Leak detection methods for glass capped and polymer sealed MEMS packaging

This paper presents the limitations of the helium leak test when applied to typical MEMS packages. A novel closed-form expression is presented which allows the determination of the minimum cavity volume package that can be accurately tested using the helium leak test method in conjunction with a standard gross leak test. This expression can be used to find optimum test parameters for packages with cavity volumes greater than 2.6 × 10⁻³ cm³. Hermeticity testing using FTIR and Raman spectroscopy are considered as potential methods to overcome the limitations of the helium leak test method.     

Low-temperature anodic bonding of silicon to silicon wafers by means of intermediate glass layers

Silicon wafers have been anodically bonded to sputtered lithium borosilicate glass layers (Itb 1060) at temperatures as low as 150–180 °C and to sputtered Corning 7740 glass layers at 400 °C. Dependent on the thickness of the glass layer and the sputtering rate, the sputtered glass layers incorporate compressive stresses which cause the wafer to bow. As a result of this bowing, no anodic bond can be established especially along the edges of the silicon wafer. Successful anodic bonding not only requires plane surfaces, but also is determined very much by the alkali concentration in the glass layer. The concentration of alkali ions as measured by EDX and SNMS depends on both the sputtering rate and the oxygen fraction in the argon process gas. In Itb 1060 layers produced at a sputtering rate of 0.2 nm/s, and in Corning 7740 layers produced at sputtering rates of 0.03 and 0.5 nm/s, respectively, the concentration of alkali ions in the glass layers was sufficiently high, at oxygen partial pressures below 10^-4 Pa, to achieve anodic bonding. High-frequency ultrasonic microanalysis allowed the bonding area to be examined non-destructively. Tensile strengths between 4 and 14 MPa were measured in subsequent destructive tensile tests of single-bonded specimens.     

Development toward an all-silicon integrated thermal management system: the integrated MCM

A new all-silicon multichip module with integrated thermal management system is presented. Our new packaging approach combines the benefits of wafer-scale integration with the flexibility of independently fabricated and pre-tested devices, allowing the development of highly integrated systems. Wet anisotropic etching is used for the dicing of silicon integrated circuits as well as for the fabrication of the chip-receiving cavities in the silicon substrate. The etching exposes {1 1 1} type planes in both chip and receiving surface, assuring a virtually perfect mating of the assemblage. The system is complemented with an integrated silicon heat sink, which can maintain heat fluxes in excess of 100 W/cm².     

A microvalve matrix using piezoelectric actuators

 A microvalve matrix is proposed for controlling gas flow. Mircovalves in the matrix are controlled independently and each one handles a very small gas flow. The microvalve matrix can thus control gas flows precisely in very small steps, over the range from zero flow to fully-open flow, by digitally opening and closing the appropriate number of microvalves. The microvalve proposed for this matrix has a compact and simple design for a high degree of integration. This valve is normally closed and is opened by using the deformation of the port caused by the piezoelectric effect. Calculations show that a microvalve smaller than 1×1 mm can handle a maximum gas flow rate of the order of 10^-4 Pa m³/s (Air, 20 °C). It is easy to reduce the flow rate. Therefore these results indicate that a microvalve matrix can achieve wide dynamic-range flow-control in small flow steps. Received: 1 November 1996/Accepted: 14 November 1996     

Role of the film texturing on the response of particle detectors based on CVD diamond

 Recent improvements in the quality of diamond films grown by Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) have made synthetic diamond a very attractive material for detection applications. In this paper, polycrystalline diamond films synthesised by microwave plasma enhanced CVD using a CH₄–CO₂ gas mixture, previously investigated as particle detectors, have been characterised by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. The detector response was measured in vacuo under irradiation with 5.5 MeV α-particle from a ²⁴¹Am source. A systematic study of the influence of the film structural properties on the detector performance has been carried out by changing the methane concentration in the growth plasma and the deposition temperature. The existence of a correlation between growth conditions, film texturing and detector performance has been demonstrated. Independently of the substrate temperature, (1 0 0) orientated films exhibit the lowest detection efficiencies. The meas ured collection distances are smaller than the average grain sizes and seem to be limited by trapping centres within the grains. These results are confirmed by Raman analysis. Received: 6 January 1999 / Accepted: 18 January 1999     

