Patent ID: 6844214

Claim:
A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) based sensor, comprising: a substrate defining a plane; a first conductive material layer having a first stress, a first portion of the first conductive material layer being connected to the substrate and extending in a substantially parallel direction to the plane defined by the substrate, a second portion of the first conductive material layer being disconnected from the substrate and extending in a substantially non-parallel direction to the plane defined by the substrate; and a sensor formed over at least the second portion of the first conductive material layer, the sensor comprising a sensor material layer having a second stress that is less than the first stress of the first conductive material layer, wherein the first and second stresses form a stress gradient that bends the second portion of the first conductive material layer and the sensor material layer formed over the second portion of the first conductive material layer away from the substrate.