Abstract: A method for fabricating a MEMS sensor device. The method can include providing a substrate, forming an IC layer overlying the substrate, forming an oxide layer overlying the IC layer, forming a metal layer coupled to the IC layer through the oxide layer, forming a MEMS layer having a pair of designated sense electrode portions and a designated proof mass portion overlying the oxide layer, forming a via structure within each of the designated sense electrode portions, and etching the MEMS layer to form a pair of sense electrodes and a proof mass from the designated sense electrode portions and proof mass portions, respectively. The via structure can include a ground post and the proof mass can include a sense comb. The MEMS sensor device formed using this method can result is more well-defined edges of the proof mass structure.

Abstract: A system for testing a device under a high gravitational force including a centrifuge with a rotating member and method of operation thereof. An operating power can be applied to a device, which can be coupled to the rotating member. The system can include a rotational control that can be coupled to the centrifuge. This rotational control can be configured to rotate the rotating member in response to a controlled number of revolutions per time period. The system can also include an analysis device for monitoring one or more signals from the device with respect to the controlled number of revolutions per time period. The analysis device can be configured to determine a stiction force associated with the DUT (Device Under Test) in response to the time-varying gravitational forces and to the one or more signals from the DUTs.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for determining rotational rate of a computer system programmed to perform the method includes determining in a physical perturbation sensor in the computer system, a plurality of instantaneous field measurements with respect to a reference field, at a first time and a second time, determining in the computer system, a plurality of rates of change associated with the physical perturbation sensor in response to the plurality of instantaneous field measurements at the first time and the second time, determining in the computer system, an plurality of estimated rotational rates for the computer system in response to the plurality of rates of change, and performing in the computer system, an operation in response to the plurality of estimated rotational rates.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a multiple MEMS device includes providing a semiconductor substrate having a first and second MEMS device, and an encapsulation wafer with a first cavity and a second cavity, which includes at least one channel. The first MEMS is encapsulated within the first cavity and the second MEMS device is encapsulated within the second cavity. These devices is encapsulated within a first encapsulation environment at a first air pressure, and encapsulating the first MEMS device within the first cavity at the first air pressure. The second MEMS device within the second cavity is then subjected to a second encapsulating environment at a second air pressure via the channel of the second cavity.

Abstract: A multi-axis integrated MEMS inertial sensor device. The device can include an integrated 3-axis gyroscope and 3-axis accelerometer on a single chip, creating a 6-axis inertial sensor device. The structure is spatially configured with efficient use of the design area of the chip by adding the accelerometer device to the center of the gyroscope device. The design architecture can be a rectangular or square shape in geometry, which makes use of the whole chip area and maximizes the sensor size in a defined area. The MEMS is centered in the package, which is beneficial to the sensor's temperature performance. Furthermore, the electrical bonding pads of the integrated multi-axis inertial sensor device can be configured in the four corners of the rectangular chip layout. This configuration guarantees design symmetry and efficient use of the chip area.

Abstract: A CMOS IC substrate can include sense amplifiers, demodulation circuits and AGC loop circuit coupled to the MEMS gyroscope. The AGC loop acts in a way such that generated desired signal amplitude out of the drive signal maintains MEMS resonator velocity at a desired frequency and amplitude. The system can include charge pumps to create higher voltages as required in the system. The system can incorporate ADC to provide digital outputs that can be read via serial interface such as I2C. The system can also include temperature sensor which can be used to sense and output temperature of the chip and system and can be used to internally or externally compensate the gyroscope sensor measurements for temperature related changes. The CMOS IC substrate can be part of a system which can include a MEMS gyroscope having a MEMS sensor overlying the CMOS IC substrate.

Abstract: A method for fabricating an integrated MEMS-CMOS device. The method can include providing a substrate member having a surface region and forming a CMOS IC layer having at least one CMOS device overlying the surface region. A bottom isolation layer can be formed overlying the CMOS IC layer and a shielding layer and a top isolation layer can be formed overlying a portion of bottom isolation layer. The bottom isolation layer can include an isolation region between the top isolation layer and the shielding layer. A MEMS layer overlying the top isolation layer, the shielding layer, and the bottom isolation layer, and can be etched to form at least one MEMS structure having at least one movable structure and at least one anchored structure.

