Abstract: A method of manufacturing a microphone using epitaxially grown silicon. A monolithic wafer structure is provided. A wafer surface of the structure includes poly-crystalline silicon in a first horizontal region and mono-crystalline silicon in a second horizontal region surrounding a perimeter of the first horizontal region. A hybrid silicon layer is epitaxially deposited on the wafer surface. Portions of the hybrid silicon layer that contact the poly-crystalline silicon use the poly-crystalline silicon as a seed material and portions that contact the mono-crystalline silicon use the mono-crystalline silicon as a seed material. As such, the hybrid silicon layer includes both mono-crystalline silicon and poly-crystalline silicon in the same layer of the same wafer structure. A CMOS/membrane layer is then deposited on top of the hybrid silicon layer.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a micropump, which may be for the metered delivery of insulin, multiple layers being situated on the front side of a first carrier layer, which has a front side and a rear side, and microfluidic functional elements being formed by structuring at least one of the layers. It is provided that the structuring of the at least one layer for manufacturing all microfluidic functional elements is exclusively performed by front side structuring. Furthermore, a micropump is disclosed.

Abstract: An array for placement on the skin of a human or animal patient for the purpose of the transdermal application of pharmaceuticals, toxins or active agents, having microneedles that are situated on a carrier substrate, the microneedles having a preset breaking point in the area of the transition to the carrier substrate.

Abstract: A method for producing micromechanical patterns having a relief-like sidewall outline shape or an angle of inclination that is able to be set, the micromechanical patterns being etched out of a SiGe mixed semiconductor layer that is present on or deposited on a silicon semiconductor substrate, by dry chemical etching of the SiGe mixed semiconductor layer; the sidewall outline shape of the micromechanical pattern being developed by varying the germanium proportion in the SiGe mixed semiconductor layer that is to be etched; a greater germanium proportion being present in regions that are to be etched more strongly; the variation in the germanium proportion in the SiGe mixed semiconductor layer being set by a method selected from the group including depositing a SiGe mixed semiconductor layer having varying germanium content, introducing germanium into a silicon semiconductor layer or a SiGe mixed semiconductor layer, introducing silicon into a germanium layer or an SiGe mixed semiconductor layer and/or by therm

Abstract: A method for producing a silicon substrate, including the steps of providing a silicon substrate having an essentially planar silicon surface, producing a porous silicon surface having a plurality of pores, in particular having macropores and/or mesopores and/or nanopores, applying a filling material that is to be inserted into the silicon, which has a diameter that is less than a diameter of the pores, inserting the filling material into the pores and removing the excess filling material form the silicon surface, if necessary, and tempering the silicon substrate that is furnished with the filling material that has been filled into the pores, at a temperature between ca. 1000° C. and ca. 1400° C., in order to close the generated pores again and to enclose the filling material.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing separated micromechanical components situated on a silicon substrate includes the following steps of a) providing separation trenches on the substrate via an anisotropic plasma deep etching method, b) irradiating the area of the silicon substrate which forms the base of the separation trenches using laser light, the silicon substrate being converted from a crystalline state into an at least partially amorphous state by the irradiation in this area, and c) inducing mechanical stresses in the substrate. In one specific embodiment, cavities are etched simultaneously with the etching of the separation trenches. The etching depths can be controlled via the RIE lag effect.

Abstract: A device (6) and a method for generating chlorine trifluoride is described, a high-density plasma (105) being generated in the interior of a plasma reactor (100) using plasma generating means (110, 120, 130, 150, 155, 160, 170, 180), and a first gas and a second gas, which react with one another under the influence of the high-density plasma (105) in the plasma reactor (100) under the formation of chlorine trifluoride, being supplied to the plasma reactor (100) via gas supply means (21, 22, 25, 26). In addition, a gas outlet (20) is provided, via which the generated chlorine trifluoride can be removed from the plasma reactor (100).

Abstract: A method for manufacturing porous microstructures in a silicon semiconductor substrate, porous microstructures manufactured according to this method, and the use thereof.

Abstract: A method for producing porous microneedles (10) situated in an array on a silicon substrate includes: providing a silicon substrate, applying a first etching mask, patterning microneedles using a DRIE process (“deep reactive ion etching”), removing the first etching mask, at least partially porosifying the Si substrate, the porosification beginning on the front side of the Si substrate and a porous reservoir being formed.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a microphone using epitaxially grown silicon. A monolithic wafer structure is provided. A wafer surface of the structure includes poly-crystalline silicon in a first horizontal region and mono-crystalline silicon in a second horizontal region surrounding a perimeter of the first horizontal region. A hybrid silicon layer is epitaxially deposited on the wafer surface. Portions of the hybrid silicon layer that contact the poly-crystalline silicon use the poly-crystalline silicon as a seed material and portions that contact the mono-crystalline silicon use the mono-crystalline silicon as a seed material. As such, the hybrid silicon layer includes both mono-crystalline silicon and poly-crystalline silicon in the same layer of the same wafer structure. A CMOS/membrane layer is then deposited on top of the hybrid silicon layer.

