The present invention relates to a cantilever or membrane comprising a body and an elongated beam attached to the body. The elongated beam includes a first layer comprising a first material, a second layer comprising a second material having an elastic modulus different to that of the first material, a third layer comprising a third material having an elastic modulus different to that of the first material, where the first layer is sandwiched between the second layer and the third layer.

The invention relates to a micro cantilever beam sensor and making method, including a chip, and its character: there is at least a group of sensor cells set on the chip, where the sensor cell is composed of the completely same four force-sensitive resistors composing a Wheatstone bridge and two cantilever beams, two of these resistors are on the substrate of the chip, the other two are on the two cantilever beams, respectively, one cantilever beam acts on a measuring cantilever beam and the other one acts on a reference cantilever beam, and the measuring cantilever beam is set with a sensitive layer on the surface. It can design and prepare in a liquid-flow micro-tank by front etching and silicon-glass bonding techniques, to directly detect liquid biomolecule. Whether applied to gas sensor or biosensor, it will play an important role in reducing device size, enhancing device sensitivity and realizing sensor multi-functionality. It has wide prospects for the fields of environment monitoring, clinic diagnosis and therapy, new drug development, food safety, industrial processing control, military and so on.

A method of manufacturing an electromechanical systems structure includes manufacturing sub-micron structural features. In some embodiments, the structural features are less than the lithographic limit of a lithography process.

A method for manufacturing a MEMS double-layer suspension microstructure comprises steps of: forming a first film body on a substrate, and a cantilever beam connected to the substrate and the first film body; forming a sacrificial layer on the first film body and the cantilever beam; patterning the sacrificial layer located on the first film body to manufacture a recessed portion used for forming a support structure, the bottom of the recessed portion being exposed of the first film body; depositing a dielectric layer on the sacrificial layer; patterning the dielectric layer to manufacture a second film body and the support structure, the support structure being connected to the first film body and the second film body; and removing the sacrificial layer to obtain the MEMS double-layer suspension microstructure.

A method of forming a Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) includes forming a lower electrode on a first insulator layer within a cavity of the MEMS. The method further includes forming an upper electrode over another insulator material on top of the lower electrode which is at least partially in contact with the lower electrode. The forming of the lower electrode and the upper electrode includes adjusting a metal volume of the lower electrode and the upper electrode to modify beam bending.

A microcantilever based photoacoustic sensor is generally provided. In one embodiment, the microcantilever includes: a substrate; a GaN layer on the substrate, wherein the GaN layer defines a cantilever extending beyond an edge of the substrate, with a base area of the cantilever defined by the area spanning the edge of the substrate; a heterojunction field effect transistor (HFET) deflection transducer positioned on the cantilever; a pair of electrical contacts, each electrically connected to the HFET deflection transducer; and a microfluidic channel in fluid communication with an analyte reservoir, wherein the analyte reservoir is positioned at the base of the cantilever. A sensing system is also generally provided.

A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device includes a processing die, a MEMS die and a plurality of wires. The MEMS die includes a substrate and a MEMS element. The substrate has a first surface, and the first surface includes a circuit and a plurality of first conductive contacts electrically connected with the circuit. The MEMS element has a second surface, a third surface and at least one second conductive contact, wherein the MEMS element is disposed on the first surface of the substrate with the second surface facing the substrate, and the at least one second conductive contact is disposed on the third surface of the MEMS element. The wires electrically connect the substrate and the MEMS element of the MEMS die to the processing die through the first conductive contacts and the second conductive contact respectively.

Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) structures, methods of manufacture and design structures are provided. The method of forming a MEMS structure includes forming fixed actuator electrodes and a contact point on a substrate. The method further includes forming a MEMS beam over the fixed actuator electrodes and the contact point. The method further includes forming an array of actuator electrodes in alignment with portions of the fixed actuator electrodes, which are sized and dimensioned to prevent the MEMS beam from collapsing on the fixed actuator electrodes after repeating cycling. The array of actuator electrodes are formed in direct contact with at least one of an underside of the MEMS beam and a surface of the fixed actuator electrodes.

A MEMS device and a method to manufacture a MEMS device are disclosed. An embodiment includes forming trenches in a first main surface of a substrate, forming conductive fingers by forming a conductive material in the trenches and forming an opening from a second main surface of the substrate thereby exposing the conductive fingers, the second main surface opposite the first main surface.

Disclosed is a flexible electronic circuit substrate that includes a device that is fabricated from layers of the flexible electronic circuit substrate as part of construction of the flexible electronic circuit substrate. Such devices could be functional units such as micro electro mechanical devices (MEMS) devices such as micro-accelerometer sensor elements, micro flow sensors, micro pressure sensors, etc.