A semiconductor device includes a first region; a second region that is peripheral to the first region; a substrate having a first surface and a second surface arranged opposite to the first surface; a stress-sensitive sensor disposed in the first region at the first surface of the substrate; a back end of line (BEOL) stack disposed on the first surface of the semiconductor chip that extends laterally from the MEMS element, in the first region, into the second region; a first cavity formed in the BEOL stack that exposes the sensitive area of the stress-sensitive sensor, wherein the first cavity extends entirely through the BEOL stack over the first region thereby exposing a sensitive area of the stress-sensitive sensor; and at least one stress-decoupling trench laterally spaced from the stress-sensitive sensor and laterally spaced from the first cavity with a portion of the BEOL stack interposed between.

A method for forming a trench in a first semiconductor layer of a multi-layer system. The method includes: applying a mask layer onto the first semiconductor layer, a recess being formed in the mask layer so that the first semiconductor layer is exposed within the recess; applying a protective layer which completely covers or modifies the first semiconductor layer exposed within the recess; applying a second semiconductor layer; etching the second semiconductor layer to completely remove it in a subarea surrounding the recess of the mask layer; etching the protective layer so that the first semiconductor layer is exposed within the recess; and forming the trench in the first semiconductor layer, the recess of the mask layer serving as an etching mask, and the trench being formed by a cyclical alternation between etching and passivation steps, the first etching step being longer than the subsequent etching steps.

A method for producing a MEMS device comprises fabricating a first semiconductor layer and selectively depositing a second semiconductor layer over the first semiconductor layer, wherein the second semiconductor layer comprises a first part composed of monocrystalline semiconductor material and a second part composed of polycrystalline semiconductor material. The method furthermore comprises structuring at least one of the semiconductor layers, wherein the monocrystalline semiconductor material of the first part and underlying material of the first semiconductor layer form a spring element of the MEMS device and the polycrystalline semiconductor material of the second part and underlying material of the first semiconductor layer form at least one part of a comb drive of the MEMS device.

Provided is photoactivated selective release (or PHASR) of droplets from a microwell array enabled by a photoresponsive polymer layer integrated into the microfluidic device. This photoresponsive layer is placed in between a microwell array that traps a large number of droplets and a monolithic flow chamber that can be used for recovery. By using focused light, the photoresponsive layer can either be punctured or induced to create local heating to selectively release droplets. The type of photoacoustic dye and the physical properties of the photoresponsive layer can be engineered to induce either puncture of the membrane or pushing of droplets out of the microwells with low thermal impact on the droplets. This approach has broad application in the field of soft lithography-based microfluidic devices for various applications including photoresponsive valves as well as high throughput single cell sequencing.

A package structure and its manufacturing method are provided. The package structure includes a substrate with a recess, and a first MEMS chip, a first intermediate chip, a second MEMS chip and a first capping plate sequentially formed on the substrate. The lower surface of the first MEMS chip has a first sensor or a microactuator. The upper surface of the second MEMS chip has a second sensor or a microactuator. The first intermediate chip has a through-substrate via, and includes a signal conversion unit, a logic operation unit, a control unit, or a combination thereof. The package structure includes at least one of the first sensor and the second sensor.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes providing a semiconductor layer having a first-type region and a second-type region that are stacked and interface with each other to form a p-n junction, the first-type region defining a first side of the semiconductor layer and the second-type region defining a second side of the semiconductor layer. The method further includes providing an insulating layer on the second side of the semiconductor layer and etching the semiconductor layer from the first side of the semiconductor layer toward the second side of the semiconductor layer to form a trench. The first-type region corresponds to one of a n-type region and a p-type region, and the second-type region corresponds to the other of the n-type region and the p-type region.

The physical quantity sensor includes a substrate having several areas, a movable body, and a detection electrode. The detection electrode straddles the several areas. When setting a first imaginary straight line which is the smallest in an angle formed with an X-axis direction of imaginary straight lines connecting two of end parts on respective areas of the detection electrode, and a second imaginary straight line extending along a principal surface of the movable body in a maximum displacement state around the oscillation axis, the first and second imaginary straight lines fail to cross each other in an area between a first normal line which passes the end part of the first one of the several areas and a second normal line which passes the end part of the last one of the several areas.

The present disclosure describes techniques for altering the epoxy wettability of a surface of a MEMS device. Particularly applicable to flip-chip bonding arrangements in which a top surface of a MEMS device is adhered to a package substrate. A barrier region is provided on a top surface of the MEMs device, laterally outside a region which forms, or overlies, the backplate and/or the cavity in the transducer substrate. The barrier region comprises a plurality of discontinuities, e.g. dimples, which inhibit the flow of epoxy.

Provided is a micro-fluidic chip, including a first substrate and a second substrate opposite to each other. A liquid storage cavity is formed between the first substrate and the second substrate, and a liquid inlet hole penetrating through the first substrate in a thickness direction is formed in the first substrate. The first substrate includes a first electrode layer and a hydrophobic layer that are sequentially disposed in the thickness direction of the first substrate, and the first electrode layer is on a surface of the hydrophobic layer away from the second substrate. The second substrate includes an adjustment layer and a second electrode layer that are sequentially disposed in a thickness direction of the second substrate, and the second electrode layer is on a surface of the adjustment layer away from the first substrate. A micro-fluidic system and a control method of the micro-fluidic chip are also provided.

A MEMS device is formed by a body of semiconductor material which defines a support structure. A pass-through cavity in the body is surrounded by the support structure. A movable structure is suspended in the pass-through cavity. An elastic structure extends in the pass-through cavity between the support structure and the movable structure. The elastic structure has a first and second portions and is subject, in use, to mechanical stress. The MEMS device is further formed by a metal region, which extends on the first portion of the elastic structure, and by a buried cavity in the elastic structure. The buried cavity extends between the first and the second portions of the elastic structure.