Silicon carbide coated MEMS strain sensor for harsh environment applications

Abstract

We present poly-SiC coating and subsequent operation of a Si-based double-ended tuning fork (DETF) resonant strain sensor fabricated in the Bosch commercial foundry process. The coating is applied post release and, hence, has minimal impact on the front end of the microfabrication process. The deposition thickness of nanometer-thin SiC coating was optimized to provide enhanced corrosion resistance to silicon MEMS without compromising the electrical and mechanical performance of the original device. The coated DETF achieves a strain resolution of 0.2 mue in a 10 Hz to 20 kHz bandwidth, which is comparable to the uncoated device. The coated DETF is locally heated with an IR lamp and is shown to operate up to 190 degC in air with a temperature sensitivity of -7.6 Hz/degC. The devices are also dipped in KOH at 80 degC for 5 minutes without etching the structures, confirming the poly-SiC coating provides a sufficient chemical barrier to the underlying silicon. The results demonstrate that SiC-coated poly-Si devices are an effective bridge between poly-Si and full poly-SiC films for applications requiring a high level of corrosion resistance and moderate operating temperatures (up to 200 degC) without compromising the performance characteristics of the original poly-Si device.