A sensor device, such as a biosensor, may comprise a polymer substrate, which is structured so as to form sets of microneedles and respective vias. The microneedles extend, each, from a base surface of the substrate. Each of the vias extends through a thickness of the substrate, thereby forming a corresponding set of apertures on the base surface. Each of the apertures is adjacent to a respective one of the microneedles. The device further may comprise two or more electrodes, these including a sensing electrode and a reference electrode. Each electrode may comprise an electrically conductive material layer that coats a region of the substrate, so as to coat at least some of the microneedles and neighboring portions of said base surface. Related devices, apparatuses, and methods of fabrication and use of such devices may be provided.

A MEMS device, e.g., a flexible MEMS pressure sensor, is formed by disposing a sacrificial layer, such as photoresist, on a substrate. A first flexible support layer is disposed on the substrate, and a first conductive layer is disposed over a portion of the first support layer. A liquid or gel separator, e.g., silicone oil, is disposed on an internal region of the first conductive layer. A second flexible support layer encapsulates the first conductive layer and the separator. A second conductive layer disposed over the second support layer at least partially overlaps the first conductive layer and forms a parallel plate capacitor. A third flexible support layer encapsulates the second conductive layer and second support layer. Soaking the sensor in hot water releases the sensor from the sacrificial layer.

The present disclosure involves forming a method of fabricating a Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) device. A plurality of openings is formed in a first side of a first substrate. A dielectric layer is formed over the first side of the substrate. A plurality of segments of the dielectric layer fills the openings. The first side of the first substrate is bonded to a second substrate that contains a cavity. The bonding is performed such that the segments of the dielectric layer are disposed over the cavity. A portion of the first substrate disposed over the cavity is transformed into a plurality of movable components of a MEMS device. The movable components are in physical contact with the dielectric the layer. Thereafter, a portion of the dielectric layer is removed without using liquid chemicals.

A method for manufacturing a structure comprises a) providing a donor substrate comprising front and rear faces; b) providing a support substrate; c) forming an intermediate layer on the front face of the donor substrate or on the support substrate; d) assembling the donor and support substrates with the intermediate layer therebetween; e) thinning the rear face of the donor substrate to form a useful layer of a useful thickness having a first face disposed on the intermediate layer and a second free face; and wherein the donor substrate comprises a buried stop layer and a fine active layer having a first thickness less than the useful thickness, between the front face of the donor substrate and the stop layer; and after step e), removing, in first regions of the structure, a thick active layer delimited by the second free face of the useful layer and the stop layer.

In an embodiment, a method for fabricating a Microelectromechanical System (MEMS) microphone includes depositing, on a frontside of a wafer, a first oxide layer over a silicon nitride thin film and over and adjacent the wafer, wherein the silicon nitride thin film is disposed over the wafer, depositing a membrane protection layer over the first oxide layer between a first side of a first cavity formed in the wafer and a second side of a second cavity formed in the wafer, depositing a second oxide layer over and adjacent the membrane protection layer, depositing a first membrane nitride layer over the second oxide layer, depositing a membrane polysilicon layer over the first membrane nitride layer, depositing a second membrane nitride layer over the membrane polysilicon layer, depositing a third oxide layer over the second membrane nitride layer and depositing a fourth oxide layer over the third oxide layer.

A method for encapsulation of microelectronic components includes making a portion of sacrificial material on a front face of a first substrate in which the component is to be made. The method then includes making a cover encapsulating the portion of sacrificial material, and making the component by etching the first substrate from its back face. The etching is such that part of the component faces the portion of the sacrificial material, and such that the portion of sacrificial material is accessible from a back face of the component. The method then includes eliminating the portion of the sacrificial material by etching from the back face of the component, and securing the back face of the component to a second substrate.

The present disclosure involves forming a method of fabricating a Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) device. A plurality of openings is formed in a first side of a first substrate. A dielectric layer is formed over the first side of the substrate. A plurality of segments of the dielectric layer fills the openings. The first side of the first substrate is bonded to a second substrate that contains a cavity. The bonding is performed such that the segments of the dielectric layer are disposed over the cavity. A portion of the first substrate disposed over the cavity is transformed into a plurality of movable components of a MEMS device. The movable components are in physical contact with the dielectric the layer. Thereafter, a portion of the dielectric layer is removed without using liquid chemicals.

A semiconductor differential pressure sensor element is such that as strain sensitive elements are disposed only inside a diaphragm, and strain relaxation grooves are provided along the diaphragm, it is difficult for thermal stress caused by expansion or contraction of a case to propagate to the strain sensitive elements, thus suppressing characteristic fluctuations resulting from a change in external temperature. Also, as a configuration is such that a sacrificial column is provided inside a depressed portion, and that the diaphragm is held by the sacrificial column in a diaphragm formation step which thins a second semiconductor substrate and a functional element formation step which repeatedly implements a cleaning step, breakage of the diaphragm can be prevented, thus achieving a significant improvement in yield.

A method for producing thin MEMS wafers including: (A) providing an SOI wafer having an upper silicon layer, a first SiO2 layer and a lower silicon layer, the first SiO2 layer being situated between the upper silicon layer and the lower silicon layer, (B) producing a second SiO2 layer on the upper silicon layer, (C) producing a MEMS structure on the second SiO2 layer, (D) introducing clearances into the lower silicon layer down to the first SiO2 layer, (E) etching the first SiO2 layer and thus removing the lower silicon layer.

A method of strain gauge fabrication is presented herein. The method includes: providing a first substrate having a cavity side; providing a second substrate having a semiconductor side; positioning the second substrate in relation to the first substrate such that the semiconductor side and the cavity side are contactable; processing the second substrate such that the first and second substrates are substantially joined via the semiconductor side and the cavity side; and etching the second substrate to define a strain gauge cantilevered over the cavity side of the first substrate.