A semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same are provided such that a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) element is protected at an early manufacturing stage. A method for protecting a MEMS element includes: providing at least one MEMS element, having a sensitive area, on a substrate; and depositing, prior to a package assembly process, a protective material over the sensitive area of the at least one MEMS element such that the sensitive area of at least one MEMS element is sealed from an external environment, where the protective material permits a sensor functionality of the at least one MEMS element.

A reflective device comprising, a comprising, a movable element which comprises a reflective surface, wherein the movable element can oscillate about at least one oscillation axis to scan light; one or more holder elements which co-operate with the movable element to hold the movable element in a manner which will allow the movable element to oscillate about the at least one oscillation axis to scan light, wherein the one or more holder elements are configured to define a region which can receive at least a portion of the movable element as the movable element oscillates when the reflective device is mounted on a surface; a magnetic element which is secured to a fixed part of the reflective device; one or more electrically conductive means positioned on the movable element so that one or more electrically conductive means can operatively co-operate with a magnetic field provided by the magnetic element to effect oscillation of the moveable element, wherein the one or more electrically conductive means are completely embedded in the movable element. There is further provided a projection device having such a reflective device and a corresponding method of manufacturing a reflective device

A semiconductor sensor device includes a substrate including a first main face and a second main face opposite the first main face, a semiconductor element including a sensing region, the semiconductor element on the first main face of the substrate and being electrically coupled to the substrate, a lid on the first main face of the substrate and forming a cavity, wherein the semiconductor element is in the cavity, and a vapor deposited dielectric coating covering the semiconductor element and the first main face of the substrate, the vapor deposited dielectric coating having an opening over the sensing region, wherein the second main face of the substrate is at least partially free of the vapor deposited dielectric layer.

Some preferred embodiments include a microphone system for receiving sound waves, the microphone including a back plate, a radiation plate, first and second electrodes, first and second insulator layers, a power source and a microphone controller. The radiation plate is clamped to the back plate so that there is a hermetically sealed circular gap between the radiation plate and the back plate. The first electrode is fixedly attached to a side of the back plate proximate to the gap. The second electrode is fixedly attached to a side of the radiation plate. The insulator layers are attached to the back plate and/or the radiation plate, on respective gap sides thereof, so that the insulator layers are between the electrodes. The microphone controller is configured to use the power source to drive the microphone at a selected operating point comprising normalized static mechanical force, bias voltage, and relative bias voltage level. A radius and height of the gap, and a thickness of the radiation plate, are determined using the selected operating point so that a sensitivity of the microphone at the selected operating point is an optimum sensitivity for the selected operating point.

An electromechanical device may include a first substrate, a second substrate, a connector, and a protector. The connector may be formed of a first dielectric material and may be positioned between the first substrate and the second substrate. A first side of the connector may directly contact the first substrate. The protector may be formed of a second dielectric material and may directly contact a second side of the connector.

A substrate assembly includes a first substrate, a second substrate and a bonding member. The first substrate includes a first surface-modified region having a functionality different from that of a remainder region of the first substrate. The second substrate includes a second surface-modified region connected to the first surface-modified region through a physical interaction and having a functionality different from that of a remainder region of the second substrate. The first and second substrates cooperatively define a space therebetween. The bonding member is disposed within said space to bond said first and second substrates together. A method for bonding substrates is also disclosed.

An amorphous thin film stack can include a first layer including a combination metals or metalloids including: 5 at % to in 90 at % of a metalloid; 5 at % to 90 at % of a first metal and a second metal independently selected from titanium, vanadium, chromium, iron, cobalt, nickel, niobium, molybdenum, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, tantalum, tungsten, osmium, iridium, or platinum. The three elements may account for at least 70 at % of the amorphous thin film stack. The stack can further include a second layer formed on a surface of the first layer. The second layer can be an oxide layer, a nitride layer, or a combination thereof. The second layer can have an average thickness of 10 angstroms to 200 microns and a thickness variance no greater than 15% of the average thickness of the second layer.

The present invention discloses a wearable device with combined sensing capabilities, which includes a wearable assembly and at least one multi-function sensor module. The wearable assembly is suitable to be worn on a part of a user's body. The wearable assembly includes at least one light-transmissible window. The multi-function sensor module is located inside the wearable assembly, for performing an image sensing function and an infrared temperature sensing function. The multi-function sensor module includes an image sensor module for sensing a physical or a biological feature of an object through the light-transmissible window by way of image sensing; and an infrared temperature sensor module for sensing temperature through the light-transmissible window by way of infrared temperature sensing.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards an integrated circuit (IC) chip in which a pad barrier layer caps a pad of a piezoelectric device. The pad barrier layer is configured to block hydrogen ions and/or other errant materials from diffusing to the piezoelectric layer. Absent the pad barrier layer, hydrogen ions from hydrogen-ion containing processes performed after forming the pad may diffuse to the piezoelectric layer along a via extending from the pad to the piezoelectric device. By blocking diffusion of hydrogen ions and/or other errant materials to the piezoelectric device, the pad barrier layer may prevent delamination and breakdown of the piezoelectric layer. Hence, the pad barrier layer may prevent failure of the piezoelectric device.

A microphone includes a substrate defining an embedded cavity between a first surface of the substrate and an opposing second surface of the substrate, the first surface defining a first opening into the embedded cavity, a distance between the first surface and the second surface defining a substrate thickness. A cover is disposed over the first surface of the substrate and forms a housing, the cover including a port, the substrate thickness being greater than a height of the cover from the first surface of the substrate. A microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) transducer is disposed in the housing and mounted on the first surface of the substrate over the first opening, and an integrated circuit (IC) is disposed in the housing and electrically coupled to the MEMS transducer. The MEMS transducer and the IC are disposed in a front volume of the housing defined by the cover and the substrate.