A method for manufacturing a MEMS microphone device with a monolithically integrated environmental barrier structure includes providing a substrate structure including a base substrate and an additional substrate material layer deposited on the base substrate, creating a micromechanical environmental barrier structure in the substrate structure by applying a microstructuring process, where the micromechanical environmental barrier structure is configured to let a first amount of air pass through while preventing a second amount of at least one of moisture, liquid, oil or solid environmental particles from passing through, and creating a MEMS sound transducer structure in the additional substrate material of the substrate structure by applying a microstructuring process.

The present invention is related to a sensor. In particular, the present invention is related to a MEMS strain gauge die and its fabrication process. The MEMS strain gauge die comprises a handle, a device layer and a cap all connected together. A silicon oxide layer is formed between the handle and the device layer. Another silicon oxide layer is formed between the device layer and the cap. Recesses are respectively formed on the handle and the cap and face each other. The handle recess and the cap recess are connected to form a cavity. The device layer, which spans the cavity, further comprises a bridge on which a plurality of piezoresistive sensing elements are formed. The present strain gauge die is more immune to temperature effects. It is especially suitable for operating in a high temperature environment and is capable of delivering accurate and reliable strain measurements at low cost.

A laser micro-machining process called laser-assisted material phase-change and expulsion (LAMPE) micromachining that includes cutting features in a cutting surface of a piece of material using a pulsed laser with intensity, pulse width and pulse rate set to melt and eject liquid material without vaporizing said material, or, in the case of silicon, create an ejectible silicon oxide. Burrs are removed from the cutting surface by electro-polishing the cutting surface with a dilute acid solution using an electric potential higher than a normal electro-polishing electric potential. A multi-lamina assembly of laser-micro-machined laminates (MALL) may utilize MEMS. In the MALL process, first, the individual layers of a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) are fabricated using the LAMPE micro-machining process. Next, the fabricated microstructure laminates are stack assembled and bonded to fabricate MEM systems. The MALL MEMS fabrication process enables greater material section and integration, greater design flexibility, low-cost manufacturing, rapid development, and integrated packaging.

A DNA sequencing device, and related methods, include a nanopore or nanochannel structure, and a nanoelectrode. The nanoelectrode includes electrode members having free ends exposed within the nanopore or nanochannel structure, an electrode gap defined between of the free ends, and plated portions formed on the free ends to provide a reduced sized for the electrode gap.

In various embodiments, electronic devices such as touch-panel displays incorporate interconnects featuring a conductor layer and, disposed above the conductor layer, a capping layer comprising an alloy of Cu and one or more refractory metal elements selected from the group consisting of Ta, Nb, Mo, W, Zr, Hf, Re, Os, Ru, Rh, Ti, V, Cr, and Ni.

The device manufacturing method includes a length measuring step (S5) of, on the basis of an observation target image of an SEM image taken from a direction having a predetermined angle from a direction perpendicular to a plane of a substrate, measuring the thickness of a target object, or the depth of etching, formed on the substrate. In addition, in the length measuring step, an etching angle made by a cross section of the etching and the direction perpendicular to the plane of the substrate is calculated from processing data of the target object, and the thickness of the target object or the depth of the etching is measured on the basis of the calculated etching angle.

In various embodiments, electronic devices such as touch-panel displays incorporate interconnects featuring a conductor layer and, disposed above the conductor layer, a capping layer comprising an alloy of Cu and one or more refractory metal elements selected from the group consisting of Ta, Nb, Mo, W, Zr, Hf, Re, Os, Ru, Rh, Ti, V, Cr, and Ni.

Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a device (1) comprising a plurality of micro-machined ultrasonic transducer cells (100) in a first region (10) on a substrate (30) and a plurality of interconnects (200) in a second region (20) on said substrate, each of said cells comprising a first electrode (110) separated by a cavity (130) from a second electrode (120) supported by a membrane (140), the method comprising forming a dielectric layer stack (11, 13, 15, 17) over the substrate, said dielectric layer stack defining the respective membranes of the micro-machined ultrasonic transducers in the first region; reducing the thickness of the dielectric layer stack in the second region by partially etching away the dielectric layer stack in the second region; etching a plurality of trenches (22) in the reduced thickness portion of the dielectric layer stack, each of said trenches exposing a conductive contact (210) in the second region; and filling said trenches with a conductive material. A device manufactured in accordance with this method and an apparatus including the device are also disclosed.

The device manufacturing method includes a length measuring step (S5) of, on the basis of an observation target image of an SEM image taken from a direction having a predetermined angle from a direction perpendicular to a plane of a substrate, measuring the thickness of a target object, or the depth of etching, formed on the substrate. In addition, in the length measuring step, an etching angle made by a cross section of the etching and the direction perpendicular to the plane of the substrate is calculated from processing data of the target object, and the thickness of the target object or the depth of the etching is measured on the basis of the calculated etching angle.

Stress relief structures and methods that can be applied to MEMS sensors requiring a hermetic seal and that can be simply manufactured are disclosed. The system includes a sensor having a first surface and a second surface, the second surface being disposed away from the first surface, the second surface also being disposed away from a package surface and located between the first surface and the package surface, a number of support members, each support member extending from the second surface to the package surface, the support members being disposed on and operatively connected to only a portion of the second surface. The support member are configured to reduce stress produced by package-sensor interaction.