A processing scheme for fabricating Pb(Zr_xTi_1-x)O₃ thin film actuated silicon cantilevers using silicon-on-insulator wafers is described. Such piezoelectrically actuated cantilevers are being investigated for RF microswitches. The microswitch design specification requires the Pb(Zr_xTi_1-x)O₃ thin film to be at least 1μm thick to achieve the adequate deflection at an operating voltage of 10V. A two-stage dry-wet etching process was developed to reliably pattern the 1μm Pb(Zr_xTi_1-x)O₃ film. To release the Pb(Zr_xTi_1-x)O₃ cantilevers on silicon-on-insulator wafers it is necessary to perform deep silicon etching from both sides of the wafer. The Pb(Zr_xTi_1-x)O₃ thin film was prepared by sol-gel method. The piezoelectric coefficient d₃₁ was calculated as 14pC/N.

Date Published: 15 January 2003
PDF: 9 pages
Proc. SPIE 4979, Micromachining and Microfabrication Process Technology VIII, (15 January 2003); doi: 10.1117/12.478245

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 4979:
Micromachining and Microfabrication Process Technology VIII
John A. Yasaitis; Mary Ann Perez-Maher; Jean Michel Karam, Editor(s)