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.

Embodiments disclosed herein include lithographic patterning systems for non-orthogonal patterning and devices formed with such patterning. In an embodiment, a lithographic patterning system comprises an actinic radiation source, where the actinic radiation source is configured to propagate light along an optical axis. In an embodiment, the lithographic patterning system further comprises a mask mount, where the mask mount is configurable to orient a surface of a mask at a first angle with respect to the optical axis. In an embodiment, the lithographic patterning system further comprises a lens module, and a substrate mount, where the substrate mount is configurable to orient a surface of a substrate at a second angle with respect to the optical axis.

A MEMS pump includes a first substrate, a first oxide layer, a second substrate, a second oxide layer, a third substrate and a piezoelectric element sequentially stacked to form a modular structure. The first substrate has an inlet aperture. The first oxide layer has at least one fluid inlet channel and a convergence chamber. One end of the fluid inlet channel is in communication with the convergence chamber and the other end of the fluid inlet channel is in communication with the inlet aperture. The second substrate has a through hole misaligned with the inlet aperture and in communication with the convergence chamber. The second oxide layer has a gas chamber with a concave central portion. The third substrate has a plurality of gas flow channels misaligned with the through hole. The modular structure has a length, a width and a height.

Provided is a method for producing a multi-layered microchannel device by using a photosensitive resin laminate, which is highly-defined and excellent in dimension accuracy and enables channels to be partially hydrophilized or hydrophobilized, wherein the method comprises step (i) of sequentially carrying out (i-a) forming a first photosensitive resin layer on a substrate, (i-b) light-exposing the first photosensitive resin layer, and (i-c) developing the light-exposed photosensitive layer and forming a channel pattern layer, to form a first channel pattern layer; and step (ii) of sequentially carrying out (ii-a) laminating a second photosensitive resin laminate on the first channel pattern layer formed in the step (i), (ii-b) light-exposing a photosensitive layer of the second photosensitive resin laminate, and (ii-c) developing the light-exposed photosensitive layer and forming a channel pattern layer, to form a second channel pattern layer.

Micro-electro-mechanical systems and a preparation method thereof are provided. The micro-electro-mechanical systems include first fixed comb fingers, second fixed comb fingers, a support beam, a movable platform, and movable comb fingers. The first fixed comb fingers and the second fixed comb fingers are fastened to a substrate, and the first fixed comb fingers are electrically isolated from the second fixed comb fingers. Two ends of the support beam are fastened to the substrate, and the movable platform is coupled to the support beam. The movable comb fingers are coupled to the movable platform, and form a three-layer comb finger structure with the first fixed comb fingers and the second fixed comb fingers. This structure improves drive efficiency of the micro-electro-mechanical systems.

A fluidic chip includes at least one nanochannel array, the nanochannel array including a surface having a nanofluidic area formed in the material of the surface; a microfluidic area on said surface; a gradient interface area having a gradual elevation of height linking the microfluidic area and the nanofluidic area; and a sample reservoir capable of receiving a fluid in fluid communication with the microfluidic area. In another embodiment, a fluidic chip includes at least one nanochannel array, the nanochannel array includes a surface having a nanofluidic area formed in the material of the surface; a microfluidic area on said surface; and a gradient interface area linking the microfluidic area and the nanofluidic area, where the gradient interface area comprises a plurality of gradient structures, and the lateral spacing distance between said gradient structures decreases towards said nanofluidic area; and a sample reservoir capable of receiving a fluid in fluid communication with the microfluidic area.

A device includes a first layer of an electrically insulating material and a second layer of a non-electrically insulating material (e.g., semiconductor or electrically conductive) extending on the first layer. The second layer is structured so as to define opposite, lateral walls of a microchannel, a bottom wall of which is defined by an exposed surface of the first layer. The second layer is further structured to form one or more electrical insulation barriers; each barrier includes a line of through holes, each surrounded by an oxidized region of the material of the second layer. The through holes alternate with oxidized portions of the oxidized region along the line. Each barrier extends, as a whole, laterally across the second layer up to one of the lateral walls and delimits two sections of the second layer on each side of the barrier and on a same side of the microchannel.

A semiconductor device composed of a capacitive humidity sensor comprised of a moisture-sensitive polymer layer electrografted to an electrically conductive metal layer situated on an CMOS substrate or a combined MEMS and CMOS substrate, and exposed within an opening through a passivation layer, packages composed of the encapsulated device, and methods of forming the capacitive humidity sensor within the semiconductor device, are provided.

A method of manufacturing a plurality of through-holes in a layer of first material, for example for the manufacturing of a probe comprising a tip containing a channel. To manufacture the through-holes in a batch process, a layer of first material is deposited on a wafer comprising a plurality of pits a second layer is provided on the layer of first material, and the second layer is provided with a plurality of holes at central locations of the pits; using the second layer as a shadow mask when depositing a third layer at an angle, covering a part of the first material with said third material at the central locations, and etching the exposed parts of the first layer using the third layer as a protective layer.

The present invention relates to a device for interfacing nanofluidic and microfluidic components suitable for use in performing high throughput macromolecular analysis. Diffraction gradient lithography (DGL) is used to form a gradient interface between a microfluidic area and a nanofluidic area. The gradient interface area reduces the local entropic barrier to nanochannels formed in the nanofluidic area. In one embodiment, the gradient interface area is formed of lateral spatial gradient structures for narrowing the cross section of a value from the micron to the nanometer length scale. In another embodiment, the gradient interface area is formed of a vertical sloped gradient structure. Additionally, the gradient structure can provide both a lateral and vertical gradient.