistance area  11  is electrically insulated from the adjacent substrate material on all sides with the aid of the method according to the present invention. For this purpose, an essentially vertical circumferential trench  12  around resistance area  11  is initially introduced into the substrate surface, which laterally delineates resistance area  11  and extends to the depth of resistance area  11 . Base area  13  of this trench  12  is then widened in an isotropic etching step until resistance area  11  is completely undercut by etching, so that resistance area  11  is still connected mechanically to semiconductor substrate  10  only at points, for example, by webs.  FIG. 1   a  shows semiconductor substrate  10  after the etching mask, which is necessary for the trench process and the isotropic etching step, has been removed. The mechanical connection of resistance area  11  to semiconductor substrate  10  is not shown here. 
     The substrate surface and the wall of trench  12  and of undercut area  13  are then provided with an electrically insulating layer  14 , as shown in  FIG. 1   b . In the exemplary embodiment depicted here, electrically insulating layer  14  is an oxide layer created by thermal oxidation. The thermal oxidation process is continued until trench  12  is closed at least at the surface, as shown in  FIG. 1   c . As a result of this self-stopping oxidation process, resistance area  11  is completely surrounded by an electrically insulating material. In the present exemplary embodiment, a residual cavity  17  remains beneath the closed substrate surface laterally from resistance area  11  due to the geometry of trench  12 . 
       FIG. 1   d  shows semiconductor substrate  10  having piezoresistor  11  which was created in this way and has been provided with metal contacts  18 . For this purpose, oxide layer  14  was opened in the area of piezoresistor  11 . The corresponding contact holes were defined here with the aid of a passivation layer  15  in a photolithographic process and were then etched by a wet chemical method. However, they may also be opened by plasma etching. Aluminum metallization, for example, was then applied, and metal contacts  18  were then structured out of the metallization. However, metal contacts of a noble metal, for example, Pt or Au, are to be preferred from the standpoint of achieving a particularly good media resistance of the piezoresistor. 
       FIGS. 2   a  through  2   d  illustrate one variant of the method described above, in which the mechanical bonding of resistance area  21  is accomplished with the aid of trench mask  26 . 
     This method variant also begins with a monocrystalline silicon substrate  20 . To create an essentially vertical trench  22  which laterally delineates resistance area  21 , the substrate surface was initially masked with an oxide layer  26 , which was provided with a perforation  261  in the area of trench  22  to be created. Accordingly, the etching attack of the trench process and also of the subsequent isotropic etching step for undercutting of resistance area  21  takes place through perforation  261  in oxide layer  26 . The distance and size of the perforation openings were selected in such a way that a cohesive trench  22  surrounding resistance area  21  in the form of a ring is created during the trench process.  FIG. 2   a  shows silicon substrate  20  with the essentially vertical trench  22 , whose base area  23  has been widened to the extent that resistance area  21  is completely undercut by etching. 
     In contrast with the method variant described above in conjunction with  FIGS. 1   a  through  1   d , trench mask  26  is not removed here but remains on the substrate surface even during the subsequent oxidation process, as illustrated in  FIG. 2   b.    
       FIG. 2   b  shows structured silicon substrate  20  after the wall of trench  22  and undercut area  23  have been provided with a first oxide layer  24  for electrical insulation of resistance area  21 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2   c , perforation  261  in trench mask  26  is closed only then by applying another passivation  25 . This may be, for example, a nitride layer, which is deposited on the surface of the component in a CVD method. 
     Cavity  27  in the area of trench  22 ,  23  of this encapsulated structure is then filled by thermal oxidation in a second oxidation step.  FIG. 2   d  shows that the process of thermal oxidation in the present exemplary embodiment was continued until cavity  27  was completely oxidized. Since this method step usually also affects the extent and location of the perforation openings in trench mask  26 , a discussion of the perforation has been omitted here. 
       FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  illustrate another possibility for filling cavity  27  in the area of trench  22 ,  23 . To accelerate the filling process by thermal oxidation, polysilicon is deposited after the first oxidation step and also penetrates into cavity  27  through perforation  261  in trench mask  26 . Accordingly, a polysilicon layer  29  is formed not only on trench mask  26  but also on first oxide layer  24  within cavity  27 , as shown in  FIG. 3   a.    
     In a subsequent oxidation step, this polysilicon layer  29  is oxidized, as shown in  FIG. 3   b . Cavity  27  may be filled comparatively rapidly due to the material added by deposition of polysilicon. 
     While  FIGS. 1 through 3  show only sections through substrate  10  and  20  in a stage of the manufacturing process,  FIGS. 4   a  through  4   c  show top views of a monocrystalline silicon substrate  40  illustrating various possible layouts for piezoresistors created in this way. 
