International Business Machines Corporation

Emanuel Marc Löertscher

Ute Drechsler

Diego Monserrat Lopez

Gero Dittmann

Marcel Mayor

Gabriel Fernando Puebla Hellmann

An implant device having a biointerface. The implant device comprises a cavity and a structure enabling a flow path between the cavity and an environment of the implant device. An actuatable membrane is interposed in the flow path. The device includes a power-generating unit and a control unit, where the latter is connected to the power-generating unit. An electromechanical is connected to both the control unit and the power-generating unit. The electromechanical system includes at least one actuator configured to mechanically contact the membrane. This actuator is permanently attached to the membrane. The control unit and the electromechanical system are jointly configured to cause the electromechanical system to controllably actuate the membrane via at least one actuator to control a transfer of substances between the cavity and the environment through the flow path. The invention is further directed to related operation and fabrication methods.

Implant device with MEMS (microelectromechanical system) actuated membrane

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.

Microfluidic devices with electrodes formed as physically separated sections of microchannel side walls

A system and method interpret optical characterization examinations performed with a set of optical devices. Each device comprises one or more arrays of optical metasurface structures and have arrays tailored to have distinct properties making them differ from one another. First data and second data are accessed that capture a physical fingerprint of each device and an outcome of an optical characterization examination performed with each device, respectively. The outcomes of examinations performed are impacted by the respective, distinct properties of the arrays. Each device is identified based on the first data accessed, which makes it possible to obtain a readout key associated with the identified device. This readout key accounts for the respective one of the distinct properties. Finally, the second data are interpreted according to the readout key obtained to elucidate the outcome of the optical characterization examination. The invention is further directed to related computer program products.

Interpreting optical signals from tailored arrays of metasurfaces

A method of processing a layer structure with a semiconductor layer to form metasurface structures is disclosed. The method relies on a layer structure that includes a substrate, a layer stack, and resist structures. The latter are made of a resist material that includes a semiconductor element. The layer stack is arranged on top of the substrate. The resist structures form a pattern on the layer stack. The layer stack includes: a semiconductor layer (arranged on top of the substrate); a protective layer (arranged on top of the semiconductor layer); and a transfer layer (arranged on top of the protective layer). The layer structure is obtained by forming the layer stack on top of the substrate, wherein the protective layer is deposited using an atomic-layer deposition process.

Growing community of inventors

Bonstetten, Switzerland

Emanuel Marc Löertscher