Development of near hermetic silicon/glass cavities for packaging of integrated lithium micro batteries

A technology was developed for fabrication of very thin, chip-sized lithium secondary micro batteries. With help of wafer level processing the batteries can be directly integrated into silicon chips or MEMS devices. The batteries were packaged in 200 μm deep cavities of the silicon wafer and encapsulated with a glass substrate. Battery demonstrators were realized with 7 and 12 mm square and round foot prints. Near hermetic packaging was accomplished with the help of a UV curable epoxy seal that should ensure several years of battery lifetime. Bonding parameters, shear force and the water permeation rate of the adhesive were investigated. A capacity of 3 mAh/cm² and an energy density of 10 mWh/cm² were achieved. The electrical contact between the battery and the contact pads of the housing was investigated in detail. Electrical tests were made with encapsulated micro batteries and compared with macroscopic lithium polymer batteries. A reduction in capacity of approximately 10% was measured after 100 cycles.     

Characterization of wood micromorphology from gas permeability measurements

This paper presents a method for identifying wood morphological parameters from gas apparent permeability measurements. The apparent permeability at a given mean pressure is typically determined from the pressure relaxation kinetics when the gas permeates through the wood sample between two compartments which have different initial pressures. Using the proposed set-up, apparent permeability values ranging from 10^?10 to 10^?18 m² can be measured with a mean gas pressure varying from 2 bar down to 35 mbar. Morphological and topological parameters are then identified from the variations in apparent permeability as a function of the mean gas pressure using a pore network model. The network consists of elements such as pipes or orifices connected in series or in parallel. The rarefied gas flow is described in each element by an appropriate model, and the unknowns are determined by an inverse method. This approach was first applied to track-etched polycarbonate membranes for validation purposes. The calculated pore radius and pore density values were compared to observations by environmental scanning electron microscopy. Softwood specimens were then investigated. The mean radius of the pores controlling permeability in the longitudinal and tangential directions was determined and found to be in good agreement with literature data.     

Space Efficient Dynamic Orthogonal Range Reporting

In this paper we present new space efficient dynamic data structures for orthogonal range reporting. The described data structures support planar range reporting queries in time O(log n+klog log (4n/(k+1))) and space O(nlog log n), or in time O(log n+k) and space O(nlog  ^ε n) for any ε>0. Both data structures can be constructed in O(nlog n) time and support insert and delete operations in amortized time O(log ² n) and O(log nlog log n) respectively. These results match the corresponding upper space bounds of Chazelle (SIAM J. Comput. 17, 427–462, 1988) for the static case. We also present a dynamic data structure for d-dimensional range reporting with search time O(log  ^d−1 n+k), update time O(log  ^d n), and space O(nlog  ^d−2+ε n) for any ε>0. The model of computation used in our paper is a unit cost RAM with word size log n. A preliminary version of this paper appeared in the Proceedings of the 21st Annual ACM Symposium on Computational Geometry 2005. Work partially supported by IST grant 14036 (RAND-APX).     

Tree Expressions for Information Systems

The discernibility matrix is one of the most important approaches to computing positive region, reduct, core and value reduct in rough sets. The subject of this paper is to develop a parallel approach of it, called ＂tree expression＂. Its computational complexity for positive region and reduct is O（m^2 × n） instead of O（m × n^2） in discernibility-matrix-based approach, and is not over O（n^2） for other concepts in rough sets, where rn and n are the numbers of attributes and objects respectively in a given dataset （also called an ＂information system＂ in rough sets）. This approach suits information systems with n ≥ m and containing over one million objects.     

