A device includes a substrate comprising a first standoff, a second standoff, a third standoff, a first cavity, a second cavity, and a bonding material covering a portion of the first, the second, and the third standoff. The first cavity is positioned between the first and the second standoffs, and the second cavity is positioned between the second and the third standoffs. The first cavity comprises a first cavity region and a second cavity region separated by a portion of the substrate extruding thereto, and wherein a depth associated with the first cavity region is greater than a depth associated with the second cavity. A surface of the first cavity is covered with a getter material.

A three dimensional (3D) micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) device is provided. The device comprises a central MEMS wafer, and top and bottom cap wafers. The MEMS wafer includes a MEMS structure, such as an inertial sensor. The 5 top cap wafer, the bottom cap wafer and the MEMS wafers are stacked along a stacking axis and together form at least one hermetic cavity enclosing the MEMS structure. At least one of the top cap wafer and the bottom cap wafer is a silicon-on- insulator (SOI) cap wafer comprising a cap device layer, a cap handle layer and a cap insulating layer interposed between the cap device layer and the cap handle layer. At 10 least one electrically conductive path extends through the SOI cap wafer, establishing an electrical convection between an outer electrical contact provided on the SOI cap wafer and the MEMS structure.

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 microfabricated structure includes a perforated stator; a first isolation layer on a first surface of the perforated stator; a second isolation layer on a second surface of the perforated stator; a first membrane on the first isolation layer; a second membrane on the second isolation layer; and a pillar coupled between the first membrane and the second membrane, wherein the first isolation layer includes a first tapered edge portion having a common surface with the first membrane, wherein the second isolation layer includes a first tapered edge portion having a common surface with the second membrane, and wherein an endpoint of the first tapered edge portion of the first isolation layer is laterally offset with respect to an endpoint of the first tapered edge portion of the second isolation layer.

A process for manufacturing a diaphragm unit of a MEMS transducer that includes multiple piezoelectric transducer units, each of the multiple piezoelectric transducer units including at least one electrode layer and at least one piezoelectric layer formed on a carrier includes the step of removing the transducer units from the carrier. At least one of the transducer units that has been removed from the carrier is arranged on a diaphragm and connected to the diaphragm. Moreover, a diaphragm unit made according to the process includes a diaphragm and multiple piezoelectric transducer units arranged on and connected to the diaphragm. Each of the multiple piezoelectric transducer units includes at least one electrode layer and at least one piezoelectric layer formed on a carrier.

A MEMS module includes: a MEMS element provided with a substrate in which a hollow portion is formed, and including a movable portion, which is a part of the substrate, around the hollow portion, the movable portion having a thickness whose shape is changeable by an air pressure difference between an air pressure inside the hollow portion and an air pressure outside the substrate; and an electronic component, to which an output signal of the MEMS element is inputted, formed on the substrate, wherein the electronic component and the MEMS element are spaced apart from each other in a direction perpendicular to a thickness direction of the movable portion.

A MEMS module includes: a first MEMS element and a second MEMS element each including a movable portion which is a portion of a substrate including a hollow portion formed therein, the movable portion configured to warp in shape according to an air pressure difference between an internal air pressure inside the hollow portion and an external air pressure outside the hollow portion; and an electronic component configured to calculate a change in external air pressure outside the substrate by using an amount of warpage of the movable portion of at least one of the first MEMS element and the second MEMS element, wherein the amount of warpage of the movable portion according to the external air pressure differs between the first MEMS element and the second MEMS element.

A microfluidic chip and a fabrication method of the microfluidic chip are provided. The microfluidic chip includes an array substrate, and a hydrophobic layer disposed on a side of the array substrate. The hydrophobic layer includes at least one through-hole, and a through-hole of the at least one through-hole penetrates through the hydrophobic layer along a direction perpendicular to a plane of the array substrate. The microfluidic chip also includes at least one hydrophilic structure. A hydrophilic structure of the at least one hydrophilic structure is disposed in the through-hole.

In an optical device, when viewed from a first direction, first, second, third, and fourth movable comb electrodes are respectively disposed between a first support portion and a first end of a movable unit, between a second support portion and a second end of the movable unit, between a third support portion and the first end, and between a fourth support portion and the second end of the movable unit. The first and second support portions respectively include first and second rib portions formed so that the thickness of each of the first and second support portions becomes greater than the thickness of the first torsion bar. The third and fourth support portions respectively include third and fourth rib portions formed so that the thickness of each of the third and fourth support portions becomes greater than the thickness of the second torsion bar.

A robust MEMS transducer includes a kinetic energy diverter disposed within its frontside cavity. The kinetic energy diverter blunts or diverts kinetic energy in a mass of air moving through the frontside cavity, before that kinetic energy reaches a diaphragm of the MEMS transducer. The kinetic energy diverter renders the MEMS transducer more robust and resistant to damage from such a moving mass of air.