Provided herein is a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device. A substrate including a MEMS region and a connection region thereon is provided; a dielectric layer disposed on the substrate in the connection region is provided; a poly-silicon layer disposed on the dielectric layer is provided, wherein the poly-silicon layer serves as an etch-stop layer; a connection pad disposed on the poly-silicon layer is provided; and a passivation layer covering the dielectric layer is provided, wherein the passivation layer includes an opening that exposes the connection pad and a transition region between the connection pad and the passivation layer, and a conductive layer conformally covering the connection pad and the poly-silicon layer in the transition region is provided.

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.

Embodiments of the invention describe hermetic encapsulation for MEMS devices, and processes to create the hermetic encapsulation structure. Embodiments comprise a MEMS substrate stack that further includes a magnet, a first laminate organic dielectric film, a first hermetic coating disposed over the magnet, a second laminate organic dielectric film disposed on the hermetic coating, a MEMS device layer disposed over the magnet, and a plurality of metal interconnects surrounding the MEMS device layer. A hermetic plate is subsequently bonded to the MEMS substrate stack and disposed over the formed MEMS device layer to at least partially form a hermetically encapsulated cavity surrounding the MEMS device layer. In various embodiments, the hermetically encapsulated cavity is further formed from the first hermetic coating, and at least one of the set of metal interconnects, or a second hermetic coating deposited onto the set of metal interconnects.

A device with an out-of-plane electrode includes a device layer positioned above a handle layer, a first electrode defined within the device layer, a cap layer having a first cap layer portion spaced apart from an upper surface of the device layer by a gap, and having an etch stop perimeter defining portion defining a lateral edge of the gap, and an out-of-plane electrode defined within the first cap layer portion by a spacer.

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes providing a semiconductor substrate including a substrate and a multilayer film having a step-shaped portion on the substrate; forming a protective layer covering the step-shaped portion of the multilayer film; forming a capping layer having a plurality of steps on the protective layer covering the semiconductor substrate; and removing at least one layer of the multilayer film to form a cavity that is defined by the capping layer and a remaining multilayer film that has the at least one layer removed. The thus formed semiconductor device does not have cracks in the steps of the capping layer when performing an etch process, thereby improving the performance of the semiconductor device.

A method of fabricating a semiconductor device, includes, in part, growing a first layer of oxide on a surface of a first semiconductor substrate, forming a layer of insulating material on the oxide layer, patterning and etching the insulating material and the first oxide layer to form a multitude of oxide-insulator structures and further to expose the surface of the semiconductor substrate, growing a second layer of oxide in the exposed surface of the semiconductor substrate, and removing the second layer of oxide thereby to form a cavity in which a MEMS device is formed. The process of growing oxide in the exposed surface of the cavity and removing this oxide may be repeated until the cavity depth reaches a predefined value. Optionally, a multitude of bump stops is formed in the cavity.

A device includes a carrier having a plurality of cavities, a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) substrate bonded on the carrier, wherein the MEMS substrate comprises a shielding layer on the carrier and coupled to ground, a plurality of vias coupled between the shielding layer and a bottom electrode of the MEMS substrate and a moving element over the bottom electrode and a semiconductor substrate bonded on the MEMS substrate, wherein the semiconductor substrate comprises a top electrode, and wherein the moving element is between the top electrode and the bottom electrode.

A method of fabricating a micro electrical-mechanical system (MEMS) microphone on a substrate includes forming a sacrificial layer on a front surface of the substrate, forming a membrane within the sacrificial layer, forming a fixed plate on the sacrificial layer at a location corresponding to a location of the membrane, performing a laser cutting on the back surface of the substrate at a location corresponding to an edge region of the fixed plate until a surface of the sacrificial layer is expose to form an opening, forming a patterned photoresist layer on the back surface exposing a region within the boundary of the opening, removing a portion of the back surface using the patterned photoresist layer as a mask to form a cavity, and removing a portion of the sacrificial layer above and below the membrane to form an air gap between the membrane and the fixed plate.

Provided herein is a semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device includes a substrate including a MEMS region and a connection region thereon; a dielectric layer disposed on the substrate in the connection region; a poly-silicon layer disposed on the dielectric layer, wherein the poly-silicon layer serves as an etch-stop layer; a connection pad disposed on the poly-silicon layer; and a passivation layer covering the dielectric layer, wherein the passivation layer includes an opening that exposes the connection pad and a transition region between the connection pad and the passivation layer.

A semiconductor structure and a manufacturing method for the same are 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.