A sensor device includes: a sensor portion having a movable thin film and a detection element configured to output a signal corresponding to displacement of the movable thin film; a frame portion disposed to surround an outside of the sensor portion; a spring portion provided between the frame portion and the sensor portion; and a circuit board including a circuit configured to process the signal output from the detection element, in which the frame portion is laminated on the circuit board, and the sensor portion is cantilevered from the frame portion by the spring portion such that a gap is formed between the sensor portion and the circuit board.

A sensor includes a MEMS element responsive to acceleration, an analog-to-digital converter coupled to an output of the MEMS element, and a free fall detector coupled to an output of the analog-to-digital converter. The free fall detector is configured to determine whether the sensor is in free fall based on acceleration information received from the analog-to-digital converter. A digital interface is coupled to the analog-to-digital converter and to an output of the free fall detector and is configured to issue an output related to free fall information determined by the free fall detector.

A microfabricated pressure transducer is formed in a multilayer substrate by etching a plurality of shallow and deep wells into the layers, and then joining these wells with voids formed by anisotropic etching. The voids define a flexible membrane over the substrate which deforms when a force is applied.

A micromechanical sensor system that includes a mass that is deflectable at least in the z direction. A stop element having an elastic design is situated on the mass on at least one of the sides oriented in the z direction, via a connection element.

There are provided a piezoelectric body of ytterbium-doped aluminum nitride, having a greater piezoelectric coefficient d.sub.33 or g.sub.33 than those not doped with ytterbium, and a MEMS device using the piezoelectric body. The piezoelectric body is represented by a chemical formula Al.sub.1-xYb.sub.xN where a value of x is more than 0 and less than 0.37 and having a lattice constant ratio c/a in a range of 1.53 or more and less than 1.6. The piezoelectric body with such a configuration has a greater piezoelectric coefficient d.sub.33 or g.sub.33 than those not doped with ytterbium.

The present invention discloses a micro-electro-mechanical system silicon on insulator (MEMS SOI) pressure sensor and a method for preparing the same. The pressure sensor includes a bulk silicon layer, a buried oxide layer, a substrate, a varistor, a passivation layer, and an electrode layer. The varistor is obtained by means of photolithography and ion implantation on a device layer of an SOI wafer. The passivation layer is SiO.sub.2 formed by means of annealing treatment on the SOI wafer. An annealing atmosphere is one of pure O.sub.2, a gas mixture of O.sub.2/H.sub.2O, a gas mixture of O.sub.2/NO, a gas mixture of O.sub.2/HCl, and a gas mixture of O.sub.2/CHF.sub.3. By means of the annealing treatment, the damage to a surface of the buried oxide layer as a result of over-etching during formation of the varistor by means of photolithography is eliminated and the unstability of the sensor caused by body and interface defects of the passivation layer and trapped charges thereof is resolved. A trench is formed at the buried oxide layer and the bulk silicon layer directly below the varistor, which helps overcome defects as a result of doped impurities entering the buried oxide layer below the varistor, and helps improve the sensitivity of the sensor.

A micromechanical sensor device with a movable gate includes a field effect transistor having a drain region, a source region, a channel region arranged between the field effect transistor and the source region and including a first doping type, and a movable gate. The movable gate is separated from the channel region by an interspace. The drain region, the source region, and the channel region are arranged in a substrate. An oxide region is provided in the substrate at least at longitudinal sides of the channel region.

A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) test structure includes a plurality of capacitors formed from sense electrodes and capacitive plates having a predetermined geometry and size associated with a related MEMS device such as a MEMS sensor. Based on the predetermined relationships between the capacitors of the test structure, and between the test structure and the MEMS devices, an effect of fringing fields on the sensed capacitances of the MEMS devices may be eliminated, and the capacitive gap of the MEMS device may be accurately measured.

A micromirror device includes first and second actuators, which are piezoelectric actuators each having a piezoelectric element in which a lower electrode, a piezoelectric film, and an upper electrode are laminated on an oscillation plate. In each of the piezoelectric elements, each upper electrode is formed of a plurality of individual electrode parts, each of which is separated by a first stress inversion region and a second stress inversion region, and includes a plurality of piezoelectric parts respectively defined by the plurality of individual electrode parts.

A load lock pressure gauge comprises a housing configured to be coupled to a load lock vacuum chamber. The housing supports an absolute vacuum pressure sensor that provides instantaneous high vacuum pressure signal over a range of high vacuum pressures and a differential diaphragm pressure sensor that provides an instantaneous differential pressure signal between load lock pressure and ambient pressure. The housing further supports an absolute ambient pressure sensor. A low vacuum absolute pressure is computed from the instantaneous differential pressure signal and the instantaneous ambient pressure signal. A controller in the housing is able to recalibrate the differential diaphragm pressure sensor based on measured voltages of the sensor and a measured ambient pressure during normal operation of the pressure gauge with routine cycling of pressure in the load lock.