The SOI DAWN process for three-dimensional silicon micromachining and its applications

A DRIE assisted wet anisotropic bulk micromachining (DAWN) process is demonstrated to fabricate various three-dimensional MEMS devices on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer. This SOI DAWN process can realize thin film structures, reinforced (thin film) structures, and thick structures with totally different mechanical characteristics. Various passive and active mechanical components, including flexible springs, rigid structures, and actuators, have been fabricated using the SOI DAWN process and have been further integrated to create MEMS devices which are flexible as well as movable in both in-plane and out-of-plane directions. This SOI DAWN process has been successfully applied to produce various multi-DOF devices made of single crystal silicon (SCS).