A method or process is disclosed for etching deep, high-aspect ratio features into silicon dioxide material layers and substrates, including glass, fused silica, quartz, or similar materials, using a plasma etch technology. The method has application in the fabrication and manufacturing of MEMS, microelectronic, micro-mechanical, photonic and nanotechnology devices in which silicon dioxide material layers or substrates are used and must be patterned and etched. Devices that benefit from the method described in this invention include the fabrication of MEMS gyroscopes, resonators, oscillators, microbalances, accelerometers, for example. The etch method or process allows etch depths ranging from below 10 microns to over 1 millimeter and aspect ratios from less than 1 to 1 to over 10 to 1 with etched feature sidewalls having vertical or near vertical angles. Additionally, the disclosed method provides requirements of the etched substrates to reduce or eliminate undesired effects of an etch.

The present disclosure provides a substrate structure for a micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) device. The substrate structure includes a cap and a micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) substrate. The cap has a cavity, and the MEMS substrate is disposed on the cap. The MEMS substrate has a plurality of through holes exposing the cavity, and an aspect ratio of the through hole is greater than 30.

A method of forming a Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) includes forming a lower electrode on a first insulator layer within a cavity of the MEMS. The method further includes forming an upper electrode over another insulator material on top of the lower electrode which is at least partially in contact with the lower electrode. The forming of the lower electrode and the upper electrode includes adjusting a metal volume of the lower electrode and the upper electrode to modify beam bending.

A component for a micromechanical system has an upper side and a lower side disposed opposite the upper side and includes at least one first structural element that is arranged in a first region of the component and bounded by at least one first gap and at least one second structural element that is arranged in a second region of the component different from the first region and bounded by at least one second gap. The first region includes a first cutout in the lower side of the component, wherein a first thickness of the component in the first region is reduced in the second region with respect to a second thickness of the component. A minimal second gap width of the at least one second gap is larger than a minimal first gap width of the at least one first gap.

The invention preferably relates to a method for producing a MEMS transducer comprising a membrane and a carrier, wherein the membrane exhibits a meander structure comprising vertical and horizontal sections. Here, a shaping component is first provided which is coated with a membrane layer system. The membrane layer system comprises at least one actuator layer comprising an actuator material. By structuring the membrane layer system, membranes are provided which can be attached to a carrier. The shaping component can be completely removed.

Furthermore, the invention preferably relates to a MEMS transducer which can be produced by means of the method.

The present disclosure provides an etching method that includes a resist pattern-forming step of forming a resist layer on a target object, the resist layer being formed of a resin, the resist layer having a resist pattern; an etching step of etching the target object via the resist layer having the resist pattern; and a resist protective film-forming step of forming a resist protective film on the resist layer. The etching step is repetitively carried out multiple times. A processing gas, used in the resist protective film-forming step, includes a gas capable of forming Si.sub.xO.sub.y.sub.z; wherein a is any one of F, Cl, H, and C.sub.kH.sub.l; and each of x, y, z, k, is a selected non-zero value. After the etching steps are repetitively carried out multiple times, the resist protective film-forming step is performed.

A method for producing a first and second micromirror device. A silicon oxide layer is applied to at least the front side of a silicon wafer. The silicon oxide layer is removed so that a first and second separation region of the silicon oxide layer are generated, which are arranged spatially separated from each other along a separation plane. A silicon layer is applied to the front side of the silicon wafer and to the silicon oxide layer. An etching mask is applied to the rear side of the silicon wafer, the etching mask having a first opening along the separation plane of the first and second separation region. The silicon layer and the silicon wafer are removed, according to the etching mask on the rear side of the silicon wafer and according to the silicon oxide layer of the first and second separation region.