A multi-purpose Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) thermopile sensor able to use as a thermal conductivity sensor, a Pirani vacuum sensor, a thermal flow sensor and a non-contact infrared temperature sensor, respectively. The sensor comprises a rectangular membrane created in a silicon substrate which has a thin polysilicon layer and a thin residual thermal reorganized porous silicon layer both attached on its back side, and configured to have its three sides clamped to the frame formed in the silicon substrate which surrounds and supports the membrane and the other side free to the frame, a cavity created in the silicon substrate, positioned under the membrane and having its flat bottom opposite to the membrane, its three side walls shaped as curved planes and the other side wall shaped as a vertical plane, a heater or an infrared absorber positioned on the membrane, close to and parallel with the free side of the membrane and a thermopile positioned on the membrane and consists of several thermocouples connected in series and having its hot junctions close to the heater and its cold junctions extended to the frame.

A MEMS sensor includes a silicon substrate that has a first surface and a second surface on a side opposite to the first surface and that has a cavity in the first surface, a silicon diaphragm that has a first surface and a second surface on aside opposite to the first surface and in which the second surface is joined directly to the first surface of the silicon substrate, and a piezoresistance formed at the first surface of the silicon diaphragm, and, in the MEMS sensor, a plane orientation of the first surface of the silicon substrate and a plane orientation of the first surface of the silicon diaphragm differ from each other.

A dual membrane microphone is disclosed. In an embodiment, a MEMS microphone includes a first membrane, a backplate with a separated central area including a first backplate electrode on a lower portion of the backplate, a second backplate electrode on a upper portion of the backplate and a backplate insulation layer galvanically isolating the first and the second backplate electrodes, a second membrane and a coupling central portion, wherein the first membrane couples mechanically to the separated central area of the backplate in an electrically isolating manner and the separated central area of the backplate couples to the second membrane in an electrically isolating manner.

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device in which a semiconductor substrate is provided, including a SOI-wafer having a carrier layer defining a rear side, a functional layer defining a front side. An insulation layer is situated between the carrier layer and functional layer. The functional layer includes a functional area having functional structures. The front side is masked, a first mask opening defines an interior area containing the functional area. The functional layer is removed by etching the front side. The rear side is masked, a second mask opening being configured, and a circumferential edge of the second mask opening is spaced outwardly relative to an outer circumferential edge of the interior area. The carrier layer and the insulation layer are removed at least in the area of the second-mask opening by etching to expose the interior area.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes an interconnect structure disposed over a semiconductor substrate. A dielectric structure is disposed over the interconnect structure. A plurality of cavities are disposed in the dielectric structure. A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) substrate is disposed over the dielectric structure, where the MEMS substrate comprises a plurality of movable membranes, and where the movable membranes overlie the cavities, respectively. A plurality of fluid communication channels are disposed in the dielectric structure, where each of the fluid communication channels extend laterally between two neighboring cavities of the cavities, such that each of the cavities are in fluid communication with one another.

The present invention provides a MEMS pressure sensor and a manufacturing method. The pressure is formed by a top cap wafer, a MEMS wafer and a bottom cap wafer. The MEMS wafer comprises a frame and a membrane, the frame defining a cavity. The membrane is suspended by the frame over the cavity. The bottom cap wafer closes the cavity. The top cap wafer has a recess defining with the membrane a capacitance gap. The top cap wafer comprises a top cap electrode located over the membrane and forming, together with the membrane, a capacitor to detect a deflection of the membrane. Electrical contacts on the top cap wafer are connected to the top cap electrode. A vent extends from outside of the sensor into the cavity or the capacitance gap. The pressure sensor can include two cavities and two capacitance gaps to form a differential pressure sensor.

Provided herein is a method including fusion bonding a handle wafer to a first side of a device wafer. Standoffs are formed on a second side of the device wafer. A first hardmask is deposited on the second side. A second hardmask is deposited on the first hardmask. A surface of the second hardmask is planarized. A photoresist is deposited on the second hardmask, wherein the photoresist includes a MEMS device pattern. The MEMS device pattern is etched into the second hardmask. The MEMS device pattern is etched into the first hardmask, wherein the etching stops before reaching the device wafer. The photoresist and the second hardmask are removed. The MEMS device pattern is further etched into the first hardmask, wherein the further etching reaches the device wafer. The MEMS device pattern is etched into the device wafer. The first hardmask is removed.

A micromechanical pressure sensor device and a corresponding manufacturing method. The micromechanical pressure sensor device is equipped with a sensor substrate; a diaphragm system that is anchored in the sensor substrate and that includes a first diaphragm and a second diaphragm situated spaced apart therefrom, which are circumferentially connected to one another in an edge area and enclose a reference pressure in an interior space formed in between; and a plate-shaped electrode that is suspended in the interior space and that is situated spaced apart from the first diaphragm and from the second diaphragm and forms a first capacitor with the first diaphragm and forms a second capacitor with the second diaphragm. The first diaphragm and the second diaphragm are designed in such a way that they are deformable toward one another when acted on by an external pressure.

A MEMS device formed using the materials of the BEOL of a CMOS process where a post-processing of vHF and post backing was applied to form the MEMS device and where a total size of the MEMS device is between 50 um and 150 um. The MEMS device may be implemented as an inertial sensor among other applications.

In accordance with one exemplary embodiment, a production method for a double-membrane MEMS component comprises the following steps: providing a layer arrangement on a carrier substrate, wherein the layer arrangement has a first and second membrane structure spaced apart from one another and a counterelectrode structure arranged therebetween, wherein a sacrificial material is arranged in an intermediate region between the counterelectrode structure and the first and second membrane structures respectively spaced apart therefrom, and wherein the first membrane structure has an opening structure to the intermediate region with the sacrificial material and partly removing the sacrificial material from the intermediate region in order to obtain a mechanical connection structure comprising the sacrificial material between the first and second membrane structures, which mechanical connection structure is mechanically coupled between the first and second membrane structures and is mechanically decoupled from the counterelectrode structure.