Stmicroelectronics S.r.l.

Stmicroelectronics (research & Development) Limited

Stmicroelectron S.r.l.

Stmicroelectronics Gmbh

Roberto Carminati

Massimiliano Merli

Enri Duqi

Sebastiano Conti

Nicolo' Boni

Sonia Costantini

Nicolo′ Boni

Domenico Giusti

Lorenzo Baldo

Marta Carminati

Giorgio Allegato

Federico Vercesi

Sonia Constantini

Flavio Francesco Villa

Bruno Murari

Carlo Valzasina

Alessandro Tocchio

Luca Giuseppe Falorni

Guido Chiaretti

Matteo Perletti

Laura Maria Castoldi

Christopher Townsend

Fabio Bottinelli

Luca Seghizzi

Fabio Luigi Grilli

Lorenzo Sarchi

Daniela Angela Luisa Gatti

Marco Zamprogno

Marco Ferrera

Gabriele Gattere

Carlo Luigi Prelini

Andrea Barbieri

Fabio Quaglia

Luca Molinari

Silvia Adorno

Alessandro Morcelli

Carla Maria Lazzari

Laura Oggioni

Irene Martini

Manuel Riani

Alessandra Sciutti

Linda Montagna

Marco Rossi

Lorenzo Vinciguerra

Gianluca Mendicino

Francesca Maria Carla Carpignano

Riccardo Gianola

Nicolò Boni

A microelectromechanical mirror device includes a supporting frame of semiconductor material and a plate of semiconductor material. The plate is connected to the supporting frame so as to be orientable around at least one rotation axis. A reflective layer is arranged on a first region of the plate. A piezoelectric actuation structure extends on a second region of the plate adjacent to the reflective layer. The piezoelectric actuation structure is configured to apply forces such as to modify a curvature of the plate.

Microelectromechanical mirror device with compensation of planarity errors

A microelectromechanical mirror device includes a fixed structure defining a cavity, a tiltable structure elastically suspended above the cavity and carrying a reflecting surface, and having a main extension in a horizontal plane. A first pair of driving arms carry respective piezoelectric material regions that are biased to cause a rotation of the tiltable structure around a first rotation axis parallel to a first horizontal axis of the horizontal plane, and elastically coupled to the tiltable structure. Elastic suspension elements that couple the tiltable structure to the fixed structure at the first rotation axis are stiff with respect to movements out of the horizontal plane and yielding with respect to torsion around the first rotation axis, and further extend between the tiltable structure and the fixed structure. The elastic suspension elements have an asymmetrical arrangement on opposite sides of the tiltable structure along the first rotation axis.

Microelectromechanical mirror device with piezoelectric actuation and improved opening angle

A microelectromechanical mirror device has, in a die of semiconductor material: a fixed structure defining a cavity; a tiltable structure carrying a reflecting region elastically suspended above the cavity; at least a first pair of driving arms coupled to the tiltable structure and carrying respective piezoelectric material regions which may be biased to cause a rotation thereof around at least one rotation axis; elastic suspension elements coupling the tiltable structure elastically to the fixed structure and which are stiff with respect to movements out of the horizontal plane and yielding with respect to torsion; and a piezoresistive sensor configured to provide a detection signal indicative of the rotation of the tiltable structure. At least one test structure is integrated in the die to provide a calibration signal indicative of a sensitivity variation of the piezoresistive sensor in order to calibrate the detection signal.

Microelectromechanical mirror device with piezoelectric actuation and piezoresistive sensing having self-calibration properties

A microelectromechanical device includes a fixed structure having a frame defining a cavity, a tiltable structure elastically suspended above the cavity with main extension in a horizontal plane, a piezoelectrically driven actuation structure which can be biased to cause a desired rotation of the tiltable structure about a first and second rotation axes, and a supporting structure integral with the fixed structure and extending in the cavity starting from the frame. Lever elements are elastically coupled to the tiltable structure at a first end by elastic suspension elements and to the supporting structure at a second end by elastic connecting elements which define a lever rotation axis. The lever elements are elastically coupled to the actuation structure so that their biasing causes the desired rotation of the tiltable structure about the first and second rotation axes.

