Pirelli Cavi E Sistemi S.p.a.

Wolfson Microelectronics Limited

The University of Southampton

Cirrus Logic Inc.

Oculus, Vr, LLC

Facebook Technologies, LLC

Cisco Photonics Italy S.r.l.

Alcatel Optronics UK Limited

Pirelli Cavi & Sistemi S.p.a.

Cirrus Logic International Semiconductor Limited

Richard Ian Laming

Anthony Traynor

Tsjerk Hans Hoekstra

Colin Robert Jenkins

David Neil Payne

James Ronald Bonar

Morten Ibsen

Laurence Reekie

Michael Nickolaos Zervas

Wei-Hung Loh

Martin Cole

Liang C Dong

James Small

Gareth John Valentine

Zheng Gong

Mark Begbie

Euan James Boyd

Scott Lyall Cargill

Bryce Neilson Samson

Michael Kevan Durkin

Daniel William Hewak

Jose Luis Cruz

Axel Thomsen

Shinji Yamashita

Marek Sebastian Piechocinski

Valeria Gusmeroli

Sze Yun Set

Paul R Morkel

Masao Tachibana

John D Minelly

Erland Ronnekleiv

John James O'Reilly

David Atkinson

Sergio Barcelos

William Simon Brocklesby

The application describes MEMS transducers having a patterned membrane electrode which incorporates a plurality of openings or voids. A conductive element is provided on the surface of the underlying membrane within the opening.

MEMS devices and processes

A MEMS transducer may comprise a membrane supported relative to a substrate, the membrane comprising a first region and a second region, wherein the first region comprises a central region and plurality of arms which extend laterally from the central region and wherein the second region is separated from the first region by a channel which extends through the membrane.

There is herein described light generating electronic components with improved light extraction and a method of manufacturing said electronic components. More particularly, there is described LEDs having improved light extraction and a method of manufacturing said LEDs.

Enhanced light extraction

The application describes MEMS transducer having a flexible membrane and which seeks to alleviate and/or redistribute stresses within the membrane layer. A membrane having a first/active region and a second/inactive region is described.

MEMS transducer having stress diffusing structures provided in a flexible membrane

A method of fabricating a micro-electrical-mechanical system (MEMS) transducer comprises the steps of forming a membrane on a substrate, and forming a back-volume in the substrate. The step of forming a back-volume in the substrate comprises the steps of forming a first back-volume portion and a second back-volume portion, the first back-volume portion being separated from the second back-volume portion by a step in a sidewall of the back-volume. The cross-sectional area of the second back-volume portion can be made greater than the cross-sectional area of the membrane, thereby enabling the back-volume to be increased without being constrained by the cross-sectional area of the membrane. The back-volume may comprise a third back-volume portion. The third back-volume portion enables the effective diameter of the membrane to be formed more accurately.

MEMS process and device

A MEMS comprises a back-plate () having an inner portion () and an outer portion (), the inner portion () connected to the outer portion () by a sidewall (). A raised section or anchor ring () is formed in the outer portion () of the back-plate, in a region of the back-plate near the inner perimeter of the outer portion. The anchor ring may comprise angled sidewalls. The thickness of the back-plate may be greater than the thickness of the material supporting the anchor ring. Embodiments are also disclosed in which a membrane comprises a raised portion and an outer portion connected by an angled sidewall.

MEMS device and process

A micro-electrical-mechanical device comprises: a transducer arrangement having at least a membrane being mounted with respect to a substrate; and electrical interface means for relating electrical signals to movement of the membrane; in which the transducer arrangement comprises stress alleviating formations which at least partially decouple the membrane from expansion or contraction of the substrate.

MEMS device

A method of fabricating a micro-electrical-mechanical system (MEMS) transducer comprises the steps of forming a membrane () on a substrate (), and forming a back-volume in the substrate. The step of forming a back-volume in the substrate comprises the steps of forming a first back-volume portion () and a second back-volume portion (), the first back-volume portion () being separated from the second back-volume portion () by a step in a sidewall of the back-volume. The cross-sectional area of the second back-volume portion () can be made greater than the cross-sectional area of the membrane (), thereby enabling the back-volume to be increased without being constrained by the cross-sectional area of the membrane (). The back-volume may comprise a third back-volume portion. The third back-volume portion enables the effective diameter of the membrane to be formed more accurately.

A method of fabricating a micro-electrical-mechanical system (MEMS) apparatus on a substrate () comprises the steps of processing the substrate () so as to fabricate an electronic circuit (); depositing a first electrode () that is operably coupled with the electronic circuit (); depositing a membrane () so that it is mechanically coupled to the first electrode (); applying a sacrificial layer (); depositing a structural layer () and a second electrode () that is operably coupled with the electronic circuit () so that the sacrificial layer () is disposed between the membrane () and the structural layer () so as to form a preliminary structure; singulating the substrate (); and removing the sacrificial layer () so as to form a MEMS structure, in which the step of singulating the substrate () is carried out before the step of removing the sacrificial layer ().

A MEMS device comprises a membrane layer and a back-plate layer formed over the membrane layer. The membrane layer comprises an outer portion and an inner portion raised relative to the outer portion and a sidewall for connecting the inner portion and the outer portion. The sidewall is non-orthogonal to the outer portion.

MEMS device with reduced stress in the membrane and manufacturing method

Growing community of inventors

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Richard Ian Laming