A method for fabricating calcite channels in a nanofluidic device is described. A porous membrane is attached to a substrate. Calcite is deposited in porous openings in the porous membrane attached to the substrate. A width of openings in the deposited calcite is in a range from 50 to 100 nanometers (nm). The porous membrane is etched to remove the porous membrane from the substrate to form a fabricated calcite channel structure. Each channel has a width in the range from 50 to 100 nm.

A MEMS transducer includes a transducer substrate, a back plate, a diaphragm, and an intermediate layer. The transducer substrate includes an aperture. The back plate is coupled to a first surface of the transducer substrate and covers the aperture. The diaphragm is oriented substantially parallel to the back plate and is spaced apart from the back plate to form a gap. The intermediate layer is coupled to the diaphragm and the back plate and includes an acoustic relief channel, which fluidly couples the gap to an environment surrounding the MEMS transducer.

A device chip manufacturing method includes an attaching a wafer to the first surface of a semiconductor ingot, separating the semiconductor ingot into a subject part and a remaining part after attachment, the subject part being attached to the wafer to form a laminated wafer having a front side as an exposed surface of the subject part and a back side as an exposed surface of the wafer, setting a plurality of crossing division lines on the front side of the laminated wafer to thereby define a plurality of separate regions after separation, and next forming a plurality of devices in the respective separate regions, and then dividing the laminated wafer along the division lines after forming the devices, thereby forming the plural device chips including the respective devices.

A semiconductor sensor device includes a substrate including a first main face and a second main face opposite the first main face, a semiconductor element including a sensing region, the semiconductor element on the first main face of the substrate and being electrically coupled to the substrate, a lid on the first main face of the substrate and forming a cavity, wherein the semiconductor element is in the cavity, and a vapor deposited dielectric coating covering the semiconductor element and the first main face of the substrate, the vapor deposited dielectric coating having an opening over the sensing region, wherein the second main face of the substrate is at least partially free of the vapor deposited dielectric layer.

Methods and apparatuses for measuring static and dynamic pressures in harsh environments are disclosed. A pressure sensor according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a diaphragm constructed from materials designed to operate in harsh environments. A waveguide may be operably connected to the diaphragm, and an electromagnetic wave producing and receiving (e.g., sensing) device may be attached to the waveguide, opposite the diaphragm. A handle may be connected between the diaphragm and the waveguide to provide both structural support and electrical functionality for the sensor. A gap may be included between the handle and the diaphragm, allowing the diaphragm to move freely. An antenna and a ground plane may be formed on the diaphragm or the handle. Electromagnetic waves may be reflected off the antenna and detected to directly measure static and dynamic pressures applied to the diaphragm.

A process comprises bonding a semiconductor wafer to an inorganic wafer. The semiconductor wafer is opaque to a wavelength of light to which the inorganic wafer is transparent. After the bonding, a damage track is formed in the inorganic wafer using a laser that emits the wavelength of light. The damage track in the inorganic wafer is enlarged to form a hole through the inorganic wafer by etching. The hole terminates at an interface between the semiconductor wafer and the inorganic wafer. An article is also provided, comprising a semiconductor wafer bonded to an inorganic wafer. The semiconductor wafer is opaque to a wavelength of light to which the inorganic wafer is transparent. The inorganic wafer has a hole formed through the inorganic wafer. The hole terminates at an interface between the semiconductor wafer and the inorganic wafer.

A redeposited material is removed so as to electrically observe a microelement without causing foreign matters or metal contamination. An FIB device (charged particle beam device) includes an FIB barrel which discharges the focused ion beam (charged particle beam), a stage which holds a sample (substrate), a microcurrent measuring device (current measuring unit) which measures a leakage current from the sample, and a timer (time measuring unit) which measures a time to emit the focused ion beam and a time to measure the leakage current. Further, the FIB device includes a system control unit (control unit) which synchronizes a time to emit the focused ion beam and a time to measure the leakage current by the microcurrent measuring device.

A method for manufacturing a micromechanical inertial sensor, including: forming a movable MEMS structure in a MEMS wafer; connecting a cap wafer to the MEMS wafer; forming an access opening into the cavity, the access opening to the cavity being formed from two opposing sides; a defined narrow first access opening being formed from one side of the movable MEMS structure and a defined wide second access opening being formed from a surface of the MEMS wafer, the second access opening being formed to be wider in a defined manner than the first access opening; and closing the first access opening while enclosing a defined internal pressure in the cavity.

A DNA sequencing device and methods of making. The device includes a pair of electrodes having a spacing of no greater than about 2 nm, the electrodes being exposed within a nanopore to measure a DNA strand passing through the nanopore. The device can be made by depositing a conductive layer over a sacrificial channel and then removing the sacrificial channel to form the electrode gap.

A method for fabrication of free standing mechanical and photonic structures is presented. A resist mask is applied to a bulk substrate. The bulk substrate is attached to a movable platform. The bulk substrate is exposed to an ion stream produced by a reactive ion beam etching source. The platform is moved relative to the ion stream to facilitate undercutting a portion of the bulk substrate otherwise shielded by the mask.