An electromechanical power switch device and methods thereof. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are devices including a semiconductor substrate, at least one integrated circuit device on a front surface of the semiconductor substrate, an insulating layer on the at least one integrated circuit device, and an electromechanical power switch on the insulating layer. By way of example, the electromechanical power switch may include a source and a drain, a body region disposed between the source and the drain, and a gate including a switching metal layer. In some embodiments, the body region includes a first body portion and a second body portion spaced a distance from the first body portion and defining a body discontinuity therebetween. Additionally, in various examples, the switching metal layer may be disposed over the body discontinuity.

According to one embodiment, a MEMS element includes a first member, and an element part. The element part includes a first fixed electrode fixed to the first member, a first movable electrode facing the first fixed electrode, a first conductive member electrically connected to the first movable electrode, and a second conductive member electrically connected to the first movable electrode. The first conductive member and the second conductive member support the first movable electrode to be separated from the first fixed electrode in a first state before a first electrical signal is applied between the second conductive member and the first fixed electrode. The first conductive member and the second conductive member are in a broken state in a second state after the first electrical signal is applied between the second conductive member and the first fixed electrode.

A method of forming at least one Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) includes forming a beam structure and an electrode on an insulator layer, remote from the beam structure. The method further includes forming at least one sacrificial layer over the beam structure, and remote from the electrode. The method further includes forming a lid structure over the at least one sacrificial layer and the electrode. The method further includes providing simultaneously a vent hole through the lid structure to expose the sacrificial layer and to form a partial via over the electrode. The method further includes venting the sacrificial layer to form a cavity. The method further includes sealing the vent hole with material. The method further includes forming a final via in the lid structure to the electrode, through the partial via.

A method for calculating the contact state of an electrical switch is disclosed, In an embodiment, the method includes: collecting first input values for calculating the contact state in a first component of the electrical switch; collecting second input values for calculating the contact state in a second component of the electrical switch; and calculating the contact state of the electrical switch from the first input values and the second input values.

Nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) devices/switches and methods for implementing and fabricating the same with conducting contacts are provided. A nanoelectromechanical system (NEMS) switch can include a substrate; a source cantilever formed over the substrate and configured to move relative to the substrate; a drain electrode and at least one gate electrode formed over the substrate; wherein the source cantilever, drain and gate electrodes comprises a metal layer affixed to a support layer, at least a portion of the metal layer at the contact area extending past the support layer; and an interlayer sandwiched between the support layer and substrate.

Described herein is a technique capable of forming a sacrificial film with a high wet etching rate so as to obtain a wet etching selectivity with respect to a movable electrode when manufacturing a cantilever structure sensor. According to one aspect of the technique of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device including: (a) placing a substrate with a sacrificial film containing impurities on a substrate support in a process chamber, wherein the sacrificial film is formed so as to cover a control electrode, a pedestal and a counter electrode formed on the substrate; (b) heating the substrate; and (c) modifying the sacrificial film into a modified sacrificial film by supplying an oxygen-containing gas in a plasma state to the substrate to desorb the impurities from the sacrificial film after (b).

The invention provides a hydrogel network comprising a plurality of hydrogel objects, wherein each of said hydrogel objects comprises: a hydrogel body, and an outer layer of amphipathic molecules, on at least part of the surface of the hydrogel body, wherein each of said hydrogel objects contacts another of said hydrogel objects to form an interface between the contacting hydrogel objects. A process for producing the hydrogel networks is also provided. The invention also provides an electrochemical circuit and a hydrogel component for mechanical devices comprising a hydrogel network. Various uses of the hydrogel network are also described, including their use in synthetic biology and as components in electrochemical circuits and mechanical devices.

The present invention relates to a micro-optomechanical system (500) and to a method for the production thereof. The micro-optomechanical system (500) comprises at least one optical subsystem (100) configured for emitting at least one optical actuator signal (212) and for receiving at least one optical sensor signal (211); and at least one optomechanical structure (150) which is producible in direct contact with the optical subsystem (100) by means of a direct writing microstructuring method, wherein the optical subsystem (100) comprises at least one optical actuation element (219) and at least one optical sensor element (140), wherein the optical actuator signal (212) in interaction with the optical actuation element (219) is configured for changing a mechanical state of the optomechanical structure (150), and wherein the optical sensor signal (211) in interaction with the optical sensor element (140) is configured for detecting the change in the mechanical state of the optomechanical structure (150) or a variable related thereto.

The micro-optomechanical systems (500) provided have virtually any desired shaping in conjunction with very high resolution and are therefore suitable for a wide range of applications.

Systems and methods for contact erosion mitigation are provided. To perform contact erosion mitigation, an order of opening/closing poles and/or contact relays of particular poles is altered, resulting in a sharing of potential arcing conditions amongst the poles/contact relays of these poles.

Sensors, systems, and methods for monitoring environmental conditions, such as physical, electromagnetic, thermal, and/or chemical parameters within an environment, over extended periods of time with the use of one or more electromechanical sensing devices and electronic circuitry for processing an output of the sensing devices. The sensing devices each include a cantilevered structure and at least one contact configured for contact-mode operation with the cantilevered structure in response to the cantilevered structure deflecting toward or away from the contact when exposed to the parameter of interest. The cantilevered structure has at least first and second beams of dissimilar materials, at least one of which has at least one property that changes as a result of exposure to the parameter.