Abstract: A MEMS rate sensor device. In an embodiment, the sensor device includes a MEMS rate sensor configured overlying a CMOS substrate. The MEMS rate sensor can include a driver set, with four driver elements, and a sensor set, with six sensing elements, configured for 3-axis rotational sensing. This sensor architecture allows low damping in driving masses and high damping in sensing masses, which is ideal for a MEMS rate sensor design. Low driver damping is beneficial to MEMS rate power consumption and performance, with low driving electrical potential to achieve high oscillation amplitude.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a substrate member having a surface region and a CMOS IC layer overlying the surface region. The CMOS IC layer has at least one CMOS device. The integrated circuit also includes a bottom isolation layer overlying the CMOS IC layer, a shielding layer overlying a portion of the bottom isolation layer, and a top isolation layer overlying a portion of the bottom isolation layer. The bottom isolation layer includes an isolation region between the top isolation layer and the shielding layer. The integrated circuit also has a MEMS layer overlying the top isolation layer, the shielding layer, and the bottom isolation layer. The MEMS layer includes at least one MEMS structure having at least one movable structure and at least one anchored structure. The at least one anchored structure is coupled to a portion of the top isolation layer, and the at least one movable structure overlies the shielding layer.

Abstract: A centrifuge screening system and method of testing MEMS devices using the system. The wafer level centrifuge screening system can include a base centrifuge system and a cassette mounting hub coupled to the base centrifuge system. The method can include applying a smooth and continuous acceleration profile to one or more MEMS components via the base centrifuge system. Each of the one or more MEMS components can have one or more MEMS devices formed thereon. The one or more MEMS components can be provided in one or more cassettes configured on the cassette mounting hub. The method can also include identifying one or more target MEMS components, which can include identifying stiction in one or more MEMS devices on the one or more MEMS components.

Abstract: A semiconductor device having multiple MEMS (micro-electro mechanical system) devices includes a semiconductor substrate having a first MEMS device and a second MEMS device, and an encapsulation substrate having a top portion and sidewalls forming a first cavity and a second cavity. The encapsulation substrate is bonded to the semiconductor substrate at the sidewalls to encapsulate the first MEMS device in the first cavity and to encapsulate the second MEMS device in the second cavity. The second cavity includes at least one access channel at a recessed region in a sidewall of the encapsulation substrate adjacent to an interface between the encapsulation substrate and the semiconductor substrate. The access channel is covered by a thin film. The first cavity is at a first atmospheric pressure and the second cavity is at a second atmospheric pressure. The second air pressure is different from the first air pressure.

Abstract: A sensor processor system is provided on a platform including a semiconductor substrate. The system has multiple integrated subsystems including a micro controller unit provided on one or more first regions of the semiconductor substrate. The subsystems also include an array of programmable memory provided on one or more second regions of the semiconductor substrate, among other elements. The subsystems also include one or more MEMS devices operably coupled to the micro controller unit. In one or more embodiments, an application processor is coupled to the semiconductor substrate and, optionally, a baseband processor is coupled to the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: A portable proximity device and method of operation thereof. The method for proximity detection implemented on a portable device can include determining an initial perturbation data, a tracking point data, and a stable position data with a physical sensor of the portable device. The initial perturbation data can include previous state data and current state data. The tracking point data can include one or more track data. An action to be performed can be determined, by a processor within the portable device, based on the initial perturbation data, the tracking point data, and the stable position data. The portable proximity device can include a physical sensor and a processor configured to perform these steps.

Abstract: A method and device for calibrating a magnetometer device. In an embodiment, the present invention provides a method to automatically calibrate a magnetometer device in the background with only limited movement in each of the three axis (approximately 20 degrees in each direction). A device implementing the present method will never get stuck in a lock-up state. Embodiments of the present invention provide a conservative and accurate magnetometer status indicator that is essential for indoor navigation using inertial sensors. The implemented algorithm is relatively low computationally intensive and is intelligent enough to know when it has the right kind and right amount of magnetic data before it initiates a calibration.

