A method of fabricating a MEMS structure includes providing a substrate comprising a logic element region and a MEMS region. Next, a logic element is formed within the logic element region. A nitrogen-containing material layer is formed to cover the logic element region and the MEMS region conformally. Then, part of the nitrogen-containing material layer within the MEMS region is removed to form at least one shrinking region. Subsequently, a dielectric layer is formed to cover the logic element region and MEMS region, and the dielectric layer fills in the shrinking region. After that, the dielectric layer is etched to form at least one releasing hole, wherein the shrinking region surrounds the releasing hole. Finally, the substrate is etched to form a chamber.

A sensor, such as a piezoelectric MEMS vibration sensor, includes a frame, a beam array comprising a plurality of beams, and a plurality of masses. Each beam of the plurality of beams has an anchored end and an unanchored end, with each beam being coupled to the frame at the anchored end. The unanchored end of each beam is coupled to a respective mass of the plurality of masses. Each beam of the plurality of beams can be configured to minimize a variation in a voltage output for a limited frequency range. In some implementations, the resonant frequency of each beam corresponds to a sensitivity peak in a limited frequency range.

A method of fabricating a MEMS structure includes providing a substrate comprising a logic element region and a MEMS region. Next, a logic element is formed within the logic element region. A nitrogen-containing material layer is formed to cover the logic element region and the MEMS region conformally. Then, part of the nitrogen-containing material layer within the MEMS region is removed to form at least one shrinking region. Subsequently, a dielectric layer is formed to cover the logic element region and MEMS region, and the dielectric layer fills in the shrinking region. After that, the dielectric layer is etched to form at least one releasing hole, wherein the shrinking region surrounds the releasing hole. Finally, the substrate is etched to form a chamber.

A method of fabricating a MEMS structure includes providing a substrate comprising a logic element region and a MEMS region. Next, a logic element is formed within the logic element region. A nitrogen-containing material layer is formed to cover the logic element region and the MEMS region conformally. Then, part of the nitrogen-containing material layer within the MEMS region is removed to form at least one shrinking region. Subsequently, a dielectric layer is formed to cover the logic element region and MEMS region, and the dielectric layer fills in the shrinking region. After that, the dielectric layer is etched to form at least one releasing hole, wherein the shrinking region surrounds the releasing hole. Finally, the substrate is etched to form a chamber.

A MEMS sensor comprising preloaded suspension springs and a method for mechanically preloading suspension springs of a MEMS sensor are described. The MEMS sensor comprises a MEMS support structure; a plurality of suspension springs connected to said support structure; and, a proof mass flexibly suspended by said suspension springs; wherein at least one of said suspension springs is mechanically preloaded with a compressive force for reducing the natural frequency of said proof mass.

The electronic target includes a main member having a target base and a front plate, a power element inside the target base, a main control device inside the target base and electrically connected to the power element, a MEMS sensor device behind the front plate and electrically connected to the main control device, and a wireless control device mounted on and electrically connected to the main control device. By leveraging the MEMS sensor device and the power element, the assembly and deployment of the electronic target becomes straightforward and less susceptible to damage. Moreover, the use of wireless communications relieves limitation by the venue and reduces susceptibility to interference. This simplifies the configuration and setup process for interactions between targets, achieving increased variability in shooting modes and enhancing entertainment or training effectiveness.

Provided are a device, method, and computer-readable recording medium for detecting an earthquake in a microelectromechanical system (MEMS)-based auxiliary seismic observation network. The method includes performing detrending of removing a moving average from original acceleration data received from single sensors of an MEMS-based auxiliary seismic observation network to preprocess the acceleration data, calculating a short-term average/long-term average (STA/LTA) value using a filter parameter value specified on the basis of the preprocessed acceleration data, generating an event occurrence message or event end message on the basis of the calculated STA/LTA value and transmitting the event occurrence message or event end message, when the event occurrence message is generated, calculating an earthquake probability through an earthquake detection deep learning model using the preprocessed acceleration data as an input, and analyzing noise by calculating a power spectral density (PSD) from the original acceleration data which is merged at certain intervals.

A method for making an artificial hair sensor, comprising the steps of: (a) depositing an electrode at each end of a microcapillary having an inside surface; (b) coating a structural fiber with alumina; (c) placing the alumina coated structural fiber inside the microcapillary, wherein part of the alumina coated structural fiber is in a spaced annular relationship with the microcapillary inside surface and part of the fiber extends outside the microcapillary; (d) placing the microcapillary and alumina coated structural fiber inside a heated furnace chamber; and, (e) injecting a vaporized catalyst into the heated furnace chamber. The vaporized catalyst may be a solution of ferrocene in xylene. The microcapillary may be made of glass.

A capacitive MEMS microphone element is described which may be used optionally for detecting acoustic signals (microphone mode) or for detecting ultrasound signals in a defined frequency range (ultrasound mode). In the layered structure of the MEMS microphone element, at least two carrier elements for the two electrode sides of a capacitor system are formed one above the other and at a distance from one another for signal detection. At least one of the two carrier elements is sound pressure-sensitive and at least one of the two electrode sides includes at least two electrode segments which are electrically contactable independent of one another, which together with the at least one electrode of the other electrode side form partial capacitances which are independent of one another.

A method for sensor state detection of an environmental sensor for measuring at least one physical environmental variable of an ambient medium. The method includes providing the environmental sensor including a micromechanical sensor structure that can be deflected depending on the environmental variable, is exposed to the ambient medium and on which at least one interfering deposit entering via the ambient medium can be deposited and further comprising a converter unit for providing a measured variable depending on the deflection of the sensor structure, detecting an existing deposit of this type on the sensor structure by means of an excitation deviating from the environmental variable, wherein the excitation is a mechanical excitation acting externally on the environmental sensor, via which the deposit moves with an excitation movement on the sensor structure. An environmental sensor system and a mobile consumer device are also described.