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 method for producing a bonding pad for a micromechanical sensor element. The method includes: depositing a first metal layer onto a top face of the functional layer, and depositing a second metal layer onto the first metal layer, wherein only the first layer or only the second layer is formed in a border region extending around a bonding pad region; covering a protective layer over a top face of the second metal layer in the bonding pad region and over the first or second metal layer in an inner peripheral portion of the border region, which inner peripheral portion adjoins the bonding pad region; etching the first or second layer at least in an outer peripheral portion of the border region down to the top face of the functional layer; removing the protective layer; carrying out an etching process starting from the top face of the layered structure.

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.

The disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing recessed micromechanical structures in a MEMS device wafer. First vertical trenches in the device wafer define the horizontal dimensions of both level and recessed structures. The horizontal face of the device wafer and the vertical sidewalls of the first vertical trenches are then covered with a self-supporting etching mask which is made of a self-supporting mask material, which is sufficiently rigid to remain standing vertically in the location where it was deposited even as the sidewall upon which it was deposited is etched away. Recess trenches are then etched under the protection of the self-supporting mask. The method allows a spike-preventing aggressive etch to be used for forming the recess trenches, without harming the sidewalls in the first vertical trenches.

Micro gas chromatographic devices are provided having a microfluidic separation column and a plurality of capillaries where the capillaries have been independently configured in terms of the capillary length, capillary width, the packing density and packing geometry of the capillary using one or more micro pillars, the tortuosity of the capillary path, and the presence and identity of the stationary phase for use in micro gas chromatographic separation of complex mixtures of compounds. Through the plurality of capillaries, the devices are capable of discriminating between complex samples even in instances where complete separation of the components is not possible. Methods of fabrication and methods of use of the devices are also provided. The devices can be readily fabricated using known techniques. The devices can be used for the analysis of complex mixtures of compounds containing tens or hundreds of compounds in which just a few differ in presence or concentration.

A shadow mask having two or more levels of openings enables selective step coverage of micro-fabricated structures within a micro-optical bench device. The shadow mask includes a first opening within a top surface of the shadow mask and a second opening within the bottom surface of the shadow mask. The second opening is aligned with the first opening and has a second width less than a first width of the first opening. An overlap between the first opening and the second opening forms a hole within the shadow mask through which selective coating of micro-fabricated structures within the micro-optical bench device may occur.

A process for manufacturing a microelectromechanical mirror device includes, in a semiconductor wafer, defining a support frame, a plate connected to the support frame so as to be orientable around at least one rotation axis, and cantilever structures extending from the support frame and coupled to the plate so that bending of the cantilever structures causes rotations of the plate around the at least one rotation axis. The process further includes forming piezoelectric actuators on the cantilever structures, forming pads on the support frame, and forming spacer structures protruding from the support frame more than both the pads and the stacks of layers forming the piezoelectric actuators.

In an example, a method includes depositing an organic polymer layer on one or more material layers. The method also includes thermally curing the organic polymer layer. The method includes depositing a hard mask on the organic polymer layer and depositing a photoresist layer on the hard mask. The method also includes patterning the photoresist layer to expose at least a portion of the hard mask. The method includes etching the exposed portion of the hard mask to expose at least a portion of the organic polymer layer. The method also includes etching the exposed portion of the organic polymer layer to expose at least a portion of the one or more material layers.

A method for producing a first and second micromirror device. A silicon oxide layer is applied to at least the front side of a silicon wafer. The silicon oxide layer is removed so that a first and second separation region of the silicon oxide layer are generated, which are arranged spatially separated from each other along a separation plane. A silicon layer is applied to the front side of the silicon wafer and to the silicon oxide layer. An etching mask is applied to the rear side of the silicon wafer, the etching mask having a first opening along the separation plane of the first and second separation region. The silicon layer and the silicon wafer are removed, according to the etching mask on the rear side of the silicon wafer and according to the silicon oxide layer of the first and second separation region.