Microelectromechanical device having a structure tiltable by piezoelectric actuation about two rotation axes

A MEMS actuator includes a mobile mass suspended over a substrate in a first direction and extending in a plane that defines a second direction and a third direction perpendicular thereto. Elastic elements arranged between the substrate and the mobile mass have a first compliance in a direction parallel to the first direction that is lower than a second compliance in a direction parallel to the second direction. Piezoelectric actuation structures have a portion fixed with respect to the substrate and a portion that deforms in the first direction in response to an actuation voltage. Movement-transformation structures coupled to the piezoelectric actuation structures include an elastic movement-conversion structure arranged between the piezoelectric actuation structures and the mobile mass. The elastic movement-conversion structure is compliant in a plane formed by the first and second directions and has first and second principal axes of inertia transverse to the first and second directions.

MEMS actuator for in-plane movement of a mobile mass and optical module comprising the MEMS actuator

Disclosed herein is an optical module including a substrate, with an optical detector, laser emitter, and support structure being carried by the substrate. An optical layer includes a fixed portion carried by the support structure, a movable portion affixed between opposite sides of the fixed portion by a spring structure, and a lens system carried by the movable portion. The movable portion has at least one opening defined therein across which the lens system extends, with at least one supporting portion extending across the at least one opening to support the lens system. The optical layer further includes a MEMS actuator for in-plane movement of the movable portion with respect to the fixed portion.

Compact line scan MEMS time of flight system with actuated lens

A MEMS micromirror device is formed in a package including a containment body and a lid transparent to a light radiation. The package forms a cavity housing a tiltable platform having a reflecting surface. A metastructure is formed on the lid and/or on the reflecting surface and includes a plurality of diffractive optical elements.

MEMS micromirror device enveloped in a package having a transparent surface and having a tiltable platform

A MEMS device is formed by a body of semiconductor material which defines a support structure. A pass-through cavity in the body is surrounded by the support structure. A movable structure is suspended in the pass-through cavity. An elastic structure extends in the pass-through cavity between the support structure and the movable structure. The elastic structure has a first and second portions and is subject, in use, to mechanical stress. The MEMS device is further formed by a metal region, which extends on the first portion of the elastic structure, and by a buried cavity in the elastic structure. The buried cavity extends between the first and the second portions of the elastic structure.

MEMS device having an improved stress distribution and manufacturing process thereof

A method of making a MEMS device including forming a mirror stack on a handle layer, applying a first bonding layer to the mirror stack, and disposing a substrate on the first bonding layer. The handle layer is removed and a second bonding layer is applied. A cap layer is disposed on the second bonding layer. The mirror stack is formed by disposing a silicon layer on the handle layer, disposing a first insulating layer on the silicon layer, etching portions of the first insulating layer, and depositing a first conductive layer on the first insulating layer. The formation also includes depositing a second insulating layer on the first conductive layer, a portion of the second insulating layer to expose a portion of the first conductive layer exposed, and forming a conductive pad on the exposed portion of the first conductive layer.

Hermetically sealed MEMS mirror and method of manufacture

A MEMS device includes a semiconductor body with a cavity and forming an anchor portion, a tiltable structure elastically suspended over the cavity, first and second support arms to support the tiltable structure, and first and second piezoelectric actuation structures biasable to deform mechanically, generating a rotation of the tiltable structure around a rotation axis. The piezoelectric actuation structures carry first and second piezoelectric displacement sensors. When the tiltable structure rotates around the rotation axis, the displacement sensors are subject to respective mechanical deformations and generate respective sensing signals in phase opposition to each other, indicative of the rotation of the tiltable structure. The sensing signals are configured to be acquired in a differential manner.