Abstract: A method for detecting the state of a vehicle tire and/or a roadway, in which at least one sensor, in particular an acceleration sensor, disposed in the tire interior generates a signal that is assigned to physical variables of the vehicle tire and/or the roadway. A tire state and/or characteristics of the roadway are/is determined on the basis of the signal.

Abstract: A method for producing a capping wafer for a sensor having at least one cap includes: production of a contacting via extending through the wafer, and, temporally subsequent thereto, filling of the contacting via with an electrically conductive material.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a semiconductor structure is provided which includes the following steps: a crystalline semiconductor substrate (1) is supplied; a porous region (10) is provided adjacent to a surface (OF) of the semiconductor substrate (1); a dopant (12) is introduced into the porous region (10) from the surface (OF); and the porous region (10) is thermally recrystallized into a crystalline doping region (10?) of the semiconductor substrate (1) whose doping type and/or doping concentration and/or doping distribution are/is different from those or that of the semiconductor substrate (1). A corresponding semiconductor structure is likewise provided.

Abstract: A method for etching a layer that is to be removed on a substrate, in which a Si1-xGex layer is the layer to be removed, this layer being removed, at least in areas, in gas phase etching with the aid of an etching gas, in particular ClF3. The etching behavior of the Si1-xGex layer can be controlled via the Ge portion in the Si1-xGex layer. The etching method is particularly well-suited for manufacturing self-supporting structures in a micromechanical sensor and for manufacturing such self-supporting structures in a closed hollow space, because the Si1-xGex layer, as a sacrificial layer or filling layer, is etched highly selectively relative to silicon.

Abstract: A microstructure component, in particular an encapsulated micromechanical sensor element, including at least one microstructure patterned out from a silicon layer being encapsulated by a glass element. At least the region of the glass element covering the microstructure is furnished with an electrically conductive coating on its side facing the microstructure.

Abstract: A component having a robust, but acoustically sensitive microphone structure is provided and a simple and cost-effective method for its production. This microphone structure includes an acoustically active diaphragm, which functions as deflectable electrode of a microphone capacitor, a stationary, acoustically permeable counter element, which functions as counter electrode of the microphone capacitor, and an arrangement for detecting and analyzing the capacitance changes of the microphone capacitor. The diaphragm is realized in a diaphragm layer above the semiconductor substrate of the component and covers a sound opening in the substrate rear. The counter element is developed in a further layer above the diaphragm. This further layer generally extends across the entire component surface and compensates level differences, so that the entire component surface is largely planar according to this additional layer.

Abstract: A bending transducer device for generating electrical energy includes at least one elastically deformable support structure, one piezoelectric element, and a bearing device. The piezoelectric element is configured and situated on the support structure in such a way that the piezoelectric element is deformable due to a deformation of the support structure caused by vibration, and the support structure is supported vibration-capably in at least one bearing of the bearing device, the bearing being configured as an articulated receptacle, e.g., a hinge.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a semiconductor structure is provided which includes the following operations: supplying a crystalline semiconductor substrate, providing a porous region adjacent to a surface of the semiconductor substrate, introducing a dopant into the porous region from the surface, and thermally recrystallizing the porous region into a crystalline doping region of the semiconductor substrate whose doping type and/or doping concentration and/or doping distribution are/is different from those or that of the semiconductor substrate. A corresponding semiconductor structure is likewise provided.

Abstract: A system and method are described for reducing the current consumption of a microphone component without adversely affecting performance. The system includes a micromechanical microphone capacitor, an acoustically inactive compensation capacitor, an arrangement for applying a high-frequency sampling signal to the microphone capacitor and for applying the inverted sampling signal to the compensation capacitor, an integrating operational amplifier which integrates the sum of the current flow through the microphone capacitor and the current flow through the compensation capacitor as a charge amplifier, a demodulator, which is synchronized with the sampling signal, for the output signal of the integrating operational amplifier, and a low-pass filter which uses the output signal of the demodulator to obtain a microphone signal that corresponds to the changes in capacitance of the microphone capacitor. The sampling signal is composed of a periodic sequence of sampling pulses and pause times.

Abstract: A concept is proposed for a MEMS microphone which may be operated at a relatively low voltage level and still have comparatively high sensitivity. The component according to the present invention includes a micromechanical microphone structure having an acoustically active diaphragm which functions as a deflectable electrode of a microphone capacitor (1), and a stationary acoustically permeable counterelement which functions as a counter electrode of the microphone capacitor (1).