Parallel integer sorting and simulation amongst CRCW models

 In this paper a general technique for reducing processors in simulation without any increase in time is described. This results in an O(√log n) time algorithm for simulating one step of PRIORITY on TOLERANT with processor-time product of O(n log log n); the same as that for simulating PRIORITY on ARBITRARY. This is used to obtain an O(log n/log log n+√log n (log log m− log log n)) time algorithm for sorting n integers from the set {0,…, m−1}, m≧n, with a processor-time product of O(n log log m log log n) on a TOLERANT CRCW PRAM. New upper and lower bounds for ordered chaining problem on an allocated COMMON CRCW model are also obtained. The algorithm for ordered chaining takes O(log n/log log n) time on an allocated PRAM of size n. It is shown that this result is best possible (upto a constant multiplicative factor) by obtaining a lower bound of Ω(r log n/(log r+log log n)) for finding the first (leftmost one) live processor on an allocated-COMMON PRAM of size n of r-slow virtual processors (one processor simulates r processors of allocated PRAM). As a result, for ordered chaining problem, “processor-time product” has to be at least Ω(n log n/log log n) for any poly-logarithmic time algorithm. Algorithm for ordered-chaining problem results in an O(log N/log log N) time algorithm for (stable) sorting of n integers from the set {0,…, m−1} with n-processors on a COMMON CRCW PRAM; here N=max(n, m). In particular if, m=n ^O(1) , then sorting takes Θ(log n/log log n) time on both TOLERANT and COMMON CRCW PRAMs. Processor-time product for TOLERANT is O(n(log log n)²). Algorithm for COMMON uses n processors. Received August 13, 1992/June 30, 1995     

SU-8 as resist material for deep X-ray lithography

 A new negative tone resist for deep X-ray lithography is presented. This resist is a nine parts to one mixture of the EPON SU-8 resin with 2,2-bis-(3,5-dichloro-4-hydroxyphenyl)propane (Tetrachlorobisphenol A, TCBA), the latter acting as the photoinitiator. The resist was irradiated at the synchrotron source of DCI at LURE. It was dried for 7 to 20 days beforehand over silica gel while under a light vacuum (20 mbar). Best results for a 150 μm high resist were obtained with a X-ray bottom dose of 3 kJ cm⁻³ and a post exposure bake at 33 °C. Differential Scanning Calorimetry measurements (DSC) determined the glass transition temperature of the resist. The glass transition for the undried, loose resist was 34.7 °C, and it was 28.7 °C when the resist was pressed on a silicon substrate. For a sample of the dried resist, the glass transition was 33.4 °C for the loose resist and 29.8 °C when it was pressed on a Silicon substrate. CD measurements were made on top surface of a set of 100 μm long columns structures, which were produced in 150 μm of this resist. These structures have a constant 100 μm pitch, and the structures themselves varied in width from 20 to 17 μm. For these structures, the CD was calculated to be 0.15 ± 0.03 μm. Received: 8 February 2000/Accepted: 3 March 2000     

Novel U-shape gold nanoparticles-modified optical fiber for localized plasmon resonance chemical sensing

A novel fiber-optic localized plasma resonance (FO-LPR) sensor composed of a U-shape optical fiber was proposed and demonstrated in this study. The U-shape optical fiber was fabricated by a femtosecond laser micromachining system. The dimensions of the U-shape zone were 100 μm in depth measured from the surface of the polymer jacket layer, 80 μm in width in the jacket layer, 60 μm in width in the cladding layer. The total length is 5 mm. After laser annealing treatment, the average surface roughness was 205.8 nm as determined by Atom Force Microscope (AFM). The exposed surface of the U-shape fiber was modified with self-assembled gold nanoparticles to produce the FO-LPR sensor. The response of the sensor shows that the signal increases linearly with increasing refractive index. The sensor resolution of the sensor was determined to be 1.06 × 10⁻³ RIU.     

Heteroepitaxial growth of Pt (0 0 1) films on SrTiO3 by pulsed laser deposition

 New functional materials are being considered having in perspective an important role in the development of microsystems. In particular, in an experiment of pulsed laser deposition (equipped with in situ reflection high-energy diffraction of the growth surface) thin Pt epitaxial layers have been deposited on SrTiO₃ (0 0 1) substrates. It is shown that thin single-crystal layers of metallic Pt (0 0 1) can be heteroepitaxially grown on SrTiO₃ (0 0 1). Furthermore complex SrTiO₃–Pt–SrTiO₃ heteroepitaxial structures have been deposited. This result is of relevant importance for the growth of new functional materials consisting of heteroepitaxial structures involving both complex oxides and standard metals. These materials may reasonably open up new prospects in the field of microsystem technologies. Received: 31 March 1999/Accepted: 12 April 1999     

