A micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) device includes a first electrode formed on a substrate, a second electrode that faces the first electrode, a protective film formed on the substrate with a space therebetween in which the first and second electrodes are located, and a sealing layer covering the protective film. The second electrode has a curved structure extending in a direction away from the first electrode, and is movable toward or away from the first electrode. The protective film has a plurality of openings formed therein and a protrusion that protrudes toward the second electrode.

A micromachined tunable capacitor. A pair of first and second MEMS fabricated flexures are flexibly coupled to a piezo actuator drive element configured wherein a stress or strain induced by the piezo actuator drive element urges a first movable capacitor plate element a predetermined distance toward or away from a second capacitor plate element proportional to a predetermined voltage signal.

A sensor package can include a substrate including a plurality of layers. The plurality of layers can include a first pair of layers and a second pair of layers different from the first pair of layers. The substrate can have a first side and a second side opposite the first side. The sensor package can include a transducer coupled to the second side of the substrate. The sensor package can include an inductor electrically coupled to the transducer. The inductor can be configured as a single layer trace on an inductor layer within the substrate and disposed between the first pair of layers within the substrate. The first pair of layers can be more distal from the second side of the substrate than the second pair of layers.

A method of fabricating a semiconductor device comprises forming a dielectric layer above a substrate, the dielectric layer including a fixed dielectric portion and a proof mass portion, forming a source region and a drain region in the substrate, forming a gate electrode in the proof mass portion, and releasing the proof mass portion, such that the proof mass portion is movable with respect to the fixed dielectric portion and the gate electrode is movable with the proof mass portion relative to the source region and the drain region.

An integrated circuit includes several metallization levels separated by an insulating region. A hollow housing whose walls comprise metallic portions is produced within various metallization levels. A controllable capacitive device includes a suspended metallic structure situated in the hollow housing within a first metallization level including a first element fixed on two fixing zones of the housing and at least one second element extending in cantilever fashion from the first element and includes a first electrode of the capacitive device. A second electrode includes a first fixed body situated at a second metallization level adjacent to the first metallization level facing the first electrode. The first element is controllable in flexion from a control zone of this first element so as to modify the distance between the two electrodes.

According to one embodiment, an electronic device includes a base region, an element portion located on the base region, the element portion including a movable portion, and a protective film overlying the element portion and forming a cavity on an inner side of the protective film. The protective film includes a first protective layer and a second protective layer located on the first protective layer. A hole extends in a direction parallel to a main surface of the base region, and the second protective layer covers the hole.

In described examples, a cavity is formed between a substrate and a cap. One or more access holes are formed through the cap for removing portions of a sacrificial layer from within the cavity. A cover is supported by the cap, where the cover is for occulting the one or more access holes along a perspective. An encapsulant seals the cavity, where the encapsulant encapsulates the cover and the one or more access holes.

According to one embodiment, a sensor includes a base body, a first structure body, and a second structure body. The first structure body includes a first fixed portion, a first conductive portion, and first electrodes. The first fixed portion is fixed to the base body. The first conductive portion is held by the first fixed portion. The first conductive portion is separated from the base body in a first direction. The first electrodes are held by the first conductive portion. A distance between the base body and the first electrodes is changeable. The second structure body includes a second conductive portion and second electrodes. The second conductive portion is fixed to the base body. The second electrodes are held by the second conductive portion. One of the second electrodes is between the one of the first electrodes and the other one of the first electrodes.

A sensor is achieved by applying a layer of a mixture that contains polymer and conductive particles over a substrate or first surface, when the mixture has a first viscosity that allows the conductive particles to rearrange within the material. An electric field is applied over the layer, so that a number of the conductive particles are assembled into one or more chain-like conductive pathways with the field and thereafter the viscosity of the layer is changed to a second, higher viscosity, in order to mechanically stabilise the material. The conductivity of the pathway is highly sensitive to the deformations and it can therefore act as deformation sensor. The pathways can be transparent and is thus suited for conductive and resistive touch screens. Other sensors such as strain gauge and vapour sensor can also be achieved.

Nano-electromechanical systems (NEMS) sensor devices that utilize thin electrically conductive membranes, which can be, for example, graphene membranes. The NEMS devices can have a trough shape (such as a serpentine shape arrangement) of the electrically conductive membrane. The thin, electrically conductive membrane has membrane-structures disposed upon it in an array of cavities. These membrane structures are between the thin, electrically conductive membrane and the main membrane trace. Such an arrangement increases the sensitivity of the NEMS sensor device. The electrically conductive membrane can be controllably wicked down on the edge of the oxide cavity to increase the sensitivity of the NEMS sensor device. Such NEMS sensor devices include NEMS sensor devices that are well suited to applications that measure magnetic fields that, operate below 10 kHz, such as brain-computer interfaces.