A conductive layer is deposited into a trench in a sacrificial layer on a substrate. An etch stop layer is deposited over the conductive layer. The sacrificial layer is removed to form a gap. In one embodiment, a beam is over a substrate. An interconnect is on the beam. An etch stop layer is over the beam. A gap is between the beam and the etch stop layer.

A manufacturing method for a semiconductor structure is disclosed. The semiconductor structure includes a MEMS region. The MEMS region includes a sensing membrane and a metal ring. The metal ring defines a cavity under the sensing membrane.

CMOS Ultrasonic Transducers and processes for making such devices are described. The processes may include forming cavities on a first wafer and bonding the first wafer to a second wafer. The second wafer may be processed to form a membrane for the cavities. Electrical access to the cavities may be provided.

A pressure sensor device comprises a substrate body, a pressure sensor comprising a membrane, and a cap body comprising at least one opening. The pressure sensor is arranged between the substrate body and the cap body in a vertical direction which is perpendicular to the main plane of extension of the substrate body, and the mass of the substrate body equals approximately the mass of the cap body. Furthermore, a method for forming a pressure sensor device is provided.

A micro-structured organic sensor device which has the following layers oriented in parallel to one another: a substrate layer for supporting the further layers; an organic sensor layer for converting a technical quantity to be detected to an electrical quantity; a first electrode layer for contacting the organic sensor layer on a side of the organic sensor layer facing the substrate layer; a second electrode layer for contacting the organic sensor layer on a side of the organic sensor layer facing away from the substrate layer; and one or several functional layers; wherein the sensor layer is structured such that a plurality of horizontally spaced sensor segments are formed; wherein at least one of the electrode layers is structured such that a plurality of horizontally spaced electrode segments are formed so that at least one of the electrode segments of the respective electrode layer is associated to each of the sensor segments; and wherein the one or several functional layers at least partly fill gaps located horizontally between the sensor segments.

Complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) ultrasonic transducers (CUTs) and methods for forming CUTs are described. The CUTs may include monolithically integrated ultrasonic transducers and integrated circuits for operating in connection with the transducers. The CUTs may be used in ultrasound devices such as ultrasound imaging devices and/or high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) devices.

A multi-layer sealing film for high seal yield is provided. In some embodiments, a substrate comprises a vent opening extending through the substrate, from an upper side of the substrate to a lower side of the substrate. The upper side of the substrate has a first pressure, and the lower side of the substrate has a second pressure different than the first pressure. The multi-layer sealing film covers and seals the vent opening to prevent the first pressure from equalizing with the second pressure through the vent opening. Further, the multi-layer sealing film comprises a pair of metal layers and a barrier layer sandwiched between metal layers. Also provided is a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) package comprising the multilayer sealing film, and a method for manufacturing the multi-layer sealing film.

A method of forming a monolithic integrated PMUT and CMOS with a coplanar elastic, sealing, and passivation layer in a single step without bonding and the resulting device are provided. Embodiments include providing a CMOS wafer with a metal layer; forming a dielectric over the CMOS; forming a sacrificial structure in a portion of the dielectric; forming a bottom electrode; forming a piezoelectric layer over the CMOS; forming a top electrode over portions of the bottom electrode and piezoelectric layer; forming a via through the top electrode down to the bottom electrode and a second via down to the metal layer through the top electrode; forming a second metal layer over and along sidewalls of the first and second via; removing the sacrificial structure, an open cavity formed; and forming a dielectric layer over a portion of the CMOS, the open cavity sealed and an elastic layer and passivation formed.

Micromachined ultrasonic transducers formed in complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) wafers are described, as are methods of fabricating such devices. A metallization layer of a CMOS wafer may be removed by sacrificial release to create a cavity of an ultrasonic transducer. Remaining layers may form a membrane of the ultrasonic transducer.

A CMOS-MEMS humidity sensor includes a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) ASIC readout circuit and a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) humidity sensor. The MEMS humidity sensor is provided on the ASIC readout circuit. The ASIC readout circuit includes a substrate, a heating resistor layer located above the substrate, a metal layer located above the heating resistor layer, and dielectric layers. The substrate, the heating resistor layer, and the metal layer are partitioned by dielectric layers. The MEMS humidity sensor includes an aluminum electrode layer, a passivation layer located above the aluminum electrode layer, and a humidity sensitive layer located above the passivation layer. The provision of heating resistors in the ASIC circuit realizes the heating function and satisfies the requirements of the standard CMOS process, so that the CMOS-MEMS integrated humidity sensor can be used stably under low temperature and high humidity conditions.