An integrated circuit die (1) is disclosed that comprises a substrate (30) defining a plurality of circuit elements; a sensor region (10) on the substrate, the sensor region comprising a layer stack defining a plurality of CMUT (capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducer) cells (11); and an interposer region (60) on the substrate adjacent to the sensor region. The interposer region comprises a further layer stack including conductive connections to the circuit elements and the CMUT cells, the conductive connections connected to a plurality of conductive contact regions on an upper surface of the interposer region, the conductive contact regions including external contacts (61) for contacting the integrated circuit die to a connection cable (410) and mounting pads (65) for mounting a passive component (320) on the upper surface. A probe including such an integrated circuit die an ultrasound system including such a probe are also disclosed.

In various embodiments, a method of forming a masking layer on at least a portion of an object. The method may include providing a plurality of mould pieces. The method may include forming an assembled mould using the plurality of the mould pieces. The assembled mould may include one or more inner surfaces to define a cavity for holding the portion of the object. The method may include providing a masking fluid in said cavity. The method may include providing electromagnetic waves to cure the masking fluid to form the masking layer on the portion of the object.

Disclosed are a connection line structure and a forming method thereof. The connection line structure includes a passivation layer, a metal layer, and a protective layer, the metal layer is arranged on the passivation layer, and the protective layer is arranged on the metal layer. In the present application, a simple single-layer wiring design may be utilized, and a multi-layer three-dimensional wiring design may also be utilized to implement high speed transmission, a MEMS process allows for design of a connection line in a straight or bent layout, a connection line of a bent layout is flexible, and better compatibility is achieved.

An actuator layer of a MEMS sensor is be fabricated to include multi-level features, such as additional sense electrodes, vertical bump stops, or weighted proof masses. A sacrificial layer is deposited on the actuator layer such that locations are provided for the multi-level features to extend vertically from the actuator layer. After the multi-layer features are fabricated on the actuator layer the sacrificial layer is removed. Additional processing such as patterning of the actuator layer may be performed to provide desired functionality and electrical signals to portions of the actuator layer, including to the multi-level features.

An integrated circuit die is disclosed that comprises a substrate defining a plurality of circuit elements; a sensor region on the substrate, the sensor region comprising a layer stack defining a plurality of CMUT (capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducer) cells; and an interposer region on the substrate adjacent to the sensor region. The interposer region comprises a further layer stack including conductive connections to the circuit elements and the CMUT cells, the conductive connections connected to a plurality of conductive contact regions on an upper surface of the interposer region, the conductive contact regions including external contacts for contacting the integrated circuit die to a connection cable and mounting pads for mounting a passive component on the upper surface. A probe including such an integrated circuit die an ultrasound system including such a probe are also disclosed.

An apparatus includes a lens material forming a lens. The apparatus also includes a piezoelectric capacitor over the lens material, where the piezoelectric capacitor is configured to change a shape of the lens material in response to a voltage across the piezoelectric capacitor to thereby change a focus of the lens. The apparatus further includes at least one stress compensation ring over a portion of the lens material and over at least a portion of the piezoelectric capacitor. The at least one stress compensation ring is configured to at least partially reduce bending of the lens material caused by stress on or in the lens material.

In various embodiments, a method of processing a monocrystalline substrate is provided. The method may include severing the substrate along a main processing side into at least two monocrystalline substrate segments, and forming a micromechanical structure comprising at least one monocrystalline substrate segment of the at least two substrate segments.

An apparatus includes a lens material forming a lens. The apparatus also includes a piezoelectric capacitor over the lens material, where the piezoelectric capacitor is configured to change a shape of the lens material in response to a voltage across the piezoelectric capacitor to thereby change a focus of the lens. The apparatus further includes at least one stress compensation ring over a portion of the lens material and over at least a portion of the piezoelectric capacitor. The at least one stress compensation ring is configured to at least partially reduce bending of the lens material caused by stress on or in the lens material.

The disclosure relates to a process for producing a base of an analysis cell for analyzing a biochemical material. Here, carbon-rich precursor molecules and low-carbon precursor molecules are deposited on a substrate in a defined mixing ratio in order to form a precursor layer, wherein the low-carbon precursor molecules have a defined size and a hydrophobic end group. In a further step, the precursor layer is post-treated in a suitable manner in order to produce the base as a layer with at least one pore having a pore size dependent on the defined size and a pore count dependent on the defined mixing ratio.

A method for treating a micro electro-mechanical system (MEMS) component is disclosed. In one example, the method includes the steps of providing a first wafer, treating the first wafer to form cavities and at least an oxide layer on a top surface of the first wafer using a first chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, providing a second wafer, bonding the second wafer on a top surface of the at least one oxide layer, treating the second wafer to form a first plurality of structures, depositing a layer of Self-Assembling Monolayer (SAM) to a surface of the MEMS component using a second CVD process.