     In the case of  FIG. 4   a , a piezoresistor  41  in the form of a relatively narrow doped area  41  resembling a section of a printed conductor is formed in the surface of substrate  40 . The doping of resistance area  41  may be selected arbitrarily. In the case of a sensor element without any additional circuit elements, the substrate doping may be simply taken over. If a different doping is necessary, the entire substrate surface may easily be doped accordingly because resistance area  41  is sheathed completely by electrically insulating oxide  44  on the substrate side. This shows with dotted lines a residual cavity  47  beneath the closed surface in the area of the trench, which was created for lateral delineation of resistance area  41  and was filled with oxide  44 . Piezoresistor  41  is contacted via two metal contacts  48 , which are situated on opposite ends of resistance area  41 . 
     In contrast with the variant shown in  FIG. 4   a , resistance area  411 , which resembles a section of a printed conductor, is relatively wide in the case of  FIG. 4   b . Trench openings  422 , which are situated in the form of a grid and are filled with electrically insulating oxide  44  in the same way as circumferential trench  421 , are discernible within this cohesive resistance area  411 . Resistance area  411  is undercut here by isotropic widening of the base area of circumferential trench  421  and also of trench openings  422 .  FIG. 4   b  illustrates that electrically insulated piezoresistors of an arbitrary lateral extent may be implemented according to the present invention by introducing trench openings within the cohesive resistance area. 
       FIG. 4   c  shows a piezoresistor  412  whose terminal areas  4  on the end are widened in the form of a wedge in comparison with central area  5 . Grid-type trench openings  422  are formed here only inside these terminal areas  4 , which are widened in the form of a wedge, these trench openings being filled with oxide  44  just like circumferential trench  421 . Metal contacts  48  in the terminal areas of piezoresistor  412  are adapted to the wedge shape of terminal areas  4  and are also wedge-shaped. 
     This resistance layout having a widened restraint of the piezoresistor permits improved transmission and detection of surface stress. This has proven to be advantageous in diaphragm sensors, for example, because the surface stress here is to be detected with the aid of piezoresistors. The improved transmission of surface stress is based on the fact that the lateral compressive stress in the surroundings of the piezoresistor, which may be attributed to the different thermal expansion coefficients of the semiconductor material and the oxide, has the lesser effect on the surface stress in the area of the piezoresistor the wider its restraint is. 
     As already mentioned at the outset, monocrystalline piezoresistors sheathed with an electrically insulating material and therefore electrically insulated from the adjacent substrate material are particularly suitable for signal detection with micromechanical pressure sensor elements which are to be used in the high-temperature range. For signal analysis, the piezoresistors may be connected in a Wheatstone bridge, for example.  FIGS. 5 and 6  each illustrate such a pressure sensor element having monocrystalline piezoresistors in the diaphragm area. 
     Pressure sensor element  50  shown in  FIG. 5  was implemented with arbitrary doping, starting from a silicon substrate  51 . The doping required for the piezoresistors is advantageously selected as substrate doping. In any case, structured doping for the piezoresistors is not necessary here. The front side of substrate  51  was initially processed according to the method described above to create monocrystalline piezoresistors  53  in diaphragm area  52 . Accordingly, piezoresistors  53  are adjacent to the substrate surface and embedded in an oxide area  54 , so that they are insulated from substrate  51  laterally and downward. An oxide layer  55  having contact openings in the area of piezoresistors  53  is formed on the substrate surface. The connecting lines and terminal pads  56  for piezoresistors  53  are implemented here in a metallization applied to oxide layer  55  and extending over the contact openings. A passivation layer  57 , which is open only in the area of terminal pads  56 , forms the seal. 
     Only then was diaphragm  52  exposed starting from the back of substrate  51 . A method known from bulk micromechanics such as anisotropic etching using KOH or TMAH or trenching was used for this purpose. Sensor element  51  shown here is used for differential pressure measurement because pressure is applied to diaphragm  52  on both sides, as indicated by arrows  1  and  2 . If cavern  58  beneath diaphragm  52  is sealed under defined pressure conditions, for example, by hermetically sealed anodic bonding of glass on the back of sensor element  50 , then sensor element  50  may also be used for absolute pressure measurement. 
     The bulk micromechanical methods may also be performed using an etch stop; for example, an SOI wafer on whose oxide layer the process is stopped may be used in trenching. A pn-etch stop may be used in KOH etching. 
     Only surface micromechanical methods were used to manufacture pressure sensor element  60  shown in  FIG. 6 . A diaphragm  62  was initially formed in a monocrystalline n-epitaxial layer  3  above a p-silicon substrate  61 . Next, a cavern  68  was created in the p-silicon substrate beneath diaphragm  62 . Only then was the method according to the present invention used to create monocrystalline piezoresistors  63  embedded in silicon oxide  64  in the diaphragm surface. Here again, piezoresistor  63  of pressure sensor element  60  is adjacent to the surface of monocrystalline n-epitaxial layer  3 . An oxide layer  65  having contact openings in the area of piezoresistors  63  is formed on the surface of n-epitaxial layer  3 . Connecting lines and terminal pads  66  for piezoresistors  63  are implemented in a metallization applied to oxide layer  65  and extending over the contact openings. A passivation layer  67 , which is open only in the area of terminal pads  66 , forms the seal.

Technology Classification (CPC): 6