Disclosed herein is a MEMS ASIC. In some examples, the MEMS ASIC can include a MEMS, an analog front end (AFE) amplifier, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), an overload detector, and a high-ohmic (HO) block. The HO block and the MEMS can form a high-pass filter (HPF). The impedance of the HO block can be related to the DC operating level of the AFE amplifier and the cutoff frequency of the HPF. In some examples, an overload event can occur, and the overload detector can be configured to adjust the impedance of the HO block to reduce the settling time of the MEMS ASIC. Methods of using the MEMS ASIC to reduce the settling time of the MEMS ASIC due to an overload event are disclosed herein.

The present disclosure provides a method for processing a conductive structure. The method includes the following steps of: forming on a first surface a groove concave from the first surface towards a second surface by means of dry etching; extending the groove from the second surface to form a via through a silicon base; and processing a conductive structure within the via. The method can be applied to a silicon base having a thickness larger than 300 μm. It breaks the limit on thickness that can be processed in the related art and is capable of providing electrical connectivity on both sides of a silicon base. The method is simple and highly reliable, has high processing efficiency and is applicable to mechanized production.

In an embodiment a method includes forming a dielectric membrane on a semiconductor substrate comprising a bulk-etched cavity portion, forming a heater within or over the dielectric membrane, forming a material for sensing a gas on a side of the dielectric membrane, forming a support structure near the material, wherein the support structure comprises an inorganic material and forming a gas permeable region coupled to the support structure in order to protect the material.

A gas sensor with a gas permeable region is disclosed. In an embodiment a gas sensor includes a dielectric membrane formed on a semiconductor substrate having a cavity portion, a heater located within or over the dielectric membrane, a material for sensing a gas, wherein the material is located on one side of the dielectric membrane, a support structure located near the material, a gas permeable membrane coupled to the support structure so as to protect the material, wherein the semiconductor substrate forms the support structure.

The MEMS type semiconductor gas detection element of the invention is a MEMS type semiconductor gas detection element 1 having a MEMS structure, for detecting hydrogen gas, comprising: a substrate 2; a gas sensitive portion 3 mainly made of a metal oxide semiconductor and provided to the substrate 2; a heating portion 4 for heating the gas sensitive portion 3; an inactive film 5 having hydrogen-permselective and formed outside the gas sensitive portion 3; a protective film 6 formed outside the inactive film 5, for suppressing deterioration of the gas sensitive portion 3.

Systems and methods for maintaining autonomous vehicle operator awareness are provided. A method can include determining, by a computing system, an awareness challenge for an operator of a vehicle. The awareness challenge can be based on object data. The awareness challenge can have one or more criteria. The criteria can include a challenge response interval, a response time, and an action for satisfying the awareness challenge. The method can include initiating, by the computing system, a timer measuring elapsed time from a start time of the challenge response interval. The method can include communicating to the operator, by the computing system, a soft notification indicative of the awareness challenge during the challenge response interval. The method can include determining, by the computing system, whether the operator provides a user input after the response time interval and whether the user input corresponds to the action for satisfying the awareness challenge.

The present invention discloses a bionic SERS substrate of a metal-based compound eye bowl structure, a construction method and application. The bionic SERS substrate of the metal-based compound eye bowl structure of the present invention consists of a metal bowl and a cone-shaped structure substrate in an ordered hierarchy manner. The metal bowl is of a continuously and closely arranged single-layer bowl structure. A height of the metal bowl is 0.01-10 μm, and a bowl opening diameter is 0.01-10 μm. A cone is a micron pyramid cone, and a height of the micron pyramid cone is 1-100 μm. The present invention assembles the metal bowl on a surface of the substrate of the micron pyramid cone structure with great fluctuation by a solid-liquid interface chemical reduction method and a small ball template method, and further constructs a 3D SERS substrate with a bionic compound eye structure.

The invention discloses a MEMS sensor detection device and a MEMS sensor system, wherein the MEMS sensor detection device comprises: a readout circuit used for analog signal processing of the output signal of the MEMS sensor to generate detection voltage; a cancellation voltage generation circuit used for generating a gravity cancellation voltage according to the detection voltage, wherein the gravity cancellation voltage and the gravity acceleration are in a positive proportional relationship; a selection circuit used for selecting the detection voltage output in a feedback phase and selecting the gravity cancellation voltage output in a gravity cancellation phase, wherein in one detection period, the feedback phase is located after the gravity cancellation phase; and a feedback circuit used for generating a feedback voltage according to the output voltage of the selection circuit, wherein the feedback voltage is in a positive proportional relationship with the output voltage of the selection circuit. The MEMS sensor detection device and the MEMS sensor system disclosed by the invention can cancel the influence of gravity acceleration and improve the sensitivity of the MEMS sensor system.

A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) sensor testing device, system and method are provided. The testing device includes a socket having a plurality of pads configured to receive a respective plurality of pins of the MEMS sensor, a body having a plurality of operable positions associated with a respective plurality of orientations of the MEMS sensor and circuitry which performs a method for testing the MEMS sensor in the plurality of operable positions. The method includes, for each position of the plurality of operable positions, outputting an indication of the position to the plurality of operable positions, receiving one or more measurements made by the MEMS sensor at the respective position and determining whether the one or more measurements satisfy a reliability criterion. The method includes generating a report based on the plurality of measurements and indicating whether the plurality of measurements satisfy a plurality of reliability criteria, respectively.

A fabric-based item may include fabric such as woven fabric having insulating and conductive yarns or other strands of material. The conductive yarns may form signal paths. Electrical components can be embedded within pockets in the fabric. Each electrical component may have an electrical device such as a semiconductor die that is mounted on an interposer substrate. The electrical device may be a light-emitting diode, a sensor, an actuator, or other electrical device. The electrical device may have contacts that are soldered to contacts on the interposer. The interposer may have additional contacts that are soldered to the signal paths. The fabric may have portions that form transparent windows overlapping the electrical components or that have other desired attributes.