A substantially planar self-folding film assembly to generate a folded three-dimensional assembly. The assembly includes a flexible support substrate, adhesive elements, and folding members. The folding members include a base, a folding region, and a hinge adjacent each folding region attached at the base to the flexible support substrate by at least one of the adhesive elements. An array of polymer actuators is co-extensive, or shaped to be not co-extensive, with each of the flexible folding members. Upon activation by a patterned light to heat conversion layer, each polymer actuator is designed and configured to provide a displacement of the corresponding flexible folding member about each hinge.

According to a method in semiconductor device fabrication, a first trench and a second trench are concurrently etched in a semi-finished semiconductor device. The first trench is a mechanical decoupling trench between a first region of an eventual semiconductor device and a second region thereof. The method further includes concurrently passivating or insulating sidewalls of the first trench and of the second trench. A related semiconductor device includes a first trench configured to provide a mechanical decoupling between a first region and a second region of the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device further includes a second trench and a sidewall coating at sidewalls of the first trench and the second trench. The sidewall coating at the sidewalls of the first trench and at the sidewalls of the second trench are of the same material.

A pressure sensor has a substrate and a transistor structure. The substrate has a cavity formed in the substrate. The transistor structure is arranged above the cavity. The transistor structure has a flexible heterostructure and at least one source contact, drain contact, and gate contact each connected to the heterostructure in an electrically conductive manner. The heterostructure is configured to assume a position corresponding to a pressure ratio between a first pressure in the cavity and a second pressure on a side of the heterostructure opposite the cavity. The transistor structure is configured to provide an electrical signal corresponding to the position.

Methods, systems, computer-readable media, and apparatuses for high density Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) are presented. In some embodiments, a method for manufacturing a micro-electro-mechanical device on a substrate can comprise etching a release via through a layer of the device. The method can further comprise creating a cavity in the layer of the device using the release via as a conduit to access the desired location of the cavity, the cavity enabling movement of a transducer of the device. The method can then comprise depositing low impedance, electrically conductive material into the release via to form an electrically conductive path through the layer. Finally, the method can comprise electrically coupling the electrically conductive material to an electrode of the transducer.

A cantilever structure includes an anchor portion and a film structure. The film structure covers over a cavity and vibrates within the cavity. A length of the film structure is less than a width of the film structure. The anchor portion includes at least one protrusion protruding toward the cavity, and the film structure is anchored on the anchor portion with the at least one protrusion.

A test circuit structure for determining a resonant frequency of the beam of a micro-electrical-mechanical-system (MEMS) switch includes the MEMS switch having a gate electrode, a switch contact, and the beam. The test circuit structure further includes a voltage supply configured to sequentially produce (i) a switch-close voltage configured to bring the beam in contact with the switch contact, and (ii) a non-zero switch-open voltage configured to release the beam from contact with the switch contact and produce an oscillating current. The test circuit structure further includes a waveform capture device configured to determine the resonant frequency of the beam by an analysis of a waveform produced by the oscillating current upon release of the beam. The waveform generator produces a high voltage to supply the switch-close voltage and produces a low voltage to supply the switch-open voltage.

An electromechanical system includes a frame; a movable element; a capacitive measurement or actuation system including a first movable electrode and at least one electrode separated from the first movable electrode by a first dielectric medium; a first transmission device for transmitting movement between the movable element and the first movable electrode, the first transmission device being rotatably movable relative to the frame by a plurality of first pivot hinges; the first transmission device including a first transmission shaft having a first longitudinal axis of rotation; and a plurality of first transmission arms, each of the first transmission arms including a first end coupled to the movable element and a second end secured to the first transmission shaft; the first movable electrode being connected to the first transmission shaft.

Methods for fabricating MEMS tuning fork gyroscope sensor system using silicon wafers. This provides the possibly to avoid glass. The sense plates can be formed in a device layer of a silicon on insulator (SOI) wafer or in a deposited polysilicon layer in a few examples.