34 results about "Bulk micromachining" patented technology

A microphone having an optical component for converting the sound-induced motion of the diaphragm into an electronic signal using a diffraction grating. The microphone with inter-digitated fingers is fabricated on a silicon substrate using a combination of surface and bulk micromachining techniques. A 1 mm×2 mm microphone diaphragm, made of polysilicon, has stiffeners and hinge supports to ensure that it responds like a rigid body on flexible hinges. The diaphragm is designed to respond to pressure gradients, giving it a first order directional response to incident sound. This mechanical structure is integrated with a compact optoelectronic readout system that displays results based on optical interferometry.

A submount substrate for mounting a light emitting device and a method of fabricating the same, wherein since a submount substrate for mouthing a light emitting device in which a Zener diode device is integrated can be fabricated by means of a silicon bulk micromachining process without using a diffusion mask, some steps of processes related to the diffusion mask can be eliminated to reduce the manufacturing costs, and wherein since a light emitting device can be flip-chip bonded directly to a submount substrate for a light emitting device in which a Zener diode device is integrated, a process of packaging the light emitting device and the voltage regulator device can be simplified.

A two-stage acceleration sensing apparatus is disclosed which has applications for use in a fuze assembly for a projected munition. The apparatus, which can be formed by bulk micromachining or LIGA, can sense acceleration components along two orthogonal directions to enable movement of a shuttle from an “as-fabricated” position to a final position and locking of the shuttle in the final position. With the shuttle moved to the final position, the apparatus can perform one or more functions including completing an explosive train or an electrical switch closure, or allowing a light beam to be transmitted through the device.

As well as achieving both downsizing and thickness reduction and sensitivity improvement of a semiconductor device that has: a MEMS sensor formed by bulk micromachining technique such as an acceleration sensor and an angular rate sensor; and an LSI circuit, a packaging structure of the semiconductor device having the MEMS sensor and the LSI circuit can be simplified. An integrated circuit having MISFETs and wirings is formed on a silicon layer of an SOI substrate, and the MEMS sensor containing a structure inside is formed by processing a substrate layer of the SOI substrate. In other words, by using both surfaces of the SOI substrate, the integrated circuit and the MEMS sensor are mounted on one SOI substrate. The integrated circuit and the MEMS sensor are electrically connected to each other by a through-electrode provided in the SOI substrate.

The present invention provides fabrication methods using sacrificial materials comprising polymers. In some embodiments, the polymer may be treated to alter its solubility with respect to at least one solvent (e.g., aqueous solution) used in the fabrication process. The preparation of the sacrificial materials is rapid and simple, and dissolution of the sacrificial material can be carried out in mild environments. Sacrificial materials of the present invention may be useful for surface micromachining, bulk micromachining, and other microfabrication processes in which a sacrificial layer is employed for producing a selected and corresponding physical structure.

A hydrogel-driven micropump, comprising: two fluid chambers; a fluid channel, connecting the two fluid chambers; a first substrate plate and a second substrate plate, which are glass wafers produced by micromechanical working, each having accommodation chambers which are filled in hydrogel which are placed next to the two fluid chambers and connected by inward extending bridges, with electric terminals leading to the accommodation chambers; a middle substrate, sandwiched between the first and second substrate plates and made by a bulk micromachining process, having separated accommodation chambers close to ends thereof. A separating block is placed between the accommodation chambers. The middle substrate between the first and second substrate plates forms a micropump body. All of the substrates are separated by membranes. The accommodation chambers for electrophoretic fluid are located between the membranes and the first and second substrate plates, respectively, and insulating material. An electrophoretic fluid channel is left between the membranes and the bridges. The fluid channel is placed within the middle substrate between the membranes. The first substrate plate has through holes from outside to the two fluid chambers, allowing fluid to be injected.

