Robert Boschgmbh

Ando Lars Feyh

Gary O'Brien

Ashwin K Samarao

Gary Yama

Fabian Purkl

Bongsang Kim

Thomas Rocznik

Andrew Graham

Ralf Maier

Michael Baus

Mariusz Koc

Po-Jui Chen

Nikhil Ravi

Markus Ulm

Jochen Stehle

Joel Oudart

Steffen Zunft

Bonsang Kim

A membrane-based sensor in one embodiment includes a membrane layer including an upper surface and a lower surface, a backside trench defined on one side by the lower surface, a central cavity defined on a first side by the upper surface, a cap layer positioned above the central cavity, and a first spacer extending from the upper surface to the cap layer and integrally formed with the cap layer, the first spacer defining a second side of the central cavity and an inner membrane portion of the membrane layer.

Membrane-based sensor having a plurality of spacers extending from a cap layer

A micromechanical device having a substrate wafer, a functional layer situated above it which has a mobile micromechanical structure, and a cap situated on top thereof, having a first cavity, which is formed at least by the substrate wafer and the cap and which includes the micromechanical structure. The micromechanical device has a fixed part and a mobile part, which are movably connected to each other with at least one spring element, and the first cavity is situated in the mobile part. Also described is a method for producing the micromechanical device.

Micromechanical device having a decoupled micromechanical structure

A method of encapsulating a sensor device includes providing at least one sensor device that has a sensor portion on a substrate. An exclusionary zone is formed above an upper surface of the sensor portion. An outer boundary is formed on or about the sensor device with the outer boundary encircling the exclusionary zone. A mold material is deposited into a volume defined in part by the sensor device, the exclusionary zone, and the outer boundary to encapsulate portions of the sensor device. The exclusionary zone in one embodiment is an inner boundary that is formed on the sensor portion. The inner boundary encircles a portion of the upper surface of the sensor portion. The exclusionary zone in another embodiment is a selectively removable material deposited on the upper surface of the sensor portion. The selectively removable material occupies a space above a portion of the upper surface.

Exposed-die mold package for a sensor and method for encapsulating a sensor that interacts with the environment

A thin film gas sensor device includes a substrate, a first pillar, a second pillar, a nanostructured thin film layer, and a first and a second electrical contact. The first and second pillars are supported by the substrate. The nanostructured thin film layer is formed with a semi-conductor material including holes. The semiconductor material is configured to undergo a reduction in a density of the holes in the presence of a target gas, thereby increasing an electrical resistance of the nanostructured thin film layer. The first and the second electrical contacts are operably connected to the nanostructured thin film layer, such that the increase in electrical resistance can be detected.

Nanostructured gas sensor

A capacitive micro electrical mechanical system (MEMS) pressure sensor in one embodiment includes a base layer, a lower oxide layer supported by the base layer, a contact layer extending within the lower oxide layer, a membrane layer positioned generally above the lower oxide layer, the membrane layer including at least one protrusion extending downwardly through a portion of the lower oxide layer and contacting the contact layer, a nitride layer extending partially over the membrane layer, an upper oxide layer above the nitride layer, a backplate layer directly supported by the membrane layer and positioned above the upper oxide layer, a front-side etched portion exposing a first portion of the membrane layer through the upper oxide layer and the nitride layer, and a backside etched portion extending through the base layer, the backside etched portion at least partially aligned with the front-side etched portion.

Membrane for a capacitive MEMS pressure sensor and method of forming a capacitive MEMS pressure sensor

In one embodiment, a sensor includes a rigid wafer outer body. A first cavity is located within the rigid wafer outer body, and a first vibration isolating spring is supported by the rigid wafer outer body and extends into the first cavity. A second vibration isolating spring is supported by the rigid wafer outer body and extends into the first cavity, and a first sensor packaging is supported by the first vibration isolating spring and the second vibration isolating spring within the first cavity.

Robust inertial sensors

A micro gas chromatograph includes one or more separator columns formed within a device layer. The separator columns have small channel cross sections and long channel lengths with atomic-smooth channel sidewalls enabling a high channel packaging density, multiple channels positioned on top of each other, and channel segments that are thermally decoupled from the substrates. The micro gas-chromatograph also enables electrostatic and thermal actuators to be positioned in close proximity to the separator columns such that the material passing through the columns is one or more of locally heated, locally cooled, and electrically biased.

