The present disclosure provides a method of manufacturing a structure. The method comprises: providing a first substrate; forming a plurality of conductive pads over the first substrate; forming a film on a first subset of the plurality of conductive pads, thereby leaving a second subset of the plurality of conductive pads exposed from the film; forming a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) over the film; and forming a cavity by the first substrate and a second substrate through bonding a portion of the second substrate to the second subset of the plurality of conductive pads that are exposed from the film.

An apparatus includes a substrate having at least one via disposed in the substrate, wherein the substrate includes a trench having a substantially trapezoidal cross-section, the trench extending through the substrate between a lower surface of the substrate and an upper surface of the substrate, wherein the top of the trench opens to a top opening, and the bottom of the trench opens to a bottom opening, the top opening being larger than the bottom opening. The apparatus can include a mouth surrounding the top opening and extending between the upper surface and the top opening, wherein a mouth opening in the upper surface is larger than the top opening of the trench, wherein the via includes a dielectric layer disposed on an inside surface of a trench. The apparatus includes and a disposed in the trench, with the dielectric layer sandwiched between the fill and the substrate.

Systems and methods for a time-based optical pickoff for MEMS sensors are provided. In one embodiment, a method for an integrated waveguide time-based optical-pickoff sensor comprises: launching a light beam generated by a light source into an integrated waveguide optical-pickoff monolithically fabricated within a first substrate, the integrated waveguide optical-pickoff including an optical input port, a coupling port, and an optical output port; and detecting changes in an area of overlap between the coupling port and a moving sensor component separated from the coupling port by a gap by measuring an attenuation of the light beam at the optical output port, wherein the moving sensor component is moving in-plane with respect a surface of the first substrate comprising the coupling port and the coupling port is positioned to detect movement of an edge of the moving sensor component.

A sensor device includes a sensor element, a substrate, and a bonding wire. Over the substrate, provided is the sensor element. The bonding wire forms at least part of a connection path that electrically connects the sensor element and the substrate together. The bonding wire is provided to connect two connection surfaces that intersect with each other.

A micromechanical device having a substrate wafer, a functional layer situated above it which has a mobile micromechanical structure, and a cap situated on top thereof, having a first cavity, which is formed at least by the substrate wafer and the cap and which includes the micromechanical structure. The micromechanical device has a fixed part and a mobile part, which are movably connected to each other with at least one spring element, and the first cavity is situated in the mobile part. Also described is a method for producing the micromechanical device.

Embodiments relate to microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and more particularly to membrane structures comprising pixels for use in, e.g., display devices. In embodiments, a membrane structure comprises a monocrystalline silicon membrane above a cavity formed over a silicon substrate. The membrane structure can comprise a light interference structure that, depending upon a variable distance between the membrane and the substrate, transmits or reflects different wavelengths of light. Related devices, systems and methods are also disclosed.

A method for fabricating three-dimensional microstructures is presented. The method includes: disposing a substantially planar reflow material between two molds; heating the reflow material while the reflow material is disposed between the two molds; and reflowing the reflow material towards the bottom surface of one of the molds by creating a pressure gradient across the reflow material. At least one of molds includes geometrics features that help to shape the reflow material and thereby form a complex three-dimensional microstructure.

A sensor chip combining a substrate comprising at least one CMOS circuit, a MEMS substrate and another substrate comprising at least one CMOS circuit in one package that is vertically stacked is disclosed. The package comprises a sensor chip further comprising a first substrate with a first surface and a second surface comprising at least one CMOS circuit; a MEMS substrate with a first surface and a second surface; and a second substrate comprising at least one CMOS circuit. Where the first surface of the first substrate is attached to a packaging substrate and the second surface of the first substrate is attached to the first surface of the MEMS substrate. The second surface of the MEMS substrate is attached to the second substrate. The first substrate, the MEMS substrate, the second substrate and the packaging substrate are mechanically attached and provided with electrical inter-connects.

A MEMS apparatus with dynamic displacement control includes a MEMS parallel plate capacitor integrated with one or more memristors in a series configuration wherein a displacement is observable as a function of memristance, such that an upper electrode position is capable of being interpreted in a form of a resistance rather than a capacitance. The current is limited by said MEMS parallel plate capacitor restricting a change in the resistance of the memristor(s). The memristor(s) can be employed in some embodiments a sensor element to improve a MEMS operation range.

A MEMS device package assembly for encapsulating one or more internal components includes a first MEMS device package. The first package includes a cover and a substrate attached to the cover by any suitable methods of attachment. A corrugated structure is formed on at least one of an inner or outer wall of the cover. The assembly further includes a second MEMS device package having a cover, a substrate, and a corrugated structured formed on at least one of an inner or outer wall of the cover. The first and second MEMS device packages may be coupled to the same substrate or different substrate. In another embodiment, the first MEMS device package may be mounted on the second MEMS device package. In yet another embodiment, the first MEMS device package may be contained in the second MEMS device package.