A micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) transfer switch is disclosed. The transfer switch comprises a single-pole, N-throw switch section having N selectable switches. Each selectable switch of the N selectable switches has an input, a control terminal and an output. An electrically conductive line is coupled to each of the selectable switches of the N selectable switches. The transfer switch includes a single-pole, M-throw switch section having M selectable switches coupled to the conductive line, each selectable switch of the M selectable switches having an output, a control terminal and an input. The single-pole, N-throw switch section and the single-pole, M-throw switch section are packaged in a single micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) die. The N and M are numbers between two and eight and the N selectable switches and the M selectable switches are different switches.

Described herein is a technique capable of forming a sacrificial film with a high wet etching rate to obtain a wet etching selectivity with respect to a movable electrode when manufacturing a cantilever structure sensor using MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) technology. According to one aspect of the technique of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device including: (a) loading a substrate including a control electrode, a pedestal and a counter electrode formed thereon into a process chamber; and (b) forming a sacrificial film containing impurities on the control electrode, the pedestal and the counter electrode by supplying a first process gas in a non-plasma state containing the impurities and silicon to the process chamber through a first gas supply pipe together with supplying a second process gas in a plasma state containing oxygen to the process chamber through a second gas supply pipe.

A method of forming at least one Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) includes patterning a wiring layer to form at least one fixed plate and forming a sacrificial material on the wiring layer. The method further includes forming an insulator layer of one or more films over the at least one fixed plate and exposed portions of an underlying substrate to prevent formation of a reaction product between the wiring layer and a sacrificial material. The method further includes forming at least one MEMS beam that is moveable over the at least one fixed plate. The method further includes venting or stripping of the sacrificial material to form at least a first cavity.

A method of forming a Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) includes forming a lower electrode on a first insulator layer within a cavity of the MEMS. The method further includes forming an upper electrode over another insulator material on top of the lower electrode which is at least partially in contact with the lower electrode. The forming of the lower electrode and the upper electrode includes adjusting a metal volume of the lower electrode and the upper electrode to modify beam bending.

A microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device comprising: a substrate; a signal conductor supported on the substrate; ground conductors supported on the substrate on either side of the signal conductor; and a MEMS bridge at least one end of which is mechanically connected to the substrate by way of at least one anchor, the MEMS bridge comprising an electrically conductive switching portion, the electrically conductive switching portion comprising a switching signal conductor region and a switching ground conductor region, the switching signal conductor region being provided over the signal conductor and the switching ground conductor region being provided over a said ground conductor, the electrically conductive switching region being movable relative to the said signal and ground conductors respectively to thereby change the inductances between the switching signal conductor region and the signal conductor and between the switching ground conductor region and the respective ground conductor, wherein there is no continuous electrically conductive path extending from the switching conductor region to the at least one anchor. Capacative and ohmic switches, a varactor, a phase shifter, a tuneable power splitter/combiner, tuneable attenuator, SPDT switch and antenna apparatus comprising said devices.

Described herein is a technique capable of forming a sacrificial film with a high wet etching rate so as to obtain a wet etching selectivity with respect to a movable electrode when manufacturing a cantilever structure sensor. According to one aspect of the technique of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device including: (a) placing a substrate with a sacrificial film containing impurities on a substrate support in a process chamber, wherein the sacrificial film is formed so as to cover a control electrode, a pedestal and a counter electrode formed on the substrate; (b) heating the substrate; and (c) modifying the sacrificial film into a modified sacrificial film by supplying an oxygen-containing gas in a plasma state to the substrate to desorb the impurities from the sacrificial film after (b).

A method of forming a Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) includes forming a lower electrode on a first insulator layer within a cavity of the MEMS. The method further includes forming an upper electrode over another insulator material on top of the lower electrode which is at least partially in contact with the lower electrode. The forming of the lower electrode and the upper electrode includes adjusting a metal volume of the lower electrode and the upper electrode to modify beam bending.

A MEMS IR sensor, with a cavity in a substrate underlapping an overlying layer and a temperature sensing component disposed in the overlying layer over the cavity, may be formed by forming an IR-absorbing sealing layer on the overlying layer so as to cover access holes to the cavity. The sealing layer is may include a photosensitive material, and the sealing layer may be patterned using a photolithographic process to form an IR-absorbing seal. Alternately, the sealing layer may be patterned using a mask and etch process to form the IR-absorbing seal.

A method of forming a Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) includes forming a lower electrode on a first insulator layer within a cavity of the MEMS. The method further includes forming an upper electrode over another insulator material on top of the lower electrode which is at least partially in contact with the lower electrode. The forming of the lower electrode and the upper electrode includes adjusting a metal volume of the lower electrode and the upper electrode to modify beam bending.

A method of forming at least one Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) includes patterning a wiring layer to form at least one fixed plate and forming a sacrificial material on the wiring layer. The method further includes forming an insulator layer of one or more films over the at least one fixed plate and exposed portions of an underlying substrate to prevent formation of a reaction product between the wiring layer and a sacrificial material. The method further includes forming at least one MEMS beam that is moveable over the at least one fixed plate. The method further includes venting or stripping of the sacrificial material to form at least a first cavity.