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A flexible neural implant was designed and fabricated using an novel integration approach that offers the advantages of both silicon and polymer based implants: high density electrodes and precise insertion on one side and mechanical flexibility suitable for reduced tissue strain due to micro-motion during chronic implantation on the other side. This was achieved by separating the device into silicon or polymer areas, depending on their desired functionality. The tip, where the recording and stimulation electrodes would be placed, was kept of silicon: a choice that doesn't call for any compromise to be made regarding the high density electrode and possible local circuit integration later on. The bevel shaped sharp silicon tip also proved to facilitate the probe insertion, offering a behavior very much similar to the classical rigid silicon probes. On the other side, most of the 1 cm long shank of the probe was made out of polyimide. This led to more than one order of magnitude reduction of the forces necessary to bend the shank. The flexible shank proved also to be more robust than silicon probes, sustaining significant deformation in any direction without fracture. The 9mm deep in-vivo implantation were successfully achieved without buckling for 10 µm/s and 100 µm/s insertion speeds.

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A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) is a difference in the DNA sequence of one nucleotide only. We recently proposed a lab-on-a-chip (LoC) system which has the potentiality of fast, sensitive and highly specific SNP detection. Most of the chip components are silicon based and fabricated within a single process. In this paper, the newly developed fabrication method for the silicon chip is presented. The robust and reliable process allows etching structures on the same chip with very different aspect ratios. The characterization of a crucial component to the LoC SNP detector, the microreactor where DNA amplification is performed, is also detailed. Thanks to innovative design and fabrication methodologies, the microreactor has an excellent thermal isolation from the surrounding silicon substrate. This allows for highly localized temperature control. Furthermore, the microreactor is demonstrated to have rapid heating and cooling rates, allowing for rapid amplification of the target DNA fragments. Successful DNA amplification in the microreactor is demonstrated. (C) 2012 The Japan Society of Applied Physic

This paper presents a 0-level packaging technology for (RF-)MEMS implementing vertical feedthroughs or throughSi-via's (TSVs) and metal bonding. A thinned capping substrate (100µm thick) equipped with Cu-coated TSVs is bonded to a MEMS substrate. The vertical feedthroughs lead to a smaller footprint and make the package ready for 3D integration. The CuSn/Cu metal bonding provides a hermetic seal for the package. A full fabrication process for thinned Caps with "chamfered" shaped TSVs (70-120µm diameter) has been developed. Highly yielding TSVs (close to 100%) displaying a resistance of a single via of less than 10m have been obtained. The performance of traversing transmission lines (CPWs) patterned on the MEMS wafer (implemented in 1µm thick Cu and connected with the external terminals via the microbumps and the TSVs) has been measured. FEM based thermo-mechanical modelling is applied in order to evaluate the critical stress points and to estimate the Cap-to-MEMS die deflection under an external pressures.