Meridian Innovation Pte Ltd

Agency for Science, Technology and Research

Pgs Geophysical as

Ilker Ender Ocak

Piotr Kropelnicki

Paul Simon Pontin

Wan Chia Ang

Chengliang Sun

Julius Ming-Lin Tsai

Julius Ming Lin Tsai

Sanchitha Nirodha Fernando

Navab Singh

Alex Yuandong Gu

Xiaojing Mu

Xintong Zhang

He Li

Wei Zhou

A cover for an infrared detector and a method of fabricating the cover are disclosed. The cover comprises a wafer comprising a material such as silicon that transmits infrared radiation. The wafer has a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. An antireflective region is formed in the wafer to enhance transmission of infrared radiation through the cover. The antireflective region comprises a first plurality of antireflective elements such as moth-eyes formed in the first surface. The first plurality of antireflective elements are sized and shaped and arranged relative to one another to form a region of graded refractive index at the first surface so as to reduce the amount of infrared radiation reflected by the cover at the antireflective region. The cover comprises a wall extending from the first surface and surrounding the antireflective region. The wall comprises a plurality of layers of material deposited on the wafer so that, when the cover is bonded to a sensor substrate via the wall, a cavity is formed that encapsulates a sensor region of the sensor substrate. The depth of the cavity may be adjusted by depositing the plurality of layers of material with a combined thickness equivalent to the desired depth of the cavity. A second plurality of antireflective elements may be formed in the second surface to enhance the antireflective properties of the antireflective region.

Cover for an infrared detector and a method of fabricating a cover for an infrared detector

A complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) device embedded with micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) components in a MEMS region is disclosed. The MEMS components, for example, are infrared (IR) thermosensors. The MEMS sensors are integrated on the CMOS device monolithically after CMOS processing. For example, the MEMS sensors are formed over a BEOL dielectric of a CMOS device. The device is encapsulated with a CMOS compatible IR transparent cap to hermetically seal the MEMS sensors in the MEMS region.

Monolithic post complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor integration of thermoelectric-based infrared detector

A complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) device embedded with micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) components in a MEMS region. The MEMS components, for example, are infrared (IR) thermoconforms. The device is encapsulated with a CMOS compatible IR transparent cap to hermetically seal the MEMS sensors in the MEMS region. The CMOS cap includes a base cap with release openings and a seal cap which seals the release openings.

CMOS cap for MEMS devices

A complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) device integrated with micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) components in a MEMS region is disclosed. The MEMS components, for example, are infrared (IR) thermosensors. The MEMS sensors are integrated on the CMOS device heterogeneously. For example, a CMOS wafer with CMOS devices and interconnections as well as partially processed MEMS modules is bonded with a MEMS wafer with MEMS structures, post CMOS compatibility issues are alleviated. Post integration process to complete the devices includes forming contacts for interconnecting the sensors to the CMOS components as well as encapsulating the devices with a cap wafer using wafer-level vacuum packaging.

Heterogenous integration of complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor and MEMS sensors

Device and method of forming the device are disclosed. The method includes providing a substrate prepared with a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) region and a sensor region. A substrate cavity is formed in the substrate in the sensor region, the substrate cavity including cavity sidewalls and cavity bottom surface and a membrane which serves as a substrate cavity top surface. The cavity bottom surface includes a reflector. The method also includes forming CMOS devices in the CMOS region, forming a micro-electrical mechanical system (MEMS) component on the membrane, and forming a back-end-of-line (BEOL) dielectric disposed on the substrate having a plurality of interlayer dielectric (ILD) layers. The BEOL dielectric includes an opening to expose the MEMS component. The opening forms a BEOL cavity above the MEMS component.

Scalable thermoelectric-based infrared detector

Device and method of forming a device are disclosed. The device includes a substrate with a transistor component disposed in a transistor region and a micro-electrical mechanical system (MEMS) component disposed on a membrane over a lower sensor cavity in a hybrid region. The MEMS component serves as thermoelectric-based infrared sensor, a thermopile line structure which includes an absorber layer disposed over a portion of oppositely doped first and second line segments. A back-end-of-line (BEOL) dielectric is disposed on the substrate having a plurality of inter layer dielectric (ILD) layers with metal and via levels. The ILD layers include metal lines and via contacts for interconnecting the components of the device. The metal lines in the metal levels are configured to define a BEOL or an upper sensor cavity over the lower sensor cavity, and metal lines of a first metal level of the BEOL dielectric are configured to define a geometry of the MEMS component.

