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 (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 method for producing a microelectromechanical component as well as a wafer system includes steps of: providing a first wafer having a plurality of microelectromechanical base elements; forming a respective container structure on the microelectromechanical base elements at the wafer level; and disposing an oil or a gel within the container structures.

An approach includes a method of fabricating a switch. The approach includes forming a first cantilevered electrode, forming a second cantilevered electrode over an electrode and operable to contact the first cantilevered electrode upon an application of a voltage to the electrode, and forming an arm on the first cantilevered electrode with an extending protrusion extending upward from an upper surface of the arm.

A pressure sensor designed to detect a value of ambient pressure of the environment external to the pressure sensor includes: a first substrate having a buried cavity and a membrane suspended over the buried cavity; a second substrate having a recess, hermetically coupled to the first substrate so that the recess defines a sealed cavity the internal pressure value of which provides a pressure-reference value; and a channel formed at least in part in the first substrate and configured to arrange the buried cavity in communication with the environment external to the pressure sensor. The membrane undergoes deflection as a function of a difference of pressure between the pressure-reference value in the sealed cavity and the ambient-pressure value in the buried cavity.

A method for sealing an access opening to a cavity comprises the following steps: providing a layer arrangement having a first layer structure and a cavity arranged adjacent to the first layer structure, wherein the first layer structure has an access opening to the cavity, performing a CVD layer deposition for forming a first covering layer having a layer thickness on the first layer structure having the access opening, and performing an HDP layer deposition with a first and second substep for forming a second covering layer on the first covering layer, wherein the first substep comprises depositing a liner material layer on the first covering layer, wherein the second substep comprises partly backsputtering the liner material layer and furthermore the first covering layer in the region of the access opening, and wherein the first and second substeps are carried out alternately and repeatedly a number of times.

The present disclosure relates to a micro-electro mechanical system (MEMS) package and a method of achieving differential pressure adjustment in multiple MEMS cavities at a wafer-to-wafer bonding level. In some embodiments, a ventilation trench and an isolation trench are concurrently within a capping substrate. The isolation trench isolates a silicon region and has a height substantially equal to a height of the ventilation trench. A sealing structure is formed within the ventilation trench and the isolation trench, the sealing structure filing the isolation trench and defining a vent within the ventilation trench. A device substrate is provided and bonded to the capping substrate at a first gas pressure and hermetically sealing a first cavity associated with a first MEMS device and a second cavity associated with a second MEMS device. The capping substrate is thinned to open the vent to adjust a gas pressure of the second cavity.

The present disclosure provides a semiconductor structure, including a sensing substrate, a capping substrate over the sensing substrate, the capping substrate having a first surface facing toward the sensing substrate and a second surface facing away from the sensing substrate, wherein the capping substrate comprises a through hole extending from the first surface to the second surface, a spacer between the sensing substrate and the capping substrate, the spacer, the sensing substrate, and the capping substrate forming a cavity connecting with the through hole, and a sealing structure at the second surface and aligning with the through hole, wherein the sealing structure comprises a metal layer and a dielectric layer.

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.

The present disclosure provides a method for fabricating a semiconductor structure, including bonding a capping substrate over a sensing substrate, forming a through hole traversing the capping substrate, forming a dielectric layer over the capping substrate under a first vacuum level, and forming a metal layer over the dielectric layer under a second vacuum level, wherein the second vacuum level is higher than the first vacuum level.