FORMATION OF SUSPENDED BEAMS USING SOI SUBSTRATES, AND APPLICATION TO THE FABRICATION OF A VIBRATING GYROMETER

摘要

A method of fabricating a micro-mechanical sensor (101) comprising the steps for forming an insulating layer (6) onto the surface of a first wafer (4) bonding a second wafer (2) to the insulating layer (6), patterning and subsequently etching either the first (4) or second wafer (6) such that channels (18, 20) are created in either the first (2) or second (4) wafer terminating adjacent the insulating layer (6) and etching the insulating lay er (6) to remove portions of the insulating layer (6) below the etched wafer su ch that those portions of the etched wafer below a predetermined cross section, suspended portions (22), become substantially freely suspended above the un- etched wafer. This method uses Silicon on Insulator technology. Also disclos ed is a micro-mechanical gyrometer structure (101) allowing an anisotropic silicon to be used to fabricate a sensor functioning as if fabricated from isotropic silicon.