Patent ID: 7381663

Claim:
A surface shape recognition sensor fabrication method comprising the steps of: forming an interlevel dielectric on a semiconductor substrate; forming a first metal film on the interlevel dielectric; forming a first mask pattern having a first opening portion on the first metal film; forming a first metal pattern by plating on a surface of the first metal film exposed to a bottom of the first opening portion in the first mask pattern; removing the first mask pattern, and forming, on the first metal film and first metal pattern, a second mask pattern having a second opening portion around the first metal pattern; forming a second metal pattern thicker than the first metal pattern by plating on the surface of the first metal pattern exposed to a bottom of the second opening portion in the second mask pattern; removing the second mask pattern, and etching away the first metal film by using the first metal pattern and second metal pattern as masks, thereby forming a lower electrode made of the first metal film and first metal pattern, and a support member made of the first metal film and second metal pattern; forming a first sacrificial film on the interlevel dielectric so as to cover the lower electrode and expose an upper portion of the support member; forming an upper electrode having a plurality of third opening portions on the first sacrificial film and support member; selectively removing the first sacrificial film via the third opening portions after the upper electrode is formed; forming a sealing film on the upper electrode after the first sacrificial film is removed; forming, on the sealing film, a second sacrificial film having a fourth opening portion smaller than an area of a region surrounded by the support member in a region above the lower electrode; forming, on the second sacrificial film, a layer thicker than a depth of the fourth opening portion so as to fill the fourth opening portion; forming a trench in a region, positioned on the support member, of the thick layer, and forming a structure on the sealing film in the region above each of the lower electrodes in one-to-one correspondence with the lower electrode; and removing the second sacrificial film via the trench between adjacent structures, wherein a plurality of capacitance sensing elements comprising the lower electrode and upper electrode are formed.