Thin film membrane based on a-SiGe: B and MEMS technology for application in cochlear implants

Abstract In this work is presented the fabrication of a thin film membrane as a bio-transducer for aural assistance detection, therefore it will operate at low pressure. The resonant membrane was deposited by PECVD technique at low temperature of deposition T = 270 °C, using SiH4, GeH4, and Boron gases. The membrane was suspended on a micromachined crystalline silicon frame obtained by wet chemical etching. The a-SiGe:B film presented a resistivity of 2.46 × 103 (Ω-cm), resistance of 20.8 kΩ. Using these experimental data we succeeded in designing a simple structure for sensing low pressure variations. The output voltage of the sensor was measured for a range of pressure from 0 to 3000 Pa and at bias voltage of 10 V.