Abstract: A wafer level centrifuge (WLC) system and method of testing MEMS devices using the system. The wafer level centrifuge (WLC) system can include a base centrifuge system and a cassette mounting hub coupled to the base centrifuge system. The method can include applying a smooth and continuous acceleration profile to two or more MEMS wafers via the base centrifuge system. Each of the two or more MEMS wafers can have one or more MEMS devices formed thereon. The two or more MEMS wafers can be provided in two or more wafer holding cassettes configured on the cassette mounting hub. The method can also include identifying one or more target MEMS wafers, which can include identifying stiction in one or more MEMS devices on the one or more MEMS wafers.

Abstract: A system can include a MEMS gyroscope having a MEMS resonator overlying a CMOS IC substrate. The CMOS IC substrate can include an AGC loop circuit coupled to the MEMS gyroscope. The AGC loop acts in a way such that generated desired signal amplitude out of the drive signal maintains MEMS resonator velocity at a desired frequency and amplitude. A benefit of the AGC loop is that the charge pump of the HV driver inherently includes a ‘time constant’ for charging up of its output voltage. The system incorporates the Low pass functionality in to the AGC loop without requiring additional circuitry.

Abstract: A hand-held processor system for processing data from an integrated MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems) device disposed within a hand-held computer system and methods therefor. The Single Point Offset Correction (SPOC) process computes offset values to calibrate MEMS sensors using a single set of data measurements at an orientation without dynamic perturbation, and without requiring advance knowledge of orientation of the device. Arbitrary output biases, which are known to be dominant on a single axis, can be corrected to ensure consistent performance. The SPOC process provides a simple method to effectively calibrate a MEMS sensor without requiring extensive system resources. This process can be enhanced by additional estimations of sensor offsets using the set of data measurements or by use of rule-based empirical gain factors.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a three-dimensional integrated circuit device includes providing a first substrate having a first crystal orientation, forming at least one or more PMOS devices overlying the first substrate, and forming a first dielectric layer overlying the one or more PMOS devices. The method also includes providing a second substrate having a second crystal orientation, forming at least one or more NMOS devices overlying the second substrate, and forming a second dielectric layer overlying the one or more NMOS devices. The method further includes coupling the first dielectric layer to the second dielectric layer to form a hybrid structure including the first substrate overlying the second substrate.

Abstract: A method and structure for operating a magnetoresistive sensor system includes applying a set-reset process wherein the set-reset signal is phased through the magnetoresistive element in such a way that the set-reset field of each region is not released until the adjacent field is aligned. Starting at one end of the magnetoresistive element, the set-reset signal is activated. This aligns the domains directly underneath the first of the set-reset elements. Before this field is released, the adjacent set-reset is activated, which aligned the domains in the adjacent field. Once the adjacent field has been realigned, the set-reset field in the first region can be released, and the set-reset field in the next region can be activated. In this way, no more than two set-reset elements must be active at any one time.

Abstract: A system comprising an integrated multi-axis MEMS inertial sensor architecture. The system can include a MEMS gyroscope having a MEMS resonator and a MEMS accelerometer overlying a CMOS IC substrate. The CMOS IC substrate can include low noise Charge Sense amplifiers to process the sensed signals, programmable gain amplifiers, a demodulator, mixer, an AGC loop circuit coupled to the MEMS gyroscope to drive MEMS resonator. The CMOS IC also includes programmable Quadrature cancellation, Analog and digital phase shifters are implemented in the architecture to ensure quadrature cancellation and demodulation to achieve optimal performance. The AGC loop acts in a way such that generated desired signal amplitude out of the drive signal maintains MEMS resonator velocity at a desired frequency and amplitude while consuming low power. The MEMS gyroscope and accelerometer can be coupled to an input multiplexer configured to operate in a time-multiplexed manner.