The present invention provides a MEMS microphone, including a substrate and a capacitive structure. The capacitive structure includes a back plate and a vibration diaphragm. The vibration diaphragm includes a main body and a plurality of supporting structures for supporting the main body. Each supporting structure includes a supporting beam and two spring structures. Each spring structure includes at least two beam arms extending along the extension direction of the peripheral edge of the main body, and the beam arm closest to the main body is spaced apart from the main body. The sensitivity of the MEMS microphone in the present invention is higher.

An inertial structure is elastically coupled through a first elastic structure to a supporting structure so as to move along a sensing axis as a function of a quantity to be detected. The inertial structure includes first and second inertial masses which are elastically coupled together by a second elastic structure to enable movement of the second inertial mass along the sensing axis. The first elastic structure has a lower elastic constant than the second elastic structure so that, in presence of the quantity to be detected, the inertial structure moves in a sensing direction until the first inertial mass stops against a stop structure and the second elastic mass can move further in the sensing direction. Once the quantity to be detected ends, the second inertial mass moves in a direction opposite to the sensing direction and detaches the first inertial mass from the stop structure.

A method for manufacturing a micromechanical sensor, in particular a pressure difference sensor, including creating a functional layer on a substrate; creating at least one rear side trench area proceeding from a rear side of a substrate, for exposing the functional layer for a sensor diaphragm; creating at least one front side trench area for forming at least one supporting structure, in particular an energy storage structure, preferably in the form of a spring structure, in the substrate as a mounting for the sensor diaphragm; and at least partially filling at least a front side trench area with a gel.

A MEMS inertial sensor includes a supporting structure and an inertial structure. The inertial structure includes at least one inertial mass, an elastic structure, and a stopper structure. The elastic structure is mechanically coupled to the inertial mass and to the supporting structure so as to enable a movement of the inertial mass along a first direction, when the supporting structure is subjected to an acceleration parallel to the first direction. The stopper structure is fixed with respect to the supporting structure and includes at least one primary and one secondary stopper elements. If the acceleration exceeds a first threshold value, the inertial mass abuts against the primary stopper element and subsequently rotates about an axis of rotation defined by the primary stopper element. If the acceleration exceeds a second threshold value, rotation of the inertial mass terminates when the inertial mass abuts against the secondary stopper element.

A hinge for a micromechanical and/or nanomechanical structure includes: a support, and a movable part in an out-of-plane direction. The hinge allows for the out-of-plane displacement of the movable part. The hinge further includes two torsion beams extending along the axis of rotation of the hinge, two bending elements mechanically connecting the movable part and the support and having at least one pair of a first and of a second beam parallel with each other and extending in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation, the first beam being connected to the support and the second beam being connected to the movable part, the first and second beams being connected to one another by a first connecting element at a longitudinal end, the two beams extending in the same direction from the first connecting element.

A micromechanical device that includes a carrier substrate; a sensor device that is situated on the carrier substrate and spaced apart from a surface section of the carrier substrate with the aid of spring elements in such a way that the sensor device is oscillatable relative to the surface section; and at least one stopper element, situated on the sensor device and/or on the surface section of the carrier substrate, which limits a deflection of the sensor device in the direction of the surface section.

A micromirror array includes a substrate, a plurality of mirrors for reflecting incident radiation, and for each mirror of the plurality of mirrors, a respective post connecting the substrate to the respective mirror. The micromirror array further includes, for each mirror of the plurality of mirrors, one or more electrostatic actuators connected to the substrate for applying force to the respective post to displace the respective post relative to the substrate, thereby displacing the respective mirror. Also disclosed is a method of forming such a micromirror array. The micromirror array may be used in a programmable illuminator. The programmable illuminator may be used in a lithographic apparatus and/or in an inspection apparatus.

A method for manufacturing a substrate including a region, which is mechanically decoupled from a support and has at least one component situated on the region; at least one recess being introduced on a front side of the substrate; an etching pattern being prepared on a back side of the substrate and etched anisotropically in such a manner, that vertical channels are produced on the back side of the substrate; and subsequently, a cavity being introduced at the back side of the substrate; the at least one recess on the front side of the substrate being connected to the cavity on the back side of the substrate; and in at least one region between the front side of the substrate and the cavity, at least two recesses or at least two segments of a recess being interconnected by at least one channel.

A microelectromechanical mirror device includes a fixed structure defining a cavity, a tiltable structure elastically suspended above the cavity and carrying a reflecting surface, and having a main extension in a horizontal plane. A first pair of driving arms carry respective piezoelectric material regions that are biased to cause a rotation of the tiltable structure around a first rotation axis parallel to a first horizontal axis of the horizontal plane, and elastically coupled to the tiltable structure. Elastic suspension elements that couple the tiltable structure to the fixed structure at the first rotation axis are stiff with respect to movements out of the horizontal plane and yielding with respect to torsion around the first rotation axis, and further extend between the tiltable structure and the fixed structure. The elastic suspension elements have an asymmetrical arrangement on opposite sides of the tiltable structure along the first rotation axis.

A MEMS inertial sensor includes a supporting structure and an inertial structure. The inertial structure includes at least one inertial mass, an elastic structure, and a stopper structure. The elastic structure is mechanically coupled to the inertial mass and to the supporting structure so as to enable a movement of the inertial mass in a direction parallel to a first direction, when the supporting structure is subjected to an acceleration parallel to the first direction. The stopper structure is fixed with respect to the supporting structure and includes at least one primary stopper element and one secondary stopper element. If the acceleration exceeds a first threshold value, the inertial mass abuts against the primary stopper element and subsequently rotates about an axis of rotation defined by the primary stopper element. If the acceleration exceeds a second threshold value, rotation of the inertial mass terminates when the inertial mass abuts against the secondary stopper element.