Publications Details
Silicon micromachining based on porous silicon formation
We describe a new electrochemical processing technique based on porous silicon formation that can produce surface and buried insulators, conductors, and sacrificial layers required for silicon micromachining to fabricate micromechanical devices and sensors. Porosity and thickness of porous silicon layers for micromachining can be controlled to a relative precision better than 0.3% for porosities ranging from 20--80% and thicknesses ranging from sub- micron to hundreds of microns. The technique of using porous silicon has important implications for microfabrication of silicon electromechanical devices and sensors. The high relative precision in realizing a given thickness is superior to that obtained with conventional chemical etches. 8 refs.