According to one embodiment, an electronic device includes a base region, an element portion located on the base region, the element portion including a movable portion, and a protective film overlying the element portion and forming a cavity on an inner side of the protective film. The protective film includes a first protective layer and a second protective layer located on the first protective layer. A hole extends in a direction parallel to a main surface of the base region, and the second protective layer covers the hole.

A hermetically sealed component may comprise a glass substrate, a device with at least one electrical port associated with the glass substrate, and a glass cap. The glass cap may have at least one side wall. The glass cap may have a shaped void extending therethrough, from top surface of the glass cap to bottom surface of glass pillar. An electrically conductive plug may be disposed within the void, the plug configured to hermetically seal the void. The electrically conductive plug may be electrically coupled to the electrical port. The glass cap may be disposed on the glass substrate, with the at least one side wall disposed therebetween, to form a cavity encompassing the device. The side wall may contact the glass substrate and the glass cap to provide a hermetic seal, such that a first environment within the cavity is isolated from a second environment external to the cavity.

A MEMS device is provided. The MEMS device includes a substrate having at least one contact, a first dielectric layer disposed on the substrate, at least one metal layer disposed on the first dielectric layer, a second dielectric layer disposed on the first dielectric layer and the metal layer and having a recess structure, and a structure layer disposed on the second dielectric layer and having an opening. The opening is disposed to correspond to the recess structure, and the cross-sectional area at the bottom of the opening is smaller than the cross-sectional area at the top of the recess structure. The MEMS device also includes a packaging layer, and at least a portion of the packaging layer is disposed in the opening and the recess structure. The second dielectric layer, the structure layer, and the packaging layer define a chamber.

A method is provided for producing a hermetically sealed housing having a semiconductor component. The method comprises introducing a housing having a housing body and a housing cover into a process chamber. The housing cover closes off a cavity of the housing body and is attached in a gas-tight manner to the housing body. At least one opening is formed in the housing. At least one semiconductor component is arranged in the cavity. The method furthermore comprises generating a vacuum in the cavity by evacuating the process chamber, and also generating a predetermined gas atmosphere in the cavity and the process chamber. The method moreover comprises applying sealing material to the at least one opening while the predetermined gas atmosphere prevails in the process chamber.

A semiconductor device includes a first silicon layer disposed between second and third silicon layers and separated therefrom by respective first and second oxide layers. A cavity within the first silicon layer is bounded by interior surfaces of the second and third silicon layers, and a passageway extends through the second silicon layer to enable material removal from within the semiconductor device to form the cavity. A metal feature is disposed within the passageway to hermetically seal the cavity.

A packaged environmental sensor includes a supporting structure and a sensor die, which incorporates an environmental sensor and is arranged on a first side of the supporting structure. A control chip is coupled to the sensor die and is arranged on a second side of the supporting structure opposite to the first side. A lid is bonded to the first side of the supporting structure and is open towards the outside in a direction opposite to the supporting structure. The sensor die is housed within the lid.

A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device may include a MEMS structure over a first substrate. The MEMS structure comprises a movable element. Depositing a first conductive material over the first substrate and etching trenches in a second substrate. Filling the trenches with a second conductive material and depositing a third conductive material over the second conductive material and the second substrate. Bonding the first substrate and the second substrate and thinning a backside of the second substrate which exposes the second conductive material in the trenches.

A microelectromechanical (MEMS) system may comprise multiple sensors within cavities of the MEMS system. The operation of different sensors requires different pressures within the respective cavities. A first cavity may be sealed at a first pressure. A through-hole may be etched into a cap layer of the MEMS system to introduce gas into a second cavity such that the cavity has a desired pressure. The cavity may then be sealed by a MEMS valve to maintain the desired pressure in the second cavity.

A semiconductor device includes a first silicon layer disposed between second and third silicon layers and separated therefrom by respective first and second oxide layers. A cavity within the first silicon layer is bounded by interior surfaces of the second and third silicon layers, and a passageway extends through the second silicon layer to enable material removal from within the semiconductor device to form the cavity. A metal feature is disposed within the passageway to hermetically seal the cavity.

A method for sealing entries in a MEMS element. The method includes: providing a functional layer having a functional region; producing a cavity underneath the functional region of the functional layer with the aid of a first entry outside of the functional region of the functional layer; sealing the first entry; producing a second entry to the cavity outside of the functional region of the functional layer; melting sealing material in the region of the second entry; and cooling off the melted sealing material to seal the second entry.