Robert Boschgmbh

Graham, Andrew

Chen, Po-jui

Yama, Gary

O'brien, Gary

Purkl, Fabian

Feyh, Ando, Lars

Waffenschmidt, Sybille

Lammel, Gerhard

Feyh, Ando

Gary O'Brien

Gary Yama

Andrew Graham

Ando Feyh

Ashwin K Samarao

Fabian Purkl

Ando Lars Feyh

Bongsang Kim

Po-Jui Chen

Thomas Rocznik

Ralf Maier

Michael Baus

Mariusz Koc

Jochen Reinmuth

Nikhil Ravi

Gerhard Lammel

Jochen Stehle

Joel Oudart

Steffen Zunft

John Provine

Sibylle Waffenschmidt

Bonsang Kim

Andrew B Graham

Ando Feyn

Sybille Waffenschmidt

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 electrode supported by the substrate, a second electrode supported by the substrate, and a gas-sensitive structure. The gas-sensitive structure is supported by the substrate and is electrically connected to the first and second electrodes. The gas sensitive structure includes a plurality of thin film layers of a first material vertically interleaved with a plurality of thin film layers of a second material. The first and second materials are mutually catalytic materials.

Nanolaminate gas sensor and method of fabricating a nanolaminate gas sensor using atomic layer deposition

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 Li-ion battery in one embodiment includes a lithium based compound in a cathode, a first porous silicon portion in an anode, and a layer of atomic layer deposited (ALD) alumina coating the first porous silicon portion and contacting the cathode.

Li-ion battery with alumina coated porous silicon anode

A sensor device package includes a pressure sensor and a humidity sensor mounted on the same substrate and in the same housing with light protection for the pressure sensor a media opening for gas exchange for the humidity sensor. Light protection and rapid response times are provided through strategic positioning of the media opening, strategic arrangement of the pressure sensor, humidity sensor, and the media opening, and/or the use of opaque materials.

Combined pressure and humidity sensor

A device with an out-of-plane electrode includes a device layer positioned above a handle layer, a first electrode defined within the device layer, a cap layer having a first cap layer portion spaced apart from an upper surface of the device layer by a gap, and having an etch stop perimeter defining portion defining a lateral edge of the gap, and an out-of-plane electrode defined within the first cap layer portion by a spacer.

Epi-poly etch stop for out of plane spacer defined electrode

A trenched base capacitive humidity sensor includes a plurality of trenches formed in a conductive layer, such as polysilicon or metal, on a substrate. The trenches are arranged parallel to the each other and partition the conductive layer into a plurality of trenched silicon electrodes. At least two trenched silicon electrodes are configured to form a capacitive humidity sensor. The trenches that define the trenched silicon electrodes can be filled partially (e.g., sidewall coverage) or completely with polyimide (Pl) or silicon nitride (SiN). A polyimide layer may also be provided on the conductive layer over the trenches and trenched electrodes. The trenches and the trenched silicon electrodes may have different widths to enable different sensor characteristics in the same structure.

Trench based capacitive humidity sensor

A system and method for forming a sensor device with a buried first electrode includes providing a first silicon portion with an electrode layer and a second silicon portion with a device layer. The first silicon portion and the second silicon portion are adjoined along a common oxide layer formed on the electrode layer of the first silicon portion and the device layer of the second silicon portion. The resulting multi-silicon stack includes a buried lower electrode that is further defined by a buried oxide layer, a highly-doped ion implanted region, or a combination thereof. The multi-silicon stack has a plurality of silicon layers and silicon dioxide layers with electrically isolated regions in each layer allowing for both the lower electrode and an upper electrode. The multi-silicon stack further includes a spacer that enables the lower electrode to be accessible from a topside of the sensor device.

System and method for forming a buried lower electrode in conjunction with an encapsulated MEMS device

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.

Growing community of inventors

Palo Alto, CA, United States of America

Gary O'Brien