A multi-purpose Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) thermopile sensor able to use as a thermal conductivity sensor, a Pirani vacuum sensor, a thermal flow sensor and a non-contact infrared temperature sensor, respectively. The sensor comprises a rectangular membrane created in a silicon substrate which has a thin polysilicon layer and a thin residual thermal reorganized porous silicon layer both attached on its back side, and configured to have its three sides clamped to the frame formed in the silicon substrate which surrounds and supports the membrane and the other side free to the frame, a cavity created in the silicon substrate, positioned under the membrane and having its flat bottom opposite to the membrane, its three side walls shaped as curved planes and the other side wall shaped as a vertical plane, a heater or an infrared absorber positioned on the membrane, close to and parallel with the free side of the membrane and a thermopile positioned on the membrane and consists of several thermocouples connected in series and having its hot junctions close to the heater and its cold junctions extended to the frame.

A wafer-level integrated thermal detector comprises a first wafer and a second wafer (W1, W2) bonded together. The first wafer (W1) includes a dielectric or semiconducting substrate (100), a dielectric sacrificial layer (102) deposited on the substrate, a support layer (104) deposited on the sacrificial layer or the substrate, a suspended active element (108) provided within an opening (106) in the support layer, a first vacuum-sealed cavity (110) and a second vacuum-sealed cavity (106) on opposite sides of the suspended active element. The first vacuum-sealed cavity (110) extends into the sacrificial layer (102) at the location of the suspended active element (108). The second vacuum-sealed cavity (106) comprises the opening of the support layer (104) closed by the bonded second wafer. The thermal detector further comprises front optics (120) for entrance of radiation from outside into one of the first and second vacuum-sealed cavities, aback reflector (112) arranged to reflect radiation back into the other one of the first and second vacuum-sealed cavities, and electrical connections (114) for connecting the suspended active element to a readout circuit (118).

A semiconductor device comprises a first doped semiconductor layer, a second doped semiconductor layer, an oxide layer covering the first doped semiconductor layer and the second doped semiconductor layer, and an interconnect. The first doped semiconductor layer is electrically connected with the second doped semiconductor layer by means of the interconnect which crosses over a sidewall of the second doped semiconductor layer. The interconnect comprises a metal filled slit in the oxide layer. At least one electronic component is formed in the first and/or second semiconductor layer. The semiconductor device moreover comprises a passivation layer which covers the first and second doped semiconductor layers and the oxide layer.

A sensor is achieved by applying a layer of a mixture that contains polymer and conductive particles over a substrate or first surface, when the mixture has a first viscosity that allows the conductive particles to rearrange within the material. An electric field is applied over the layer, so that a number of the conductive particles are assembled into one or more chain-like conductive pathways with the field and thereafter the viscosity of the layer is changed to a second, higher viscosity, in order to mechanically stabilise the material. The conductivity of the pathway is highly sensitive to the deformations and it can therefore act as deformation sensor. The pathways can be transparent and is thus suited for conductive and resistive touch screens. Other sensors such as strain gauge and vapour sensor can also be achieved.

A microelectromechanical infrared sensing device is provided, which includes a substrate, a sensing plate, a reflecting plate, a plurality of first supporting elements, a plurality of second supporting elements and a plurality of stoppers. The second supporting elements are connected to the sensing plate, such that the sensing plate is suspended above the substrate. The reflecting plate is disposed between the substrate and the sensing plate. The first supporting elements are connected to the reflecting plate, such that the reflecting plate is suspended between the substrate and the reflecting plate. When the reflecting plate moves toward the substrate and at least one of the stoppers contacts the substrate or the reflecting plate, the distance between the reflecting plate and the sensing plate increases.

A complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) device embedded with micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) components in a MEMS region is disclosed. The MEMS components, for example, are infrared (IR) thermosensors. The MEMS sensors are integrated on the CMOS device monolithically after CMOS processing. For example, the MEMS sensors are formed over a BEOL dielectric of a CMOS device. The device is encapsulated with a CMOS compatible IR transparent cap to hermetically seal the MEMS sensors in the MEMS region.

A MEMS device according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a lower substrate; an infrared sensor formed on the lower substrate; and a lower bonding pad disposed to cover the infrared sensor. The infrared sensor includes: a metal pad formed on an upper surface of the lower substrate and electrically connected to a detection circuit; a reflective layer formed on the upper surface of the lower substrate and reflecting an infrared band; an absorption plate disposed to be spaced apart from an upper portion of the reflective layer and absorbing infrared rays to change resistance; and an anchor formed on the metal pad to support the absorption plate and to electrically connect the metal pad and the absorption plate to each other. The reflective layer has a curved or stepped shape such that a distance between the reflective layer and the absorption plate varies depending on a position of the reflective layer.

A complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) device integrated with micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) components in a MEMS region is disclosed. The MEMS components, for example, are infrared (IR) thermosensors. The MEMS sensors are integrated on the CMOS device heterogeneously. For example, a CMOS wafer with CMOS devices and interconnections as well as partially processed MEMS modules is bonded with a MEMS wafer with MEMS structures, post CMOS compatibility issues are alleviated. Post integration process to complete the devices includes forming contacts for interconnecting the sensors to the CMOS components as well as encapsulating the devices with a cap wafer using wafer-level vacuum packaging.

A monolithically integrated multi-sensor (MIMS) is disclosed. A MIMs integrated circuit comprises a plurality of sensors. For example, the integrated circuit can comprise three or more sensors where each sensor measures a different parameter. The three or more sensors can share one or more layers to form each sensor structure. In one embodiment, the three or more sensors can comprise MEMs sensor structures. Examples of the sensors that can be formed on a MIMs integrated circuit are an inertial sensor, a pressure sensor, a tactile sensor, a humidity sensor, a temperature sensor, a microphone, a force sensor, a load sensor, a magnetic sensor, a flow sensor, a light sensor, an electric field sensor, an electrical impedance sensor, a galvanic skin response sensor, a chemical sensor, a gas sensor, a liquid sensor, a solids sensor, and a biological sensor.

A process for fabricating a device for detecting electromagnetic radiation includes the step of providing a detecting element suspended by a supporting pillar. The pillar has a lateral through-aperture formed via a local break in the continuity of a layer of interest, because of the presence of a jut in a vertical orifice.