A method for manufacturing a protective wafer including a frame wafer and an optical window, and to a method for manufacturing a micromechanical device including such a protective wafer having an inclined optical window. Also described are a protective wafer including a frame wafer and an optical window, and a micromechanical device including a MEMS wafer and such a protective wafer, which delimit a cavity, the protective wafer including an inclined optical window.

Method of fabricating a microelectromechanical structure et comprising two elements suspended from a support, a cavity made in the support, said cavity having two different depths, including: fabrication of a mask on an element comprising a substrate and a structured layer formed on the substrate, said structured layer comprising the two elements that will be suspended above the cavity, the mask being formed above the structured layer, said mask comprising openings with different sections, the openings being distributed in two zones, each zone comprising openings with the same section, anisotropic etching of the element so as to define the two depths under the two suspended elements in the substrate through the structured layer, isotropic etching of the element so as to make the cavity under the suspended elements.

A system including two components intended to be in friction contact with each other in a given direction, wherein the friction occurs in a functional area, wherein the system is at least one of the two components including, on a surface in the functional area, a texture formed of a series of troughs of rounded shape separated by peaks or a series of bumps of rounded shape separated by troughs, the troughs extending parallel in the given direction and allowing for the evacuation of debris produced by friction and serving as a reservoir for a lubricant. A method for manufacturing at least one component or a mold by the DRIE (deep reactive ion etching) process, wherein surface defects on the sidewalls machined by the DRIE process are used to form the troughs.

A semiconductor substrate includes a first semiconductor layer, a first dielectric layer coupled to the first semiconductor layer, and a second semiconductor layer coupled to the first dielectric layer. The second semiconductor layer includes a base portion substantially aligned with the first dielectric layer and a cantilever portion protruding from an end of the first dielectric layer. The cantilever portion includes a tapered surface tapering from a bottom surface of the second semiconductor layer toward a top surface of the second semiconductor layer.

A microfabricated structure includes a perforated stator; a first isolation layer on a first surface of the perforated stator; a second isolation layer on a second surface of the perforated stator; a first membrane on the first isolation layer; a second membrane on the second isolation layer; and a pillar coupled between the first membrane and the second membrane, wherein the first isolation layer includes a first tapered edge portion having a common surface with the first membrane, wherein the second isolation layer includes a first tapered edge portion having a common surface with the second membrane, and wherein an endpoint of the first tapered edge portion of the first isolation layer is laterally offset with respect to an endpoint of the first tapered edge portion of the second isolation layer.

A method for producing a structure including, on a main surface of a substrate, at least one elongated cavity having openings at opposing ends. The method includes providing a substrate having a main surface. On the main surface, a first pair of features are formed that protrude perpendicularly from the main surface. The features have elongated sidewalls and a top surface, are parallel to one another, are separated by a gap having a width s1 and a bottom area, and have a width w1 and a height h1. At least the main surface of the substrate and the first pair of features are brought in contact with a liquid, suitable for making a contact angle of less than 90 with the material of the elongated sidewalls and subsequently the substrate is dried.

A method for forming a cavity in a silicon substrate, a surface of the silicon substrate having a tilting angle relative to a first plane of the silicon substrate, and the first plane being a {111} plane of the silicon substrate, and situation of an etching mask on the surface of the silicon substrate. The etching mask has a retarding structure that protrudes into the mask opening, and a first etching projection region. All further edges of the mask opening outside the first etching projection region are situated essentially parallel to {111} planes of the silicon substrate. The method includes an anisotropic etching of the silicon substrate during a defined etching duration. An etching rate in the <111> directions of the silicon substrate is lower than in other spatial directions, and the first retarding structure is undercut in a first undercut direction going out from the first etching projection region.

A method for forming a cavity in a silicon substrate, a surface of the silicon substrate having a tilting angle relative to a first plane of the silicon substrate, and the first plane being a {111} plane of the silicon substrate, and situation of an etching mask on the surface of the silicon substrate. The etching mask has a retarding structure that protrudes into the mask opening, and a first etching projection region. All further edges of the mask opening outside the first etching projection region are situated essentially parallel to {111} planes of the silicon substrate. The method includes an anisotropic etching of the silicon substrate during a defined etching duration. An etching rate in the <111> directions of the silicon substrate is lower than in other spatial directions, and the first retarding structure is undercut in a first undercut direction going out from the first etching projection region.

A manufacturing method for a semiconductor structure is disclosed. The semiconductor structure includes a MEMS region. The MEMS region includes a sensing membrane and a metal ring. The metal ring defines a cavity under the sensing membrane.

A microfabricated structure includes a perforated stator; a first isolation layer on a first surface of the perforated stator; a second isolation layer on a second surface of the perforated stator; a first membrane on the first isolation layer; a second membrane on the second isolation layer; and a pillar coupled between the first membrane and the second membrane, wherein the first isolation layer includes a first tapered edge portion having a common surface with the first membrane, wherein the second isolation layer includes a first tapered edge portion having a common surface with the second membrane, and wherein an endpoint of the first tapered edge portion of the first isolation layer is laterally offset with respect to an endpoint of the first tapered edge portion of the second isolation layer.