Strong-Diameter Decompositions of Minor Free Graphs

We provide the first sparse covers and probabilistic partitions for graphs excluding a fixed minor that have strong diameter bounds; i.e. each set of the cover/partition has a small diameter as an induced sub-graph. Using these results we provide improved distributed name-independent routing schemes. Specifically, given a graph excluding a minor on r vertices and a parameter ρ>0 we obtain the following results: (1) a polynomial algorithm that constructs a set of clusters such that each cluster has a strong-diameter of O(r ² ρ) and each vertex belongs to 2 ^O(r) r! clusters; (2) a name-independent routing scheme with a stretch of O(r ²), headers of O(log n+rlog r) bits, and tables of size 2 ^O(r) r! log ⁴ n/log log n bits; (3) a randomized algorithm that partitions the graph such that each cluster has strong-diameter O(r6 ^r ρ) and the probability an edge (u,v) is cut is O(r  d(u,v)/ρ).     

On the validity of using small positive lower bounds on design variables in discrete topology optimization

It is proved that an optimal {ε, 1} ⁿ solution to a “ε-perturbed” discrete minimum weight problem with constraints on compliance, von Mises stresses and strain energy densities, is optimal, after rounding to {0, 1} ⁿ , to the corresponding “unperturbed” discrete problem, provided that the constraints in the perturbed problem are carefully defined and ε > 0 is sufficiently small.     

Approximation Algorithm Based on Chain Implication for Constrained Minimum Vertex Covers in Bipartite Graphs

The constrained minimum vertex cover problem on bipartite graphs (the Min-CVCB problem) is an important NP-complete problem. This paper presents a polynomial time approximation algorithm for the problem based on the technique of chain implication. For any given constant ε > 0, if an instance of the Min-CVCB problem has a minimum vertex cover of size (ku, kl), our algorithm constructs a vertex cover of size (ku*, kl* ), satisfying max{ku*/ku, kl* /kl} 1 ε.     

Applying Approximate Counting for Computing the Frequency Moments of Long Data Streams

This paper takes up a remark in the well-known paper of Alon, Matias, and Szegedy (J. Comput. Syst. Sci. 58(1):137–147, 1999) about the computation of the frequency moments of data streams and shows in detail how any F _k with k≥1 can be approximately computed using space O(km ^1−1/k (k+log m+log log  n)) based on approximate counting. An important building block for this, which may be interesting in its own right, is a new approximate variant of reservoir sampling using space O(log log  n) for constant error parameters.     

High aspect ratio silicon trench fabrication by inductively coupled plasma

Very high aspect ratio silicon trench with nearly vertical sidewall profile had been demonstrated by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etching. This silicon trench with aspect ratio more than 30 and vertical sidewall were basically fabricated by STS ASE^TM technology and controlled at proper process parameters. We controlled the appropriate platen power and reaction gas to solve the problem of more positive profile at high aspect ratio trench and avoid the bowing formation on the sidewall simultaneously. Different feature sizes for silicon trench were designed to study the aspect ratio dependent etching properties. The 2.2 μm wide trench etched had aspect ratio of 33 and etching rate of 1.8 μm/min while the 5.0 μm wide trench had aspect ratio of 20 and etching rate of 2.5 μm/min. Received: 7 July 1990/Accepted: 25 August 1999     

Cyanate ester based resin systems for snap-cure applications

 Resin compositions comprising cyanate ester have been demonstrated to be useful as die attach adhesives, underfills and encapsulants, where the characteristics of the resins can be varied in a wide range by copolymerization with functionalized comonomers such as epoxies, phenols, rubbers, thermoplastics and others. To reach a combination of properties such as long pot life, short cure time and high glass transition temperature, we encapsulated small particles of effective hardeners to make them insoluble and non-reactive when mixed with the resin at room temperature. Pot lifes of more than 3 months could be reached, whereas the same cyanate ester gels and becomes solid within 30 min at room temperature, if the neat hardener is used instead of the capsules. At a certain elevated temperature, which mainly depends on the structure of the hardener, the capsules open and the curing reaction starts immediately. Low-temperature systems with cure times less than 5 min at 80 °C reach glass temperatures of about 140 °C, and a glass transition temperature of 220 °C after 10 s cure can be achieved with another combination. The developed snap cure resin systems can be easily mixed with a lot of common additives such as minerals, tougheners, metallic powders and others to cover a wide range of performance characteristics for use as adhesives, underfills, encapsulants and the like. Received: 15 May 2001/Accepted: 15 October 2001