A sensor membrane structure is provided. The sensor membrane structure includes a substrate, a first insulating layer, and a device layer. The substrate has a first surface and a second surface that is opposite to the first surface. A cavity is formed on the first surface, an opening is formed on the second surface, and the cavity communicates with the opening. The cavity and the opening penetrate the substrate in a direction that is perpendicular to the first surface. The first insulating layer is disposed on the first surface of the substrate. The device layer is disposed on the first insulating layer. The first insulating layer is disposed for protecting the sensor membrane structure from overetched and remain stable during the etching process, increasing the yield of the sensor membrane structure.

A dual-shell architecture and methods of fabrication of fused quartz resonators is disclosed. The architecture may include two encapsulated and concentric cavities using plasma-activated wafer bonding followed by the high-temperature glassblowing. The dual-shell architecture can provide a protective shield as well as a “fixed-fixed” anchor for the sensing element of the resonators. Structures can be instrumented to operate as a resonator, a gyroscope, or other vibratory sensor and for precision operation in a harsh environment. Methods for fabricating a dual-shell resonator structure can include pre-etching cavities on a cap wafer, pre-etching cavities on a device wafer, bonding the device wafer to a substrate wafer to form a substrate pair and aligning and bonding the cap wafer to the substrate pair to form a wafer stack with aligned cavities including a cap cavity and a device cavity. The wafer stack may be glassblown to form a dual-shell structure.

In one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes oxidizing a substrate to form local oxide regions that extend above a top surface of the substrate. A membrane layer is formed over the local oxide regions and the top surface of the substrate. A portion of the substrate under the membrane layer is removed. The local oxide regions under the membrane layer are removed.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device comprises a substrate. A cavity is disposed in the substrate. A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) layer is disposed over the substrate. The MEMS layer comprises a movable diaphragm disposed over the cavity. The movable diaphragm comprises a central region and a peripheral region. The movable diaphragm is flat in the central region of the movable diaphragm. The movable diaphragm is corrugated in the peripheral region of the movable diaphragm.

A MEMS module includes: a MEMS element provided with a substrate in which a hollow portion is formed, and including a movable portion, which is a part of the substrate, around the hollow portion, the movable portion having a thickness whose shape is changeable by an air pressure difference between an air pressure inside the hollow portion and an air pressure outside the substrate; and an electronic component, to which an output signal of the MEMS element is inputted, formed on the substrate, wherein the electronic component and the MEMS element are spaced apart from each other in a direction perpendicular to a thickness direction of the movable portion.

A sound producing cell includes a membrane and an actuating layer. The membrane includes a first membrane subpart and a second membrane subpart, wherein the first membrane subpart and the second membrane subpart are opposite to each other. The actuating layer is disposed on the first membrane subpart and the second membrane subpart. The first membrane subpart includes a first anchored edge which is fully or partially anchored, and edges of the first membrane subpart other than the first anchored edge are non-anchored. The second membrane subpart includes a second anchored edge which is fully or partially anchored, and edges of the second membrane subpart other than the second anchored edge are non-anchored.

A MEMS module includes: a first MEMS element and a second MEMS element each including a movable portion which is a portion of a substrate including a hollow portion formed therein, the movable portion configured to warp in shape according to an air pressure difference between an internal air pressure inside the hollow portion and an external air pressure outside the hollow portion; and an electronic component configured to calculate a change in external air pressure outside the substrate by using an amount of warpage of the movable portion of at least one of the first MEMS element and the second MEMS element, wherein the amount of warpage of the movable portion according to the external air pressure differs between the first MEMS element and the second MEMS element.

A MEMS temperature sensor including a clamped-clamped microbeam having a drive electrode on one side configured for applying an AC current, and a sense electrode diagonally situated on the other side, a first anchor at one end and a second anchor at the other end of the microbeam. The first anchor receive a DC bias currents, which heats the microbeam to an operating temperature. The sense electrode is configured to capacitively sense oscillations in the microbeam due to an applied AC current. The MEMS temperature sensor has a three wafer construction in which the components are formed. The device is encapsulated by aluminum, and metal wires connect the first and second anchor, the drive electrode and the sense electrode to side electrode pads outside of the encapsulation. The MEMS temperature sensor has a linear operating region of 30-60 degrees Celsius.

A robust MEMS transducer includes a kinetic energy diverter disposed within its frontside cavity. The kinetic energy diverter blunts or diverts kinetic energy in a mass of air moving through the frontside cavity, before that kinetic energy reaches a diaphragm of the MEMS transducer. The kinetic energy diverter renders the MEMS transducer more robust and resistant to damage from such a moving mass of air.

Disclosed is a multi-silicon on insulator (SOI) micromachined ultrasonic transducer (MUT) device. The device comprises a multi-SOI substrate and a MUT. The MUT is affixed to a surface of the multi-SOI substrate. The multi-SOI substrate has a first SOI layer and at least a second SOI layer disposed above the first SOI layer. The first SOI layer and the second SOI layer each comprise an insulating layer and a semiconducting layer. The first SOI layer further defines a cavity located under a membrane of a MUT and one or more trenches at least partially around a perimeter of the cavity.