A micromirror which comprises a mirror pivotally attached to a mount by a first pivoting structure that permits pivotal movement of the mirror relative to the mount about a first axis; a first comb drive which has a first position fixed relative to the mirror and second portion fixed relative to the mount. The first comb drive being for actuating the mirror about the first axis. A weight connected to the mirror, and the weight and mirror being on opposite sides of a fulcrum of the first pivoting structure. The first axis is non-parallel to a longitudinal axis extending through the weight and the mirror.

A micromirror which comprises a mirror pivotally attached to a mount by a first pivoting structure that permits pivotal movement of the mirror relative to the mount about a first axis; a first comb drive which has a first position fixed relative to the mirror and second portion fixed relative to the mount. The first comb drive being for actuating the mirror about the first axis. A weight connected to the mirror, and the weight and mirror being on opposite sides of a fulcrum of the first pivoting structure. The first axis is non-parallel to a longitudinal axis extending through the weight and the mirror.

A method for manufacturing an opening structure is provided. The method may include: forming a patterned mask over a first side of a carrier; forming material over the first side of the carrier covering at least a portion of the carrier; forming a first opening in the carrier from a second side of the carrier opposite the first side of the carrier to at least partially expose a surface of the patterned mask; and forming a second opening in the material from the second side of the carrier using the patterned mask as a mask.

A method of etching features in a silicon wafer includes coating a top surface and a bottom surface of the silicon wafer with a mask layer having a lower etch rate than an etch rate of the silicon wafer, removing one or more portions of the mask layer to form a mask pattern in the mask layer on the top surface and the bottom surface of the silicon wafer, etching one or more top surface features into the top surface of the silicon wafer through the mask pattern to a depth plane located between the top surface and the bottom surface of the silicon wafer at a depth from the top surface, coating the top surface and the one or more top surface features with a metallic coating, and etching one or more bottom surface features into the bottom surface of the silicon wafer through the mask pattern to the target depth plane.

A method of etching features in a silicon wafer includes coating a top surface and a bottom surface of the silicon wafer with a mask layer having a lower etch rate than an etch rate of the silicon wafer, removing one or more portions of the mask layer to form a mask pattern in the mask layer on the top surface and the bottom surface of the silicon wafer, etching one or more top surface features into the top surface of the silicon wafer through the mask pattern to a depth plane located between the top surface and the bottom surface of the silicon wafer at a depth from the top surface, coating the top surface and the one or more top surface features with a metallic coating, and etching one or more bottom surface features into the bottom surface of the silicon wafer through the mask pattern to the target depth plane.

A method of etching features in a silicon wafer includes coating a top surface and a bottom surface of the silicon wafer with a mask layer having a lower etch rate than an etch rate of the silicon wafer, removing one or more portions of the mask layer to form a mask pattern in the mask layer on the top surface and the bottom surface of the silicon wafer, etching one or more top surface features into the top surface of the silicon wafer through the mask pattern to a depth plane located between the top surface and the bottom surface of the silicon wafer at a depth from the top surface, coating the top surface and the one or more top surface features with a metallic coating, and etching one or more bottom surface features into the bottom surface of the silicon wafer through the mask pattern to the target depth plane.

A method for manufacturing a micromechanical device includes providing a silicon substrate having a front side and a rear side, where a first normal of the front side deviates by a first angle from the <111> direction of the silicon substrate; forming in the front side first and second trenches that are spaced apart from and essentially parallel to each other, with the first and second trenches extending along a direction of the deviation; forming on the front side a first etching mask that covers the front side except for a first opening area between the first and second trenches; and anisotropically etching the front side using the etching mask, thereby forming in the opening area an oblique surface having a second angle to the first normal, which approximately corresponds to the first angle.

A method for manufacturing a flexible strip, including forming a plate of the required thickness with one or more micromachinable substrate wafers; affixing, on either side of the plate, an upper mask with an upper window and a lower mask with a lower window, of identical geometry; etching the plate, at least to mid-thickness, from the upper side of each upper etching window, and from the side of each lower etching window; removing the upper mask and the lower mask, to delimit a flexible strip having a height equal to the thickness of the plate, and whose edges are as-etched. A flexible strip made of micromachinable material, including, between two parallel upper and lower surfaces, two peripheral, tapered and reverse-tapered edge surfaces, for a flexible pivot, a resonator, a movement or a watch.

A method for manufacturing a micromechanical device layer is performed on a device wafer comprising a single layer of homogenous material. The method comprises patterning a first mask on a first face of the device wafer, the first mask patterning at least lateral dimensions of comb structures and outlines of large device structures. First trenches are etched, the first trenches defining the lateral dimensions of the at least comb structures and outlines of large device structures in a single deep etching process. Recession etching may be used on one or two faces of the device wafer for creating structures at least partially recessed below the respective surfaces of the device wafer. A double mask etching process may be used on one or two faces of the device wafer for creating structures at least partially recessed to mutually varying depths from the respective face of the device wafer.

A positioning method in a microprocessing process of bulk silicon comprises the steps of: fabricating, on a first surface of a first substrate (10), a first pattern (100), a stepper photo-etching machine alignment mark (200) for positioning the first pattern, and a double-sided photo-etching machine first alignment mark (300) for positioning the stepper photo-etching machine alignment mark; fabricating, on a second surface, opposite to the first surface, of the first substrate, a double-sided photo-etching machine second alignment mark (400) corresponding to the double-sided photo-etching machine first alignment mark; bonding a second substrate (20) on the first surface of the first substrate; performing thinning on a first surface of the second substrate; fabricating, on the first surface of the second substrate, a double-sided photo-etching machine third alignment mark (500) corresponding to the double-sided photo-etching machine second alignment mark; and finding, on the first surface of the second substrate by using the double-sided photo-etching machine third alignment mark, a corresponding position of the stepper photo-etching machine alignment mark.