MEMS device with tiltable structure and improved control

This disclosure pertains to a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device with a tiltable structure, a fixed supporting structure, and an actuation structure with driving arms connected to the tiltable structure by elastic decoupling elements. Described herein, particularly, is a planar stop structure between the driving arms and the tiltable structure, which functions to limit movement in the tiltable plane. This stop structure includes a first projection/abutment surface pair formed by a projection extending from a driving arm and an abutment surface formed by a recess in the tiltable structure. The projection and abutment surface are adjacent and spaced apart in the device's rest condition.

Micro-electro-mechanical device with a shock-protected tiltable structure

Disclosed herein is a microelectromechanical device that features a fixed structure defining a cavity, a tiltable structure elastically suspended within the cavity, and a piezoelectrically driven actuation structure that rotates the tiltable structure about a first rotation axis. The actuation structure includes driving arms with piezoelectric material, elastically coupled to the tiltable structure by decoupling elastic elements that are stiff to out-of-plane movements but compliant to torsional movements. The tiltable structure is elastically coupled to the fixed structure at the first rotation axis using elastic suspension elements, while the fixed structure forms a frame surrounding the cavity with supporting elements. A lever mechanism is coupled between a supporting element and a driving arm.

Microelectromechanical device with a structure tiltable by piezoelectric actuation having improved mechanical and electrical characteristics

A microelectromechanical (MEMS) structure includes a fixed frame internally defining a cavity, and a mobile mass suspended in the cavity and movable with a first resonant rotational mode about a first rotation axis and with a second resonant rotational mode about a second rotation axis orthogonal to the first. A pair of supporting elements extends in the cavity, is rigidly coupled to the fixed frame, and is elastically deformable to cause rotation of the mobile mass about the first rotation axis. A pair of elastic-coupling elements is elastically coupled between the mobile mass and the first pair of supporting elements. Each of the elastic-coupling elements includes a first and second elastic portions, the first elastic portion being compliant to torsion about the second rotation axis. The second elastic portion is compliant to bending outside of a horizontal plane of main extension of the MEMS structure.

Biaxial resonant microelectromechanical mirror structure with piezoelectric actuation having improved characteristics

Disclosed herein is a method of making a microelectromechanical (MEMS) device. The method includes, in a single structural layer, affixing a tiltable structure to an anchorage portion with first and second supporting arms extending between the anchorage portion and opposite sides of the tiltable structure, and forming first and second resonant piezoelectric actuation structures extending between a constraint portion of the first supporting arm and the anchorage portion, on opposite sides of the first supporting arm. The method further includes coupling a handling wafer underneath the structural layer to define a cavity therebetween, and forming a passivation layer over the structural layer, the passivation layer having contact openings defined therein for routing metal regions for electrical coupling to respective electrical contact pads, the electrical contact pads being electrically connected to the first and second resonant piezoelectric actuation structures.

Resonant MEMS device having a tiltable, piezoelectrically controlled micromirror

A micro-machined ultrasonic transducer is proposed. The micro-machined ultrasonic transducer includes a membrane element for transmitting/receiving ultrasonic waves, during the transmission/reception of ultrasonic waves the membrane element oscillating, about an equilibrium position, at a respective resonance frequency. The equilibrium position of the membrane element is variable according to a biasing electric signal applied to the membrane element. The micro-machined ultrasonic transducer further comprises a cap structure extending above the membrane element; the cap structure identifies, between it and the membrane element, a cavity whose volume is variable according to the equilibrium position of the membrane element. The cap structure comprises an opening for inputting/outputting the ultrasonic waves into/from the cavity. The cap structure and the membrane element act as tunable Helmholtz resonator, whereby the resonance frequency is variable according to the volume of the cavity.

Micro-machined ultrasonic transducer including a tunable helmoltz resonator

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Piancogno, Italy

Roberto Carminati