MEMS gas chromatograph and method of forming a separator column for a MEMS gas chromatograph

A method of fabricating a MEMS device includes depositing an expandable material into a first recess of a cap wafer. The cap wafer includes a plurality of walls that surround and define the first recess and a second recess. The cap wafer is bonded to a MEMS wafer including a first MEMS device and a second MEMS device. The first MEMS device is encapsulated in the first recess, and the second MEMS device is encapsulated in the second recess. The expandable material is then heated to at least an activation temperature to cause the expandable material to expand after the first recess has been sealed. The expansion of the expandable material causes a reduction in volume of the first recess.

Anti-getter: expandable polymer microspheres for MEMS devices

A thin film gas sensor device includes a substrate, a nanostructured thin film layer, and a first and a second electrode. The nanostructured thin film layer is supported by the substrate and is formed with a semi-conductor material including holes. The semiconductor material is configured to undergo an increase in a density of the holes in the presence of a target gas, thereby decreasing an electrical resistance of the nanostructured thin film layer. The first and the second electrodes are supported by the substrate and are operably connected to the nanostructured thin film layer, such that the decrease in electrical resistance can be detected.

Nanostructured lanthanum oxide humidity sensor

A semiconductor sensor system, in particular a bolometer, includes a substrate, an electrode supported by the substrate, an absorber spaced apart from the substrate, a voltage source, and a current source. The electrode can include a mirror, or the system may include a mirror separate from the electrode. Radiation absorption efficiency of the absorber is based on a minimum gap distance between the absorber and mirror. The current source applies a DC current across the absorber structure to produce a signal indicative of radiation absorbed by the absorber structure. The voltage source powers the electrode to produce a modulated electrostatic field acting on the absorber to modulate the minimum gap distance. The electrostatic field includes a DC component to adjust the absorption efficiency, and an AC component that cyclically drives the absorber to negatively interfere with noise in the signal.

Method to modulate the sensitivity of a bolometer via negative interference

A MEMS device includes a bolometer attached to a silicon wafer by a base portion of at least one anchor structure. The base portion comprises a layer stack having a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) configuration such that the base portion acts as a resistive switch such that, when the first DC voltage is applied to the patterned conductive layer, the base portion transitions from a high resistive state to a low resistive state, and, when the second DC voltage is applied to the patterned conductive layer, the base portion transitions from a high resistive state to a low resistive state.

Resistive switching for MEMS devices

In accordance with one embodiment, a single chip combination inertial and pressure sensor device includes a substrate, an inertial sensor including a movable sensing structure movably supported above the substrate, and a first fixed electrode positioned adjacent to the movable sensing structure, and a pressure sensor including a gap formed in the sensor at a location directly above the movable sensing structure, and a flexible membrane formed in a cap layer of the device, the flexible membrane defining a boundary of the gap and configured to flex toward and away from the gap in response to a variation in pressure above the flexible membrane.

Inertial and pressure sensors on single chip

A semiconductor gas sensor device includes a substrate, a conductive layer supported by the substrate, a non-suitable seed layer, and a porous gas sensing layer portion. The non-suitable seed layer is formed from a first material and includes a first support portion supported by the conductive layer, a second support portion supported by the conductive layer, and a suspended seed portion extending from the first support portion to the second support portion and suspended above the conductive layer. The porous gas sensing layer portion is formed from a second material and is supported directly by the non-suitable seed layer in electrical communication with the conductive layer. The first material and the second material form a non-suitable pair of materials.

Semiconductor sensor having a suspended structure and method of forming a semiconductor sensor having a suspended structure

A temperature sensing device includes a probe unit on a first end and a sensor unit on a second end opposite the first end. The first end is introduced into an environment to be measured, such as an exhaust gas line from a combustion engine, and the second end is positioned in a region outside of the environment such that the sensor unit is at least partially insulated from a temperature of the environment. The probe unit, exposed to the temperature of the environment, achieves a temperature that corresponds to the temperature of the environment. The sensor unit is operable to sense the temperature of the probe unit and generate a corresponding electrical signal usable to determine a sensed temperature of the environment. The temperature of the environment can be determined on a cycle-by-cycle basis, and is usable for implementing advanced combustion strategies such as HCCI and SACI.

System and method for remote temperature measurements in a harsh environment

A method of fabricating a semiconductor device comprises forming a dielectric layer above a substrate, the dielectric layer including a fixed dielectric portion and a proof mass portion, forming a source region and a drain region in the substrate, forming a gate electrode in the proof mass portion, and releasing the proof mass portion, such that the proof mass portion is movable with respect to the fixed dielectric portion and the gate electrode is movable with the proof mass portion relative to the source region and the drain region.

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Reutlingen, Germany

Ando Lars Feyh