Abstract: In certain implementations, a method for chip singulation is provided including etching a frontside dicing trench from a front side of a wafer, forming a temporary holding material, in the frontside dicing trench, etching a backside dicing trench from a back side of the wafer along the frontside dicing trench, removing the temporary holding material and releasing the chip from the wafer or an adjacent chip. Certain implementations may include etching through surface deposited layers on the front side of the wafer. Certain implementations may further include completely filling the frontside dicing trench with the temporary holding material and etching the backside dicing trench to the temporary holding material that is in the frontside dicing trench, such that removing the temporary holding material self-dices the wafer. Certain implementations may include surrounding MEMS structures with the temporary holding material so as to hold the structures during etching of the back side of the wafer.

Abstract: A micromachined fluid handling device having improved properties. The valve is made of reinforced parylene. A heater heats a fluid to expand the fluid. The heater is formed on unsupported silicon nitride to reduce the power. The device can be used to form a valve or a pump. Another embodiment forms a composite silicone/parylene membrane. Another feature uses a valve seat that has concentric grooves for better sealing operation.

Abstract: A combined IC/Mems process forms the IC parts first, and then forms the MEMS parts. One option forms a parylene overlayer, then forms a cavity under the parylene overlayer.

Abstract: A micromachined fluid handling device having improved properties. The valve is made of reinforced parylene. A heater heats a fluid to expand the fluid. The heater is formed on unsupported silicon nitride to reduce the power. The device can be used to form a valve or a pump. Another embodiment forms a composite silicone/parylene membrane. Another feature uses a valve seat that has concentric grooves for better sealing operation.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a check valve assembly may include an in-channel check valve connected between the front and rear portions of a channel attached to a silicon substrate. The channel may have a width between about 10 &mgr;m and about 400 &mgr;m, and the check valve may have a width between about 50 &mgr;m and about 500 &mgr;m. The check valve may be generally circular in shape. The check valve may also be normally closed, that is, sealed in the absence of a pressure differential between the front and rear portions of the channel. The check valve may include a sealing cap that contacts a valve seat to seal the valve. The sealing cap and the valve seat may each be formed from Parylene C membranes that are about 1 &mgr;m to about 5 &mgr;m thick. The valve seat may include a metal layer to separate the contacting surfaces of the valve seat and the sealing cap in the closed position.

Abstract: A micromachined fluid handling device having improved properties. The valve is made of reinforced parylene. A heater heats a fluid to expand the fluid. The heater is formed on unsupported silicon nitride to reduce the power. The device can be used to form a valve or a pump. Another embodiment forms a composite silicone/parylene membrane. Another feature uses a valve seat that has concentric grooves for better sealing operation.

Abstract: A micromachined fluid handling device having improved properties. The valve is made of reinforced parylene. A heater heats a fluid to expand the fluid. The heater is formed on unsupported silicon nitride to reduce the power. The device can be used to form a valve or a pump. Another embodiment forms a composite silicone/parylene membrane. Another feature uses a valve seat that has concentric grooves for better sealing operation.

Abstract: A silicone rubber diaphragm pump utilizing a pair of MEMS Parylene check valves and a miniature solenoid plunger and actuator is comprised of a spacer sandwiched by a silicone rubber diaphragm on one side and a check valve support on the other. The check valves in the check valve support form the inlet and outlet to a pumping chamber defined between the check valve support and silicone rubber diaphragm. The pumping action has been demonstrated by driving the silicone diaphragm with the plunger using the solenoid type actuator to generate over and under pressures in the chamber. This forces the pumped medium into and out of the chamber, thus allowing the medium to be transported. Tubing or connectors affixed to the inlet and outlet ports of the check valve support structure allow for external fluidic access. The pump works with both gas and liquid.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes a Parylene micro check valve including a micromachined silicon valve seat with a roughened top surface to which a membrane cap is anchored by twist-up tethers. The micro check valve is found to exhibit low cracking pressure, high reverse pressure, low reverse flow leakage, and negligible membrane-induced flow resistance when used as a valve over a micro orifice through which flow liquid and gas fluids.

Abstract: A micromachined fluid handling device having improved properties. The valve is made of reinforced parylene. A heater heats a fluid to expand the fluid. The heater is formed on unsupported silicon nitride to reduce the power. The device can be used to form a valve or a pump. Another embodiment forms a composite silicone/parylene membrane. Another feature uses a valve seat that has concentric grooves for better sealing operation.

Abstract: A micromachined fluid handling device having improved properties. The valve is made of reinforced parylene. A heater heats a fluid to expand the fluid. The heater is formed on unsupported silicon nitride to reduce the power. The device can be used to form a valve or a pump. Another embodiment forms a composite silicone/parylene membrane. Another feature uses a valve seat that has concentric grooves for better sealing operation.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes a Parylene micro check valve including a micromachined silicon valve seat with a roughened top surface to which a membrane cap is anchored by twist-up tethers. The micro check valve is found to exhibit low cracking pressure, high reverse pressure, low reverse flow leakage, and negligible membrane-induced flow resistance when used as a valve over a micro orifice through which flow liquid and gas fluids.