There is disclosed a device and method for fabricating such a device. The device includes cavities formed in a substrate. A laminated membrane is mounted to the substrate and spans the cavities. The laminated membrane includes a layer of a flexible material, typically a polymer, and a layer of a two-dimensional material that is typically graphene.

A recess is formed in one silicon substrate. A silicon oxide film is formed in another one silicon substrate at a portion space apart from a space-to-be-formed region. The silicon oxide film has a groove surrounding the space-to-be-formed region and extending to an outer periphery of the other one silicon substrate. Further, the other one silicon substrate and the one silicon substrate are directly bonded to each other via the silicon oxide film so as to cover the groove. A gas discharge passage, a stacking structure of the silicon substrates and the silicon oxide film are formed, and the space is formed inside the stacking structure by the recess. Then, by the heat treatment, the gas inside the space is discharged to the outside of the stacking structure through the gas discharge passage.

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.

Disclosed is a reader device, system, and method for communicating with a wireless sensor. The reader device may be configured to communicate wirelessly with an implant device associated with a proprietary system provided by a first entity. An external device, that may not be associated with said first entity, is provided and is configured to be calibrated to communicate with the implant device that is located within a patient. The external device may be used in place of an existing reader device that was initially calibrated to communicate with the implant device prior to the implant device being placed within the patient. The external device may be particularly useful for implant devices that communicate wirelessly with external devices where said implant devices are intended to be located within the human body on a permanent or indefinite duration of time.

A device includes a base substrate with a sensor component arranged thereon; a spacer layer on the base substrate, wherein the spacer layer is structured in order to predefine a cavity region, in which the sensor component is arranged in an exposed fashion on the base substrate, and a DAF tape element (DAF=Die-Attach-Film) on a stack element, wherein the DAF tape element mechanically fixedly connects the stack element to the spacer layer arranged on the base substrate and to obtain the cavity region.

A device has a latching mechanism including a catch element having at least two catches, and a pawl configured to engage in a catch interstice between two catches. The catch element is movable in relation to the pawl in a freewheeling direction, and a movement of the catch element in relation to the pawl in a blocking direction may be blocked by means of the pawl. The device further includes a deflectable actuator configured to move the catch element and the pawl relative to each other on a catch-by-catch basis in the freewheeling direction by means of deflection. According to the invention, the device also includes an electric component configured to change its electric property as a function of the catch-wise movement of the catch element in relation to the pawl.

In one example, an electronic device includes a semiconductor sensor device having a cavity extending partially inward from one surface to provide a diaphragm adjacent an opposite surface. A barrier is disposed adjacent to the one surface and extends across the cavity, the barrier has membrane with a barrier body and first barrier strands bounded by the barrier body to define first through-holes. The electronic device further comprises one or more of a protrusion pattern disposed adjacent to the barrier structure, which can include a plurality of protrusion portions separated by a plurality of recess portions; one or more conformal membrane layers disposed over the first barrier strands; or second barrier strands disposed on and at least partially overlapping the first barrier strands. The second barrier strands define second through-holes laterally offset from the first through-holes. Other examples and related methods are also disclosed herein.

A semiconductor device may include a stress decoupling structure to at least partially decouple a first region of the semiconductor device and a second region of the semiconductor device. The stress decoupling structure may include a set of trenches that are substantially perpendicular to a main surface of the semiconductor device. The first region may include a micro-electro-mechanical (MEMS) structure. The semiconductor device may include a sealing element to at least partially seal openings of the stress decoupling structure.

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.

A device includes a base substrate with a sensor component arranged thereon; a spacer layer on the base substrate, wherein the spacer layer is structured in order to predefine a cavity region, in which the sensor component is arranged in an exposed fashion on the base substrate, and a DAF tape element (DAF=Die-Attach-Film) on a stack element, wherein the DAF tape element mechanically fixedly connects the stack element to the spacer layer arranged on the base substrate and to obtain the cavity region.