Enhanced silicon-on-insulator platform enabling new structures and applications

Abstract

Performance expectations for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), the central building blocks of smart systems, are increasing rapidly. The rapidly growing IoT industry sets completely new demands, while existing industries such as automotive sensing is rapidly moving to a completely new requirements levels with autonomous driving (ADAS systems). Advanced MEMS devices are increasingly based on single crystal silicon, enabling uncompromised, high performance mechanical operation of the device. Efficient, repeatable mass production is achieved by utilizing state-of-the-art MEMS processing technology based on thick-film bonded Silicon-On-Insulator wafers (BSOI) starting material. Continuous device shrinking and requirements for unprecedented performance for high end sensors are driving requirements for SOI wafer specifications to a level at which traditional planarization technologies like chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) are stretched to their limits. At the same time, emerging applications are posing new challenges, requiring substrates with specifications that simply cannot be met with the traditional production technology.