Abstract: A manufacturing method for producing a micromechanical sensor element which may be produced in a monolithically integrable design and has capacitive detection of a physical quantity is described. In addition to the manufacturing method, a micromechanical device containing such. a sensor element, e.g., a pressure sensor or an acceleration sensor, is described.

Abstract: A method for producing a component having a semiconductor substrate, in which porous semiconductor material is generated for the purpose of developing at least one thermally decoupled pattern. In the material that has been rendered porous, a recess or a plurality of recesses is/are etched to produce at least one region that is defined by the one recess or the plurality of recesses and is thermally decoupled. On the at least one region, the pattern to be thermally decoupled is then formed.

Abstract: A micromechanical component having a diaphragm is provided, the structure of which effectively prevents the penetration of dirt particles into the cavity. A method for manufacturing such a component is also provided. The structure of the component is implemented in a layer structure which includes at least one first sacrificial layer and a layer system over the first sacrificial layer. A cavity is formed in the first sacrificial layer underneath the diaphragm. In the region of the diaphragm between the upper layer and the lower layer of the layer system situated directly above the first sacrificial layer, at least one access channel to the cavity is formed which has at least one opening in the upper layer and at least one opening in the lower layer, the opening in the upper layer and the opening in the lower layer being offset with respect to each other.

Abstract: A device for manufacturing a capacitive pressure measurement includes an insulated base electrode, a mechanically deflectable counterelectrode composed of a layer made of at least one of a monocrystalline and polycrystalline semiconductor material, a contact arrangement for electrically connecting the electrodes, and at least one semiconductor component, all integrated onto a semiconductor substrate. The connection for the base electrode is formed by an electrically insulated conductive polycrystalline semiconductor layer. The method for manufactured the device includes the step of arranging a conductive polycrystalline semiconductor layer between two insulating layers on the semiconductor substrate for forming a base electrode.

Abstract: A method for producing a micromechanical device, e.g., a micromechanical oscillating mirror device, is provided. It is provided, starting from the front side of an SOI/EOI(epipoly on insulator) substrate, to penetrate to the desired depth of the silicon substrate layer in two successive, separate deep etching steps, and to use this in its upper region that is close to the oxide layer as sacrificial layer for vertically exposing the island structures that are positioned above the oxide layer in the functional layer. The method according to the present invention of a sacrificial layer process for generating large vertical deflections utilizes purely surface micromechanical process steps.

Abstract: A micromechanical structural element, having a very stable diaphragm, implemented in a pure front process and in a layer construction on a substrate. The layer construction includes at least one sacrificial layer and one diaphragm layer above the sacrificial layer, which is structured for laying bare the diaphragm and generating stabilizing elements on the diaphragm, at least one recess being generated for a stabilizing element of the diaphragm. The structure generated in the sacrificial layer is then at least superficially closed with at least one material layer being deposited above the structured sacrificial layer, this material layer forming at least a part of the diaphragm layer and being structured to generate at least one etch hole for etching the sacrificial layer, which is removed from the region under the etch hole, the diaphragm and the at least one stabilizing element being laid bare, a cavity being created under the diaphragm.

Abstract: A method for producing a component having a semiconductor substrate, in which porous semiconductor material is generated for the purpose of developing at least one thermally decoupled pattern. In the material that has been rendered porous, a recess or a plurality of recesses is/are etched to produce at least one region that is defined by the one recess or the plurality of recesses and is thermally decoupled. On the at least one region, the pattern to be thermally decoupled is then formed.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a micromechanical device and a resulting micromechanical device are provided, the device having a substrate material, a membrane, and a cavity situated between the substrate and the membrane in a membrane cavity area. In this method, holes are first produced through the membrane in a first etching step, and the cavity is subsequently produced using a second etching step.

Abstract: In a mass flow sensor having a layered structure on the upper side of a silicon substrate (1), and having at least one heating element (8) patterned out of a conductive layer in the layered structure, thermal insulation between the heating element (8) and the silicon substrate (1) is achieved by way of a silicon dioxide block (5) which is produced beneath the heating element (8) either in the layered structure on the silicon substrate (1) or in the upper side of the silicon substrate (1). As a result, the sensor can be manufactured by surface micromechanics, i.e. without wafer back-side processes.

Abstract: A method for producing a micromechanical device, e.g., a micromechanical oscillating mirror device, is provided. It is provided, starting from the front side of an SOI/EOI(epipoly on insulator) substrate, to penetrate to the desired depth of the silicon substrate layer in two successive, separate deep etching steps, and to use this in its upper region that is close to the oxide layer as sacrificial layer for vertically exposing the island structures that are positioned above the oxide layer in the functional layer. The method according to the present invention of a sacrificial layer process for generating large vertical deflections utilizes purely surface micromechanical process steps.

