Low friction coating of the present invention includes a boron-doped zinc oxide thin film, wherein piezoelectric polarization in a vertical direction perpendicular to a film surface and a lateral direction horizontal to the film surface occurs and a magnitude of the piezoelectric polarization in the vertical direction is within 150 pm and a magnitude of the piezoelectric polarization in the lateral direction is within 100 pm at 90% or more of measurement points. This makes it possible to greatly decrease the friction in a nanometer order.

An example provides a method including sputtering a metal catalyst onto a substrate, exposing the substrate to a solution that reacts with the metal catalyst to form a plurality of pores in the substrate, and etching the substrate to remove the plurality of pores to form a recess in the substrate.

The invention is a process for producing an electromechanical device including a movable portion that is able to deform with respect to a fixed portion. The process implements steps based on fabrication microtechnologies, applied to a substrate including an upper layer, an intermediate layer and a lower layer. These steps are: a) forming first apertures in the upper layer; b) forming an empty cavity in the intermediate layer, which step is referred to as a pre-release step because a central portion of the upper layer lying between the first apertures is pre-released; c) applying what is called a blocking layer to the upper layer, this layer covering the first apertures, the blocking layer and the central portion together forming a suspended microstructure above the empty cavity; d) producing a boundary trench in the suspended microstructure, so as to form, in this microstructure, a movable portion and a fixed portion, the movable portion forming a movable member of the electromechanical device.

Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) structures, methods of manufacture and design structures are disclosed. The method includes forming a Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) beam structure by venting both tungsten material and silicon material above and below the MEMS beam to form an upper cavity above the MEMS beam and a lower cavity structure below the MEMS beam.

A micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) device includes a movable comb structure located in a cavity within an enclosure, and a stationary structure affixed to the enclosure. The movable comb structure includes a comb shaft portion and movable comb fingers laterally protruding from the comb shaft portion. The movable comb structure includes a metallic material portion. The movable structure and the stationary structure are configured to generate an electrical output signal based on lateral movement of the movable structure relative to the stationary structure.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor structure includes receiving a first substrate including a dielectric layer disposed over the first substrate; forming a sensing structure and a bonding structure over the dielectric layer; disposing a conductive layer on the sensing structure; disposing a barrier layer over the dielectric layer; removing a first portion of the barrier layer to at least partially expose the conductive layer on the sensing structure; and removing a second portion of the barrier layer to at least partially expose the bonding structure.

Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) structures, methods of manufacture and design structures are disclosed. The method includes forming a Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) beam structure by venting both tungsten material and silicon material above and below the MEMS beam to form an upper cavity above the MEMS beam and a lower cavity structure below the MEMS beam.

Representative methods for sealing MEMS devices include depositing insulating material over a substrate, forming conductive vias in a first set of layers of the insulating material, and forming metal structures in a second set of layers of the insulating material. The first and second sets of layers are interleaved in alternation. A dummy insulating layer is provided as an upper-most layer of the first set of layers. Portions of the first and second set of layers are etched to form void regions in the insulating material. A conductive pad is formed on and in a top surface of the insulating material. The void regions are sealed with an encapsulating structure. At least a portion of the encapsulating structure is laterally adjacent the dummy insulating layer, and above a top surface of the conductive pad. An etch is performed to remove at least a portion of the dummy insulating layer.

Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) structures, methods of manufacture and design structures are disclosed. The method includes forming a Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) beam structure by venting both tungsten material and silicon material above and below the MEMS beam to form an upper cavity above the MEMS beam and a lower cavity structure below the MEMS beam.

An electrostatic transducer includes a substrate oriented in a plane, a fixed electrode supported by the substrate, and a moveable electrode supported by the substrate, spaced from the fixed electrode in a first direction parallel to the plane, and configured for movement in a second direction transverse to the plane, such that an extent to which the fixed and moveable electrodes overlap changes during the movement. The fixed and moveable electrodes comprise one or more of a plurality of conductive layers, the plurality of conductive layers including at least three layers. The fixed electrode includes a stacked arrangement of two or more spaced apart conductive layers of the plurality of conductive layers.