Imec Vzw

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

Imec

Asml Netherlands B.v.

King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology

Veronique Rochus

Xavier Rottenberg

Roelof Jansen

Simone Severi

Wouter Jan Westerveld

Nitesh Pandey

Sebastianus Adrianus Goorden

Geert Van Der Plas

Murali Jayapala

Guilherme Brondani Torri

Luc Roger Simonne Haspeslagh

Peter Peumans

Maarten Rosmeulen

Luc Haspeslagh

Hendrikus Tilmans

Dries Braeken

Carolina Mora Lopez

Bruno Figeys

Veerle Reumers

Alexandru Andrei

Stéphane Donnay

Benedetto Troia

Md Mahmud Ul Hasan

Mahmoud A Farghaly

Grim Keulemans

Alexandre Halbach

Aaron Delahanty

Bart Weekers

A micromirror array comprises a substrate, a plurality of minors for reflecting incident light and, for each mirror () of the plurality of minors, at least one piezoelectric actuator () for displacing the minor, wherein the at least one piezoelectric actuator is connected to the substrate. The micromirror array further comprises one or more pillars () connecting the minor to the at least one piezoelectric actuator. Also disclosed is a method of forming such a micromirror array. The micromirror array may be used in a programmable illuminator. The programmable illuminator may be used in a lithographic apparatus and/or in an inspection apparatus.

Micromirror arrays

A micromirror array includes a substrate, a plurality of mirrors for reflecting incident radiation, and for each mirror of the plurality of mirrors, a respective post connecting the substrate to the respective mirror. The micromirror array further includes, for each mirror of the plurality of mirrors, one or more electrostatic actuators connected to the substrate for applying force to the respective post to displace the respective post relative to the substrate, thereby displacing the respective mirror. Also disclosed is a method of forming such a micromirror array. The micromirror array may be used in a programmable illuminator. The programmable illuminator may be used in a lithographic apparatus and/or in an inspection apparatus.

A semiconductor cell culture device for three-dimensional cell culture comprises: a semiconductor material layer in which a cell culture portion of semiconductor material is defined, wherein the cell culture portion defines an area within the semiconductor material layer surrounded by semiconductor material, wherein the cell culture portion comprises a mesh structure having island structures being interconnected by bridge structures and defining through-pores between the island structures allowing for selective transport of cell constructs, cellular components, proteins or other large molecules through the semiconductor material layer and on opposite sides of the cell culture portion in the semiconductor material layer, and a supporting structure connected to the cell culture portion.

Semiconductor cell culture device and a system for three-dimensional cell culture

A phased array ultrasound device includes transducer elements arranged in a two dimensional array; first electrodes, each first electrode extending along a first direction; and second electrodes, each second electrode extending along a second direction, where each transducer element is associated with one first electrode and one second electrode, where each transducer element includes a material located between its associated first electrode and second electrode, and is configured to emit an ultrasonic wave induced by a vibration force or an oscillation force of its material when the transducer element is actuated based on control signals applied to its associated first electrode and second electrode, where each transducer element has a unipolar actuation force direction, and where the phased array ultrasound device is configured to create a pressure focus point by actuating a set of transducer elements to form a combined ultrasonic wave.

Phased array ultrasound device for creating a pressure focus point

A storage device configured to store data on a tape is provided. In one aspect, the storage device includes the tape, which is configured to store data, and a data head, which is configured to read and/or write data from and/or to the tape. The storage device further includes an actuator configured to move the tape in a length direction in a step-wise manner. The actuator can include a plurality of pulling electrodes, wherein each pulling electrode can be activated to exert a pulling force on the tape, and a plurality of clamping electrodes, wherein each clamping electrode can be activated to clamp the tape.

Tape based storage device having actuator including pulling and clamping electrodes

A sensor comprises: a thin structure, which is configured to receive a force for deforming a shape of the thin structure and which is arranged above a substrate; and a waveguide for guiding an electro-magnetic wave comprising: a first waveguide part; and a second waveguide part; wherein the second waveguide part has a larger width than the first waveguide part; and wherein the first and the second waveguide parts are spaced apart by a gap which is sufficiently small such that the first and second waveguide parts unitely form a single waveguide, wherein one of the first and the second waveguide part is arranged at least partly on the thin structure and another of the first and the second waveguide part is arranged on the substrate.

Environmental waveguide sensor with improved design configuration

A waveguide for guiding an electro-magnetic wave comprises: a first waveguide part; and a second waveguide part; wherein the first waveguide part has a first width in a first direction (Y) perpendicular to the direction of propagation of the electro-magnetic wave and the second waveguide part has a second width in the first direction (Y), wherein the second width is larger than the first width; and wherein the first and the second waveguide parts are spaced apart by a gap in a second direction (Z) perpendicular to the first and second planes in which the waveguide parts are formed, wherein the gap has a size which is sufficiently small such that the first and second waveguide parts unitely form a single waveguide for guiding the electro-magnetic wave. The waveguide may be used in numerous applications, such as in a photonic integrated circuit, in a sensor or in an actuator.

