A MEMS microphone includes a substrate having a cavity, a diaphragm disposed above the cavity and having a ventilation path, and a back plate disposed above the diaphragm and having a plurality of air holes. The ventilation path includes a plurality of slits extending in a circumferential direction.

An actuator includes a diaphragm, a lower electrode on the diaphragm, an electromechanical transducer film on the lower electrode, and an upper electrode on the electromechanical transducer film. The diaphragm includes a first silicon oxide film having a thickness of 0.5 m or more, a silicon layer on the first silicon oxide film, a thickness of which is 3 m or more, and a second silicon oxide film on the silicon layer, a thickness of which is 0.5 m or more. A volume resistivity of the silicon layer is 10.sup.3 .Math.cm or more and 10.sup.6 .Math.cm or less.

An actuator includes a diaphragm, a lower electrode on the diaphragm, an electromechanical transducer film on the lower electrode, and an upper electrode on the electromechanical transducer film. The diaphragm includes a first silicon oxide film having a thickness of 0.5 m or more, a silicon layer on the first silicon oxide film, a thickness of which is 3 m or more, and a second silicon oxide film on the silicon layer, a thickness of which is 0.5 m or more. A volume resistivity of the silicon layer is 10.sup.3 .Math.cm or more and 10.sup.6 .Math.cm or less.

A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) resonator includes a substrate having a substantially planar surface and a resonant member having sidewalls disposed in a nominally perpendicular orientation with respect to the planar surface. Impurity dopant is introduced via the sidewalls of the resonant member such that a non-uniform dopant concentration profile is established along axis extending between the sidewalls parallel to the substrate surface and exhibits a relative minimum concentration in a middle region of the axis.

A method for deigning a low voltage capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) is provided. The method includes starting from a base silicon wafer includes starting with a N-type Silicon Wafer and growing base oxide by patterning with a metal mask over the base oxide, patterning with a Field Oxide (FOX) Mask over a copper (Cu) or Aluminium (Al) metal (M1) layer that is deposited over the base oxide, depositing polysilicon over the entire silicon wafer and doping the polysilicon with a donor species with a concentration approaching its respective solid solubility limit and subsequently depositing titanium (Ti) over the doped polysilicon that is deposited on the entire silicon wafer and subsequently depositing a dielectric layer. The dielectric layer is standalone Silicon Dioxide or in a stack with Hafnium Oxide or alternatively in a stack with Silicon Nitride or a suitable stack of high relative permittivity materials.

A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) resonator includes a substrate having a substantially planar surface and a resonant member having sidewalls disposed in a nominally perpendicular orientation with respect to the planar surface. Impurity dopant is introduced via the sidewalls of the resonant member such that a non-uniform dopant concentration profile is established along axis extending between the sidewalls parallel to the substrate surface and exhibits a relative minimum concentration in a middle region of the axis.

Monolithic microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) based spatial light modulators (SLM) including ribbon-type modulators and drivers integrally fabricated in or on a common substrate are provided. Generally, the monolithic MEMS-based SLM includes a common electrode in or on a substrate, a number of electrostatically displaceable ribbons, each including a tensile, amorphous silicon-germanium layer (SiGe layer) that serves as a structural layer and as a ribbon electrode, and a light reflective surface on the SiGe layer facing away from the surface on the substrate. A driver including a plurality of drive channels monolithically integrated in the substrate below the surface, the driver electrically coupled to the common electrode and each ribbon electrode and operable to apply voltages thereto to drive the plurality of ribbons to modulate light reflected from the light reflective surfaces.