Method for manufacturing a thermoelectric-based infrared detector having a MEMS structure above a hybrid component

A complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) device embedded with micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) components in a MEMS region. The MEMS components, for example, are infrared (IR) thermosensors. The device is encapsulated with a CMOS compatible IR transparent cap to hermetically seal the MEMS sensors in the MEMS region. The CMOS cap includes a base cap with release openings and a seal cap which seals the release openings.

Device and method of forming the devices are disclosed. The method includes providing a substrate prepared with transistor and sensor regions. The substrate is processed by forming a lower sensor cavity in the substrate, filling the lower sensor cavity with a sacrificial material, forming a dielectric membrane in the sensor region, forming a transistor in the transistor region and forming a micro-electrical mechanical system (MEMS) component on the dielectric membrane in the sensor region. The method continues by forming a back-end-of-line (BEOL) dielectric having a plurality of interlayer dielectric (ILD) layers with metal and via levels disposed on the substrate for interconnecting the components of the device. The metal lines in the metal levels are configured to define an upper sensor cavity over the lower sensor cavity, and metal lines of a first metal level of the BEOL dielectric are configured to define a geometry of the MEMS component.

Thermoelectric-based infrared detector having a cavity and a MEMS structure defined by BEOL metals lines

According to embodiments of the present invention, an energy harvesting device is provided. The energy harvesting device includes a plurality of energy harvesting elements, each energy harvesting element including a transducer, and at least one spring arranged in between at least two energy harvesting elements of the plurality of energy harvesting elements to mechanically couple the at least two energy harvesting elements to each other. According to further embodiments of the present invention, a method for forming an energy harvesting device is also provided.

Energy harvesting device and method for forming the same

A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) accelerometer having separate sense and force-feedback electrodes is disclosed. The use of separate electrodes may in some embodiments increase the dynamic range of such devices. Other possible advantages include, for example, better sensitivity, better noise suppression, and better signal-to-noise ratio. In one embodiment, the accelerometer includes three silicon wafers, fabricated with sensing electrodes forming capacitors in a fully differential capacitive architecture, and with separate force feedback electrodes forming capacitors for force feedback. These electrodes may be isolated on a layer of silicon dioxide. In some embodiments, the accelerometer also includes silicon dioxide layers, piezoelectric structures, getter layers, bonding pads, bonding spacers, and force feedback electrodes, which may apply a restoring force to the proof mass region. MEMS accelerometers with force-feedback electrodes may be used in geophysical surveys, e.g., for seismic sensing or acoustic positioning.

Force feedback electrodes in MEMS accelerometer

An electromechanical device and method of fabrication thereof comprising: providing a first wafer with a circuit arrangement on a first surface thereof and a first electrode on a second surface thereof; forming first and second via structures from the first surface to the second surface of the first wafer, said first via electrically connecting the first electrode with the circuit arrangement; providing a second wafer with a suspended structure on a first surface thereof; forming a second electrode on the suspended structure; forming an interconnect structure on the first surface of the second wafer that electrically connects with the second electrode; bonding the first wafer to the second wafer with the second surface of the first wafer facing the first surface of the second wafer, with the second via structure electrically connecting the circuit arrangement to the interconnect structure, and the first and second electrodes forming a capacitive structure.

Electromechanical device including a suspended structure and method of fabricating the same

A fully differential microelectromechanical system (MEMS) accelerometer configured to measure Z-axis acceleration is disclosed. This may avoid some of the disadvantages in traditional capacitive sensing architectures&#x2014;for example, less sensitivity, low noise suppression, and low SNR, due to Brownian noise. In one embodiment, the accelerometer comprises three silicon wafers, fabricated with electrodes forming capacitors in a fully differential capacitive architecture. These electrodes may be isolated on a layer of silicon dioxide. In some embodiments, the accelerometer also includes silicon dioxide layers, piezoelectric structures, getter layers, bonding pads, bonding spacers, and force feedback electrodes, which may apply a force to the proof mass region. Fully differential MEMS accelerometers may be used in geophysical surveys, e.g., for seismic sensing or acoustic positioning.

Fully differential capacitive architecture for MEMS accelerometer

According to embodiments of the present invention, a sensor is provided. The sensor includes a substrate, a beam suspended from the substrate, and a plurality of conductive lines arranged on the beam, wherein the beam is adapted to be displaced in response to a current flowing through the plurality of conductive lines, and a magnetic field interacting with the beam, and wherein the sensor is configured to determine a property of the magnetic field based on the displacement of the beam. According to further embodiments of the present invention, a method of controlling a sensor is also provided.

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Singapore, Singapore

Ilker Ender Ocak