Waveguide for guiding an electro-magnetic wave comprising plural waveguide parts with different widths extend in parallel planes

Embodiments relate to a sensor structure for an acoustical pressure sensor and an opto-mechanical sensor and system that may be used for detecting acoustical pressure waves. Embodiments of a sensor structure for an acoustical pressure sensor include an optical waveguide closed-loop resonator and a plurality of sensor elements. The individual sensor elements of the plurality of sensor elements are configured to be affected by an acoustical pressure wave such that a physical property of the individual sensor element is changed. The optical waveguide closed-loop resonator is arranged at the plurality of sensor elements and associated with each of the individual sensor elements such that a resonance frequency of the optical waveguide closed-loop resonator is shifted due to the affected physical properties of all individual sensor elements. The sensor structure provides a high sensitivity from each sensor element, which is advantageous in e.g. ultrasonic imaging, such as photo-acoustic imaging where the signals typically are low.

Acoustical pressure sensor with photonic waveguide

A method for producing an image sensor comprises: depositing a first back-end-of-line, BEOL, layer above a substrate comprising an array of light-detecting elements, said BEOL layer comprising metal wirings being arranged to form connections to components on the substrate and together with depositing the first BEOL layer, improving planarization of the first BEOL layer by depositing a planarizing metal dummy pattern in the first BEOL layer, wherein a part of the planarizing metal dummy pattern is arranged above a light-detecting element, wherein the planarizing metal dummy patterns is formed from the same material as the metal wirings and is deposited to planarize density of the metal deposited in the first BEOL layer across a surface of the layer and wherein a shape and/or position of the metal dummy pattern above the array of light-detecting elements is designed to provide a desired effect on incident light.

Method for producing an image sensor, and an image sensor

An optical gyroscope and a method for measuring an angular velocity of rotation are described. A closed-path optical cavity is configured for receiving at least a first optical signal circulating as at least one cavity mode of pre-determined orientation (inside the optical cavity. An extractor in optical communication with the optical cavity is configured for extracting a fraction of at least the circulating first optical signal from the optical cavity, wherein an amplitude of the extracted fraction increases when a resonance condition for the optical cavity in optical communication with the extractor is approached. A readout channel included in the optical gyroscope comprises an interferometric device adapted to spectrally modify the extracted fraction so as to produce a spectral Vernier effect. A difference between free spectral ranges of the interferometric device and the optical cavity is larger than the associated spectral widths. Readout detectors are included in the readout channel for detecting optical power levels of the spectrally modified optical signal, based on which the angular velocity is determined.

Optical gyroscope

A method for manufacturing of a waveguide for guiding an electro-magnetic wave comprising: forming a first waveguide layer, a sacrificial layer and a protection layer on a first wafer, patterning to define a pattern of a first waveguide part and a supporting structure in the first waveguide layer; exposing the sacrificial layer on the first waveguide part while the protection layer still covers the sacrificial layer on the supporting structure; removing the sacrificial layer on the first waveguide part; removing the protection layer; bonding a second wafer to the sacrificial layer of the first wafer such that a second waveguide part is supported by the supporting structure and a gap corresponding to the thickness of the sacrificial layer is formed between the first and second waveguide parts.

Method for manufacturing a waveguide for guiding an electro-magnetic wave

A force sensing device comprises: a membrane (), which is configured to deform upon receiving a force; a first Mach Zehnder-type interferometer device (); a second Mach Zehnder-type interferometer device (), wherein a first measurement propagation path () of the first Mach Zehnder-type interferometer device () and a second measurement propagation path () of the second Mach Zehnder-type interferometer device () are arranged on or in the membrane (), and wherein the first measurement propagation path () and the second measurement propagation path () are differently sensitive to applied force on the membrane ().

Force sensing device and a force sensing system

An integrated photonic device comprises: an input waveguide configured to extend in an input plane, and an output waveguide configured to extend in an output plane, wherein the output plane is parallel to or contained within the input plane; an input coupler optically coupled to the input waveguide, wherein the input coupler is configured to redirect a light signal out of the input waveguide and the input plane; a light property modifier configured to receive the light signal from the input coupler and reflect the light signal towards the output plane, wherein the light property modifier is configured to selectively adjust an optical path length of the light signal; and an output coupler optically coupled to the output waveguide, wherein the output coupler is configured to receive the reflected light signal from the light property modifier and redirect the light signal into the output waveguide and the output plane.

Integrated photonic device for modulating the phase of a light signal

A two-axes MEMS magnetometer includes, in one plane, a freestanding rectangular frame having inner walls and four torsion springs, wherein opposing inner walls of the frame are contacted by one end of only two torsion springs, each torsion spring being anchored by its other end, towards the center of the frame, to a substrate. In operation, the magnetometer measures the magnetic field in two orthogonal sensing modes using differential capacitance measurements.

Two axes MEMS resonant magnetometer

Micro-mirror arrays configured for use in a variable focal length lens are described herein. An example variable focal length lens comprises a micro-mirror array having a plurality of micro-mirror elements arranged in at least a first section and a second section. Each micro-mirror element has a tilt axis and comprises, on each of two opposing sides of the tilt axis, (i) at least one actuation electrode, (ii) at least one measurement electrode, and (iii) at least one stopper. Additionally, each micro-mirror element in the first section has a first tilt angle range, and each micro-mirror element in the second section has a second tilt angle range, with the first tilt angle range being less than the second tilt angle range.

Growing community of inventors

Embourg, Belgium

Veronique Rochus