Abstract: A micromechanical component having a diaphragm is provided, the structure of which effectively prevents the penetration of dirt particles into the cavity. A method for manufacturing such a component is also provided. The structure of the component is implemented in a layer structure which includes at least one first sacrificial layer and a layer system over the first sacrificial layer. A cavity is formed in the first sacrificial layer underneath the diaphragm. In the region of the diaphragm between the upper layer and the lower layer of the layer system situated directly above the first sacrificial layer, at least one access channel to the cavity is formed which has at least one opening in the upper layer and at least one opening in the lower layer, the opening in the upper layer and the opening in the lower layer being offset with respect to each other.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a micromechanical component has the steps: providing a substrate having a front side and a back side; structuring the front side of the substrate; at least partially covering the structured front side of the substrate with a protective layer containing germanium; structuring the back of the substrate; and at least partially removing the protective layer containing germanium from the structured front side of the substrate.

Abstract: A micromechanical structural element, having a very stable diaphragm, implemented in a pure front process and in a layer construction on a substrate. The layer construction includes at least one sacrificial layer and one diaphragm layer above the sacrificial layer, which is structured for laying bare the diaphragm and generating stabilizing elements on the diaphragm, at least one recess being generated for a stabilizing element of the diaphragm. The structure generated in the sacrificial layer is then at least superficially closed with at least one material layer being deposited above the structured sacrificial layer, this material layer forming at least a part of the diaphragm layer and being structured to generate at least one etch hole for etching the sacrificial layer, which is removed from the region under the etch hole, the diaphragm and the at least one stabilizing element being laid bare, a cavity being created under the diaphragm.

Abstract: A method is described for producing surface micromechanical structures having a high aspect ratio, a sacrificial layer being provided between a substrate and a function layer, trenches being provided by a plasma etching process in the function layer, at least some of these trenches exposing surface regions of the sacrificial layer. To increase the aspect ratio of the trenches, an additional layer is deposited on the side walls of the trenches in at least some sections, but not on the exposed surface regions of the sacrificial layer. In addition, a sensor is described, in particular an acceleration sensor or a rotational rate sensor.

Abstract: A device for manufacturing a capacitive pressure measurement includes an insulated base electrode, a mechanically deflectable counterelectrode composed of a layer made of at least one of a monocrystalline and polycrystalline semiconductor material, a contact arrangement for electrically connecting the electrodes, and at least one semiconductor component, all integrated onto a semiconductor substrate. The connection for the base electrode is formed by an electrically insulated conductive polycrystalline semiconductor layer. The method for manufactured the device includes the step of arranging a conductive polycrystalline semiconductor layer between two insulating layers on the semiconductor substrate for forming a base electrode.

Abstract: A method is described for producing surface micromechanical structures having a high aspect ratio, a sacrificial layer (20) being provided between a substrate (30) and a function layer (10), trenches (60, 61) being provided by a plasma etching process in the function layer (10), at least some of these trenches exposing surface regions (21, 22) of the sacrificial layer (20).

Abstract: In a mass flow sensor having a layered structure on the upper side of a silicon substrate (1), and having at least one heating element (8) patterned out of a conductive layer in the layered structure, thermal insulation between the heating element (8) and the silicon substrate (1) is achieved by way of a silicon dioxide block (5) which is produced beneath the heating element (8) either in the layered structure on the silicon substrate (1) or in the upper side of the silicon substrate (1). As a result, the sensor can be manufactured by surface micromechanics, i.e. without wafer back-side processes.

Abstract: A micromechanical component and method for its manufacture, in particular an acceleration sensor or a rotational speed sensor, includes: function components suspended movably above a substrate; a first insulation layer provided above the substrate; a first micromechanical function layer including conductor regions provided above the first insulation layer; a second insulation layer provided above the conductor regions and above the first insulation layer; a third insulation layer provided above the second insulation layer; a second micromechanical function layer including first and second trenches provided above the third insulation layer, the second trenches extending to the third insulation layer above the conductor regions and the first trenches extending to a cavity beneath the movably suspended function components in the second micromechanical function layer.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a micromechanical component has the steps: providing a substrate having a front side and a back side; structuring the front side of the substrate; at least partially covering the structured front side of the substrate with a protective layer containing germanium; structuring the back of the substrate; and at least partially removing the protective layer containing germanium from the structured front side of the substrate.

Abstract: A micromechanical component and method for its manufacture, in particular an acceleration sensor or a rotational speed sensor, includes: function components suspended movably above a substrate; a first insulation layer provided above the substrate; a first micromechanical function layer including conductor regions provided above the first insulation layer; a second insulation layer provided above the conductor regions and above the first insulation layer; a third insulation layer provided above the second insulation layer; a second micromechanical function layer including first and second trenches provided above the third insulation layer, the second trenches extending to the third insulation layer above the conductor regions and the first trenches extending to a cavity beneath the movably suspended function components in the second micromechanical function layer.