Process Technology of High-Aspect-Ratio Silicon Beams for Stretchable Silicon Electronics

Abstract

The feasibility of transforming completed CMOS/MEMS circuitry and designs from their rigid form realized in a silicon chip into a stretchable system is investigated by fabricating matrix arrays of silicon segments mechanically interconnected with deformable beams. High aspect ratio silicon beams are used both as molds and scaffolds for fabricating structures of Parylene and silicon-Parylene beams between the rigid silicon segments. The fabricated arrays are easily deformed with no particular precautions demonstrating the robustness of the designs. A low thermal budget (<400degC) of the proposed fabrication sequence provides compatibility with CMOS processing and it can therefore be applied as a post processing module.