EE290g: Homework #3: Due in class Tuesday, 9/16/97

This document is available on the web at www-inst.eecs.berkeley.edu/~ee290g/hw3.html

1. MEMS Cross Sections

 
Figure 1.
 
Figure 2.
2. CMOS Cross Sections
Figure 2 shows a (very) simplified cross section from a modern CMOS process, like that used to make the Pentium Pro microprocessor. You should notice the multiple layers of Aluminum interconnect that enables the large amount of complex wiring necessary for modern microprocessors. For the cross section shown in Figure 2, answer the following questions:
Figure 3.

3. Xenon Diflouride Etching
XeF2 is a silicon etch that does not appreciably etch SiO2 or Al. It can be used as a post-process etch to make silicon a sacrificial layer for CMOS micromachining.  We are planning on etching a 1 cm2 chip at 10 um per minute, but we know the reaction is strongly exothermic and we are concerned that the chip will get too hot. The etching reaction is:

 
 
Figure 4a
  
Figure 4b 
 
Assume that the metal counter is a perfect heat conductor at 25°C, and that heat flow through the chip and the pyrex is one-dimensional.

4. Strength of Silicon

5. Strength of Spider's Silk
Imagine a spider that is about 1 cc in volume (a big one).

Send comments to rconant@bsac.eecs.berkeley.edu