A micromechanical component for a sensor device including a substrate having a substrate surface, at least one stator electrode situated on the substrate surface and/or on the at least one intermediate layer covering at least partially the substrate surface, which is formed in each case from a first semiconductor and/or metal layer, at least one adjustably situated actuator electrode, which is formed in each case from a second semiconductor and/or metal layer, and a diaphragm spanning the at least one stator electrode and the at least one actuator electrode, including a diaphragm exterior side directed away from the at least one stator electrode, which is formed from a third semiconductor and/or metal layer, a stiffening and/or protective structure protruding at the diaphragm exterior side being formed from a fourth semiconductor and/or metal layer.

A piezoelectric microelectromechanical systems microphone is provided comprising a substrate including at least one wall defining a cavity, the at least one wall defining an anchor region around a perimeter, a piezoelectric film layer forming a membrane, the piezoelectric film layer being supported at the anchor region by a spring region, and an electrode disposed over the piezoelectric film layer. A method of manufacturing such a MEMS microphone is also provided.

A MEMS infrared sensing device includes a substrate and an infrared sensing element. The infrared sensing element is provided above the substrate and has a sensing area and an infrared absorbing area which do not overlap each other. The infrared sensing element includes two infrared absorbing structures, an infrared sensing layer provided between the two infrared absorbing structures, and an interdigitated electrode structure located in the sensing area. Each of the two infrared absorbing structures includes at least one infrared absorbing layer, and the two infrared absorbing structures are located in the sensing area and the infrared absorbing area. The infrared sensing layer is located in the sensing area and does not extend into the infrared absorbing area. The interdigitated electrode structure is in electrical contact with the infrared sensing layer.

A method of fabricating suspended beam silicon carbide microelectromechanical (MEMS) structure with low capacitance and good thermal expansion match. A suspended material structure is attached to an anchor material structure that is direct wafer bonded to a substrate. The anchor material structure and the suspended material structure are formed from either a hexagonal single-crystal SiC material, and the anchor material structure is bonded to the substrate while the suspended material structure does not have to be attached to the substrate. The substrate may be a semi-insulating or insulating SiC substrate. The substrate may have an etched recess region on the substrate first surface to facilitate the formation of the movable suspended material structures. The substrate may have patterned electrical electrodes on the substrate first surface, within recesses etched into the substrate.

A microsystem includes a substrate; a main part connected to the substrate via an anchor; a moving part configured to rotate about an axis of rotation O; a first beam connecting the moving part to the main part, the main direction of said first beam being along a first vector e.sub.j1 having as origin the junction of the moving part with the first beam and in the sense of the main part; a second beam connecting the moving part to the main part, the main direction of the second beam being along a second vector e.sub.j2 having as origin the junction of the moving part with the second beam and in the sense of the main part.

The present invention discloses a MEMS chip including a substrate with a back cavity; a capacitance system disposed on the substrate including a back plate, a membrane opposite to the back plate forming an inner cavity; a protruding portion accommodated in the inner cavity, fixed on one of the back plate and the membrane and spaced apart from the other along a vibration direction; a reinforce portion fixed to the membrane, having an area smaller than that of the membrane; a support system configured to support the capacitance system, including a first fixation portion suspending the membrane on the substrate, and a second fixation portion suspending the back plate on the substrate. The MEMS chip has higher sensitivity, higher resonance frequency and higher low frequency property.

A structure for fixing a membrane to a carrier including a carrier; a suspended structure; and a holding structure with a rounded concave shape which is configured to fix the suspended structure to the carrier and where a tapered side of the holding structure physically connects to the suspended structure is disclosed. A method of forming the holding structure on a carrier to support a suspended structure is further disclosed. The method may include: forming a holding structure on a carrier; forming a suspended structure on the holding structure; shaping the holding structure such that it has a concave shape; and arranging the holding structure such that a tapered side of the holding structure physically connects to the suspended structure.

A semiconductor pressure sensor includes a fixed electrode placed at a principal surface of a semiconductor substrate, and a diaphragm movable through an air gap in a thickness direction of the semiconductor substrate at least in an area where the diaphragm is opposed to the fixed electrode. The diaphragm includes: a movable electrode; a first insulation film placed closer to the air gap with respect to the movable electrode; a second insulation film placed opposite to the air gap with respect to the movable electrode, the second insulation film being of a same film type as the first insulation film; and a shield film that sandwiches the second insulation film with the movable electrode.

Described herein is a ruggedized microelectromechanical (“MEMS”) force sensor including both piezoresistive and piezoelectric sensing elements and integrated with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (“CMOS”) circuitry on the same chip. The sensor employs piezoresistive strain gauges for static force and piezoelectric strain gauges for dynamic changes in force. Both piezoresistive and piezoelectric sensing elements are electrically connected to integrated circuits provided on the same substrate as the sensing elements. The integrated circuits can be configured to amplify, digitize, calibrate, store, and/or communicate force values electrical terminals to external circuitry.

A mechanical link for microelectromechanical and/or nanoelectromechanical structure, includes a mobile component, a fixed component extending on a plane, and apparatus for detecting displacement of the mobile component relative to the fixed component. The mechanical link includes: a first link to the fixed component and mobile component, allowing rotation of the mobile component relative to the fixed component about an axis of rotation; a second link connecting the mobile component to the detection apparatus at a distance and perpendicular to the axis of rotation; a third link to the fixed component and detection apparatus, guiding the detection apparatus in a direction of translation in the plane; wherein the combination of the second link and third link can transform rotational movement of the mobile component into translational movement of the detection apparatus in the direction of translation. The detection apparatus includes a piezoresistive/piezoelectric strain gauge, resonance beam, capacitance, or combination thereof.