This paper is a review that surveys work on the fabrication of miniature alkali vapor cells for miniature and chip-scale atomic clocks. Technology on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) cells from the literature is described in detail. Special attention is paid to alkali atom introduction methods and sealing of the MEMS structure. Characteristics of each technology are collated and compared. The article’s rhetoric is guided by the proposed classification of MEMS cell fabrication methods and contains a historical outline of MEMS cell technology development.

The high-vacuum self-pumping MEMS cell for atomic spectroscopy presented here is the result of the technological achievements of the author and the research group in which he works. A high-temperature anodic bonding process in vacuum or buffer gas atmosphere and the influence of the process on the inner gas composition inside a MEMS structure were studied. A laser-induced alkali vapor introduction method from solid-state pill-like dispenser is presented as well. The technologies mentioned above are groundbreaking achievements that have allowed the building of the first European miniature atomic clock, and they are the basis for other solutions, including high-vacuum optical MEMS. Following description of the key technologies, high-vacuum self-pumping MEMS cell construction and preliminary measurement results are reported. This unique solution makes it possible to achieve a 10⁻⁶ Torr vacuum level inside the cell in the presence of saturated rubidium vapor, paving the way to building a new class of optical reference cells for atomic spectroscopy. Because the level of vacuum is high enough, experiments with cold atoms are potentially feasible.

Ultra-low temperature anodic bonding of silicon and borosilicate glass has been described for the first time. The article gives the arguments why the issue of non-standard anodic bonding of silicon and glass is important. Some examples of solutions were indicated, in which the development of a new anodic bonding method was crucial for the development of the final solution. A series of experiments were carried out, the effect of which was the obtaining of a permanent connection of silicon and glass at a temperature of 120 °C. Optimal conditions of the ultra-low temperature of the anodic bonding process were given. The bonding force was tested, which was more than 1.5 MPa.

We present a miniature silicon–glass MEMS sensor for measurement of high doses of ionizing radiation (above 10 kGy) using a novel wireless optical detection method. The radiation sensor is a miniaturized version of the so-called hydrogen dosimeter. An amount of high-density polyethylene, located inside the MEMS sensor, degrades under ionizing radiation, releasing gaseous hydrogen. The increasing pressure deflects the thin silicon membrane. The sensor’s destructive and proportional modes of work are also proposed. In the destructive mode, sensors provide in situ information on excessive and discrete levels of radiation. The optical detection method is based on an optical head consisting of a moving membrane and a silicon screen with a matrix of micro-holes. Laser light is reflected from the membrane and scattered when the membrane is deflected, in the process illuminating the holes on the silicon screen. The number of illuminated holes is a function of the degree of membrane deflection; the transformation of the holes to the deflection allows for the calculation of pressure and eventually the dose of ionizing radiation.