A device includes a substrate and an intermetal dielectric (IMD) layer disposed over the substrate. The device also includes a first plurality of polysilicon layers disposed over the IMD layer and over a bumpstop. The device also includes a second plurality of polysilicon layers disposed within the IMD layer. The device includes a patterned actuator layer with a first side and a second side, wherein the first side of the patterned actuator layer is lined with a polysilicon layer, and wherein the first side of the patterned actuator layer faces the bumpstop. The device further includes a standoff formed over the IMD layer, a via through the standoff making electrical contact with the polysilicon layer of the actuator and a portion of the second plurality of polysilicon layers and a bond material disposed on the second side of the patterned actuator layer.

A membrane-based sensor in one embodiment includes a membrane layer including an upper surface and a lower surface, a backside trench defined on one side by the lower surface, a central cavity defined on a first side by the upper surface, a cap layer positioned above the central cavity, and a first spacer extending from the upper surface to the cap layer and integrally formed with the cap layer, the first spacer defining a second side of the central cavity and an inner membrane portion of the membrane layer.

An example microelectromechanical system (MEMS) force sensor is described herein. The MEMS force sensor can include a sensor die configured to receive an applied force. The sensor die can include a first substrate and a second substrate, where a cavity is formed in the first substrate, and where at least a portion of the second substrate defines a deformable membrane. The MEMS force sensor can also include an etch stop layer arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate, and a sensing element arranged on a surface of the second substrate. The sensing element can be configured to convert a strain on the surface of the membrane substrate to an analog electrical signal that is proportional to the strain.

A method including fusion bonding a handle wafer to a first side of a device wafer. The method further includes depositing a hardmask on a second side of the device wafer, wherein the second side is planar. An etch stop layer is deposited over the hardmask and an exposed portion of the second side of the device wafer. A dielectric layer is formed over the etch stop layer. A via is formed within the dielectric layer. The via is filled with conductive material. A eutectic bond layer is formed over the conductive material. Portions of the dielectric layer uncovered by the eutectic bond layer is etched to expose the etch stop layer. The exposed portions of the etch stop layer is etched. A micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) device pattern is etched into the device wafer.

A micromechanical sensor device and a corresponding production method. The micromechanical sensor device has a substrate which has a front side and a rear side. Formed on the front side, at a lateral distance, are an inertial sensor region having an inertial structure for acquiring external accelerations and/or rotations, and a pressure sensor region having a diaphragm region for acquiring an external pressure. A micromechanical function layer by which the diaphragm region is formed in the pressure sensor region. A micromechanical function layer is applied on the micromechanical function layer, the inertial structure being formed out of the second and third micromechanical function layer. A cap device encloses a first predefined reference pressure in a first cavity in the inertial sensor region, and a second cavity is formed underneath the diaphragm region.

In a microelectromechanical component according to the invention, at least one microelectromechanical element (5), electrical contacting elements (3) and an insulation layer (2.2) and thereon a sacrificial layer (2.1) formed with silicon dioxide are formed on a surface of a CMOS circuit substrate (1) and the microelectromechanical element (5) is arranged freely movably in at least a degree of freedom. At the outer edge of the microelectromechanical component, extending radially around all the elements of the CMOS circuit, a gas- and/or fluid-tight closed layer (4) which is resistant to hydrofluoric acid and is formed with silicon, germanium or aluminum oxide is formed on the surface of the CMOS circuit substrate (1).

In an embodiment a device includes a substrate including an upper substrate surface and a lower substrate surface and a membrane-layer suspended above the upper substrate surface, wherein the substrate includes a recess penetrating the substrate between the lower substrate surface and the upper substrate surface, wherein the membrane-layer spans the recess, wherein the recess includes an upper recess region, an intermediate recess region, and a lower recess region, wherein the upper recess region is a part of the recess in direct vicinity to the upper substrate surface, the intermediate recess region is a part of the recess directly below the upper recess region, and the lower recess region is a part of the recess other than the upper recess region and the intermediate recess region, and wherein a cross-sectional area of the upper recess region determined parallel to the upper substrate surface is larger than a respective cross-sectional area of the intermediate recess region.

An example microelectromechanical system (MEMS) force sensor is described herein. The MEMS force sensor can include a sensor die configured to receive an applied force. The sensor die can include a first substrate and a second substrate, where a cavity is formed in the first substrate, and where at least a portion of the second substrate defines a deformable membrane. The MEMS force sensor can also include an etch stop layer arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate, and a sensing element arranged on a surface of the second substrate. The sensing element can be configured to convert a strain on the surface of the membrane substrate to an analog electrical signal that is proportional to the strain.

A robust and general fabrication/manufacturing method is described herein for the fabrication of periodic three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical nanostructures in a highly scalable and tunable manner. This nanofabrication technique exploits the selected and repeated etching of spherical particles that serve as resist material and that can be shaped in parallel for each processing step. The method enables the fabrication of periodic, vertically aligned nanotubes at the wafer scale with nanometer-scale control in three dimensions including outer/inner diameters, heights/hole-depths, and pitches. The method was utilized to construct 3D periodic hierarchical hybrid silicon and hybrid nanostructures such as multi-level solid/hollow nanotowers where the height and diameter of each level of each structure can be configured precisely as well as 3D concentric plasmonic supported metal nanodisk/nanorings with tunable optical properties on a variety of substrates.

A sensor membrane structure is provided. The sensor membrane structure includes a substrate, a first insulating layer, and a device layer. The substrate has a first surface and a second surface that is opposite to the first surface. A cavity is formed on the first surface, an opening is formed on the second surface, and the cavity communicates with the opening. The cavity and the opening penetrate the substrate in a direction that is perpendicular to the first surface. The first insulating layer is disposed on the first surface of the substrate. The device layer is disposed on the first insulating layer.