A process producing a single-crystalline device fabricated on a single-sided polished wafer employing processing from only the front-side and having a significant separation between the device and substrate is provided. In one embodiment, a method comprises an upper layer and a lower substrate. A device is formed in the upper layer, defined by gaps. The gaps are filled with at least one material that has etch characteristics different from those of the device and the substrate. At least a top portion of the gap material is removed from the upper layer. The gap material is etched so that a portion of the gap-material remains on the sidewalls of the surrounding upper layer. The material beneath the device is then etched, excluding an insulating layer beneath the device, releasing the device from the substrate. The insulating material beneath the device is then etched, the etch being selective to the insulating material and the gap material.

An inertia device is constructed by both suspension structure and micro-electroplating structure. The suspension structure may be manufactured by surface micromachining technique of sacrificial layer process or bulk micromachining technique incorporating with thin film process. One side of the suspension structure is arranged firmly to a supporting piece, so that another side of the suspension structure is in a suspension state. The suspension side of the suspension structure is made as micro-electroplating structure through the micro-electroplating process and functions as inertia mass for an inertia sensor. The size of the micro-electroplating structure may be changed through the micro-electroplating process, such that the inertia sensor may be adapted for sensing in different levels. Furthermore, a microstructure of high aspect ratio may be achieved by taking the advantage of a metal during the selection of a processing material, such that the objective for lateral sensing or driving signal may be fulfilled.

A mechanism and method for motion conversion is disclosed. This mechanism can be easily fabricated using standard bulk micromachining technology. Based on this method with appropriate design, a horizontal, in-plane motion can be converted to a vertical or angular displacement out-of-plane. This design has great advantages in micro devices, which are built from a single layer, i.e. wafer fabrication, where an in-plane force is easy to implement, such as by the use of comb drive mechanisms, but an out-of-plane motion may be hard to achieve. The mechanism comprises a pair of beams of different heights, rigidly connected together at a number of points along their length, such that application of an in-plane force to the double beam structure results in out-of-plane motion of the double beam structure at points distant from the point of application of the force.

A manufacturing process of a three-layer continuous surface MEMS deformable mirror based on a bonding process, which mainly includes dry etching a release hole on the upper surface of an SOI wafer, partially releasing the middle oxide layer of the SOI wafer, and performing a process on the lower surface of the SOI wafer. Wet etching, and deposit metal on another substrate (silicon wafer or glass) as an electrode structure, and finally bond the substrate with the SOI wafer. It is characterized in that the bulk silicon micromachining process and the surface micromachining process are combined, and the upper two-layer structure obtained by the bulk silicon process is bonded with the lower electrode structure layer obtained by surface micromachining to obtain a three-layer micromechanical structure. . The invention is a three-layer continuous surface MEMS deformable mirror based on a bonding process, and its manufacturing process is relatively easy, which solves the disadvantage that the traditional continuous surface micromechanical deformable mirror is difficult to process through three-layer surface micromachining, and the processing The deformable mirror can obtain a large out-of-plane displacement, and eliminate the defect of short circuit caused by electrostatic pull-in by adding a silicon nitride insulating layer, and can be widely used in the fields of optical communication and adaptive optics.

The invention relates to the fabrication method of the ultra-low-pressure sensor silicon chips, which develops the ultra-low-pressure sensor silicon microchips with high sensitivity under the condition of ensuring the high linear accuracy by adopting the combination of the planar process of silicon and process technology of bulk micromachining, adopting the planar process technology of the integrated circuit and anisotropic erosion of silicon, combining the advantages of the beam diaphragm structure and the plane membrane twin islands structure in the pressure sensor chip design and adopting the twin islands-beam-membrane structure to fully concentrate the stress. The method mainly comprises the steps such as oxidation-dual surface lithography alignment mark- oxidation-lithography back large membrane and lithography facade beam zone-back large membrane and facade beam zone erosion- oxidation-lithography back stress unification zone- back stress unification zone erosion-back glue protection and facade rinse SiO2 layer- oxidation- lithography resistance zone-sensing resistor zone boron dope- lithography heavy boron zone-heavy boron-diffusion formed ohm zone-top and back deposit silicon nitride- lithography pin hole- lithography back small island, lithography back large island-facade aluminum coating, etching back aluminum wire and alloyage-entering the corrosion technology process.