A method for directly bonding a metal to a transparent substrate includes providing a substrate; placing a metal foil directly on a face of the substrate; irradiating a portion of the metal foil with a laser beam so that metal corresponding to the portion melts and bonds directly to the substrate and forms a metal pad; and pumping a gas above the portion to prevent oxidation of the melted metal.

A microstructure may be provided by forming a metal layer such as a molybdenum layer over a substrate. An aluminum nitride layer is formed on a top surface of the metal layer. A surface portion of the aluminum nitride layer is converted into a continuous aluminum oxide-containing layer by oxidation. A dielectric spacer layer may be formed over the continuous aluminum oxide-containing layer. Contact via cavities extending through the dielectric spacer layer, the continuous aluminum oxide-containing layer, and the aluminum nitride layer and down to a respective portion of the at least one metal layer may be formed using etch processes that contain a wet etch step while suppressing formation of an undercut in the aluminum nitride layer. Contact via structures may be formed in the contact via cavities. The microstructure may include a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) device containing a piezoelectric transducer.

Representative implementations of techniques, methods, and formulary provide repairs to processed semiconductor substrates, and associated devices, due to erosion or “dishing” of a surface of the substrates. The substrate surface is etched until a preselected portion of one or more embedded interconnect devices protrudes above the surface of the substrate. The interconnect devices are wet etched with a selective etchant, according to a formulary, for a preselected period of time or until the interconnect devices have a preselected height relative to the surface of the substrate. The formulary includes one or more oxidizing agents, one or more organic acids, and glycerol, where the one or more oxidizing agents and the one or more organic acids are each less than 2% of formulary and the glycerol is less than 10% of the formulary.

A method for forming a biological microdevice includes applying a biocompatible coarse scale additive process with an additive device and a biocompatible material to form an object. The coarse scale is a dimension not less than about 100 μm. The method also includes applying a biocompatible fine scale subtractive process with a subtractive device to the object. The fine scale is a dimension not greater than about 1000 μm. The method also includes moving the object between the additive device and the subtractive device. A system is also provided for performing the above method and includes the additive device, the subtractive device, a means for transporting the object between the additive device and subtractive device and a processor with a memory including instructions to perform one or more of the above method steps.

Systems and methods for 3D bioprinting of hydrogel voxels enable microfluidics-assisted digital assembly of spherical particles (DASP). The systems include a 3D motion system, a microfluidic printhead coupled to the 3D motion system, an extrusion device fluidly coupled to the microfluidic printhead, and a sacrificial support matrix. The sacrificial support matrix is designed to support the hydrogel voxels during printing and cross-link the hydrogel voxels. The system includes bio-inks comprising hydrogel compositions having independently controllable viscoelasticity and mesh size. The bio-inks are extruded by the extrusion device and microfluidic printhead to produce the hydrogel voxels. Exploiting the microfluidic printhead enables printing individual spherical hydrogel voxels with diameters from 150 micrometers (μm) to 1200 μm. Positioning and interconnection of the hydrogel voxels can be precisely controlled. The systems and methods produce free-standing 3D structures and can be used for producing functional tissue mimics.

In an embodiment a pressure sensor device includes a substrate body, a pressure sensor having a membrane and a cap body having at least one opening, wherein the pressure sensor is arranged between the substrate body and the cap body in a vertical direction which is perpendicular to a main plane of extension of the substrate body, and wherein the mass of the substrate body amounts to at least 80% of the mass of the cap body and at most 120% of the mass of the cap body.

A manufacturing method of microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device includes providing a first, a second and a third substrates, wherein the first substrate includes a first and a second circuit, the second substrate includes second and third connection areas, and the third substrate includes first connection areas. Second grooves and a dividing groove are formed on the fourth surface of the third substrate. The second and third substrates are bonded to make the first and the second connection areas correspondingly connect with each other. The second substrate is divided to form electrically isolating first and second movable elements. The first movable element is spatial separated from the third substrate and corresponding to the second groove. The second movable element is connected to the third substrate. The first and the second substrates are bonded to make the fourth and the third connection areas connect correspondingly. The third substrate is thinned, divided into a first and a second cap from the dividing groove, and formed a first groove from the fifth surface. The first cap is corresponding to the first movable element and the first circuit. Air tight space to sense a pressure variation of exterior environment is formed between the first substrate and the second cap. The second movable element is movable with the second cap by the pressure variation of the exterior environment. Accordingly, the pressure sensor and the MEMS structure for sensing other physical quantity can be integrated in the foregoing MEMS device by a single process.

A semiconductor device includes first and second exposed electrical contacts and a cavity having a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) structure therein. A conductive path extends from the first exposed electrical contact to the cavity and an over-voltage protection element electrically is coupled between the first and second exposed electrical contacts.

A method for producing an electromigration-resistant crystalline transition-metal silicide layer of a layer sequence, for example, to provide a micro heater includes, supplying a semiconductor substrate including an electrically insulating layer; physically depositing a transition metal on the electrically insulating layer; carrying out a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition while forming an inert gas plasma; conveying monosilane to the inert gas plasma, with the monosilane decomposing into silicon and hydrogen and the silicon in the gaseous phase entering into a chemical reaction with the transition metal in order to form the electromigration-resistant crystalline transition-metal silicide layer.

A microstructure may be provided by forming a metal layer such as a molybdenum layer over a substrate. An aluminum nitride layer is formed on a top surface of the metal layer. A surface portion of the aluminum nitride layer is converted into a continuous aluminum oxide-containing layer by oxidation. A dielectric spacer layer may be formed over the continuous aluminum oxide-containing layer. Contact via cavities extending through the dielectric spacer layer, the continuous aluminum oxide-containing layer, and the aluminum nitride layer and down to a respective portion of the at least one metal layer may be formed using etch processes that contain a wet etch step while suppressing formation of an undercut in the aluminum nitride layer. Contact via structures may be formed in the contact via cavities. The microstructure may include a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) device containing a piezoelectric transducer.