Direct bonding of the patterned surfaces with high local cavity area

Abstract

Direct bonding of patterned surfaces with high local cavity area is a crucial process for the fabrication of Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS). This thesis aims to experimentally determine the limitations in designing cavities with large area and bonded supports within the cavity that are further released using sacrificial layer etching techniques.

The proposed research includes the development of a methodology for creating large area cavities with bonded supports in a cavity Silicon-On-Insulator (C-SOI) wafers, and the investigation of the effect of the cavity size and shape, parameters, and conditions, such as temperature and pressure as well as additional annealing on the bonding process and the resulting quality of the bonded structure.