The present disclosure provides one embodiment of an integrated microphone structure. The integrated microphone structure includes a first silicon substrate patterned as a first plate. A silicon oxide layer formed on one side of the first silicon substrate. A second silicon substrate bonded to the first substrate through the silicon oxide layer such that the silicon oxide layer is sandwiched between the first and second silicon substrates. A diaphragm secured on the silicon oxide layer and disposed between the first and second silicon substrates such that the first plate and the diaphragm are configured to form a capacitive microphone.

To manufacture an oscillating structure, a wafer is processed by: forming torsional elastic elements; forming a mobile element connected to the torsional elastic elements; processing the first side of the wafer to form a mechanical reinforcement structure; and processing the second side of said wafer by steps of chemical etching, deposition of metal material, and/or deposition of piezoelectric material. Processing of the first side of the wafer is carried out prior to processing of the second side of the wafer so as not to damage possible sensitive structures formed on the first side of the wafer.

A MEMS acoustic transducer provided with: a substrate of semiconductor material, having a back surface and a front surface opposite with respect to a vertical direction; a first cavity formed within the substrate, which extends from the back surface to the front surface; a membrane which is arranged at the upper surface, suspended above the first cavity and anchored along a perimeter thereof to the substrate; and a combfingered electrode arrangement including a number of mobile electrodes coupled to the membrane and a number of fixed electrodes coupled to the substrate and facing respective mobile electrodes for forming a sensing capacitor, wherein a deformation of the membrane as a result of incident acoustic pressure waves causes a capacitive variation of the sensing capacitor. In particular, the combfingered electrode arrangement lies vertically with respect to the membrane and extends parallel thereto.

A MEMS device and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. A semiconductor device includes a substrate; and a membrane over the substrate and configured to generate charges in response to an acoustic wave, the membrane being in a polygonal shape including vertices. The membrane includes a via pattern having first lines that partition the membrane into slices and extend to the vertices of the membrane such that the slices are separated from each other near an anchored region of the membrane and connected to each other around a central region. The via pattern further includes second lines extending from the anchored region of the membrane toward the central region of the membrane. Each of the second lines includes a length less than a length of each of the first lines.

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.

A method of forming a microelectromechanical device wherein a beam of the microelectromechanical device may deviate from a resting to an engaged or disengaged position through electrical biasing. The microelectromechanical device comprises a beam disposed above a first RF electrode and a second RF electrode. The microelectromechanical device further comprises one or more electrical contacts disposed below the beam. The one or more electrical contacts comprise a first layer of ruthenium disposed over an oxide layer, a titanium nitride layer disposed on the first layer of ruthenium, and a second layer of ruthenium disposed on the titanium nitride layer.

In one aspect, the present invention provides nano-scale heaters, such as nano-scale thermoacoustic loudspeakers comprising suspended metal nanobridges prepared using atomic layer deposition (ALD). The loudspeakers of the invention are capable of producing audible sound when stimulated with an electrical current or other energetic stimulus. In another aspect, the present invention provides methods of preparing and using such nanodevices.

A method of liquid-mediated pattern transfer includes providing a substrate comprising (a) a semiconductor film adhered to the substrate and (b) a first patterned layer on the semiconductor film. The substrate is submerged in a delamination liquid, whereby the semiconductor film is delaminated from the substrate while the first patterned layer remains on the semiconductor film. A patterned semiconductor membrane ready for transfer is thus obtained. The patterned semiconductor membrane is transferred to a target substrate in a transfer liquid, and then the transfer liquid is removed (e.g., evaporated). The patterned semiconductor membrane adheres to the target substrate as the transfer liquid is removed.

A method of forming a microelectromechanical device wherein a beam of the microelectromechanical device may deviate from a resting to an engaged or disengaged position through electrical biasing. The microelectromechanical device comprises a beam disposed above a first RF conductor and a second RF conductor. The microelectromechanical device further comprises at least a center stack, a first RF stack, a second RF stack, a first stack formed on a first base layer, and a second stack formed on a second base layer, each stack disposed between the beam and the first and second RF conductors. The beam is configured to deflect downward to first contact the first stack formed on the first base layer and the second stack formed on the second base layer simultaneously or the center stack, before contacting the first RF stack and the second RF stack simultaneously.

A method and structure for a PLCSP (Package Level Chip Scale Package) MEMS package. The method includes providing a MEMS chip having a CMOS substrate and a MEMS cap housing at least a MEMS device disposed upon the CMOS substrate. The MEMS chip is flipped and oriented on a packaging substrate such that the MEMS cap is disposed above a thinner region of the packaging substrate and the CMOS substrate is bonding to the packaging substrate at a thicker region, wherein bonding regions on each of the substrates are coupled. The device is sawed to form a package-level chip scale MEMS package.