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The development of advanced piezoelectric α‐quartz microelectromechanical system (MEMS) for sensing and precise frequency control applications requires the nanostructuration and on‐chip integration of this material on silicon material. However, the current quartz manufacturing methods are based on bonding bulk micromachined crystals on silicon, which limits the size, the performance, the integration cost, and the scalability of quartz microdevices. Here, chemical solution deposition, soft‐nanoimprint lithography, and top‐down microfabrication processes are combined to develop the first nanostructured epitaxial (100)α‐quartz/(100)Si piezoelectric cantilevers. The coherent Si/quartz interface and film thinness combined with a controlled nanostructuration on silicon–insulator–silicon technology substrates provide high force and mass sensitivity while preserving the mechanical quality factor of the microelectromechanical systems. This work proves that biocompatible nanostructured epitaxial piezoelectric α‐quartz‐based MEMS on silicon can be engineered at low cost by combining soft‐chemistry and top‐down lithographic techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cantilevers, MEMS, nanostructuration, piezoelectricity, quartz, silicon, thin films Additionally, the -quartz patterned micro-cantilevers are biocompatible, which rendered cell adhesion and proliferation equivalent to that of conventional glass coverslips. Quartz-Based Cantilevers: Soft-Chemistry-Assisted On-Chip Integration of Nanostructured -Quartz Microelectromechanical System (Adv. [Extracted from the article]

[Display omitted] • Crack-free SiBCN microparts (20–200 µm) are obtained by direct photolithography of molecularly designed boron-containing photocurable preceramic polymers. • Surface roughness below 3 nm and Young's modulus of ∼ 60 GPa attest the high quality of SiBCN patterns and pave the way to applications in microfabrication and microfluidics. Non-oxide ceramic MEMS based on Si, C, N and B elements are of great importance for high-temperature applications in harsh and oxidizing conditions including electronics, photonics and actuators. Yet, structuring and patterning ceramics is challenging and often relies on conventional soft-lithography or molding processes that can introduce defects and cracks leading to a decrease in the device's performance. Herein, we report on the design for the first time of SiBCN ceramic micro-components (in the 20–200 µm range) from direct patterning of "tailor-made" UV-curable boron-modified polyvinylsilazane preceramic (polyborovinylsilazane) resins. This approach first involves a two-step chemical synthesis of patternable preceramic polymers through acrylate or methacrylate grafting onto polyborovinylsilazane followed by subsequent crosslinking under UV light. FTIR and NMR spectroscopies confirmed the successful grafting of boron and photocurable units on the preceramic polymers while thermogravimetric analysis was used to monitor the polymer-to-ceramic conversion. SiBCN micro-objects obtained after pyrolysis were thoroughly characterized by SEM, AFM, nanoindentation and profilometry techniques. The Young's modulus results for such microstructures (∼60 GPa) are characteristic of good mechanical properties making these ceramic microstructures promising materials for MEMS applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]