Fabrication of micromechanical structures with a new electrodeless electrochemical etch stop

A new electrochemical etch stop which does not require external contacts or power source has been studied. This technique yields a simple and effective method to achieve an etch-stop. The passivation voltage is generated internally in a Au/Cr/nSi/TMAH cell. Test structures have been used to examine the conditions required for the etch stop. Silicon membranes have been fabricated using this etch stop technique to demonstrate the applicability to microsensors