A silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate is anodically bonded to a glass substrate in a MEMS structure with or without electrically bypassing the insulator layer by electrically comprising the silicon layers. The insulator layer serves as an etch stop to create a well-defined, thin silicon membrane for a sensor. A second glass substrate is anodically bonded to the other side of the SOI substrate, and debonding of the existing anodic bond prevented by eliminating any potential drop across the existing bonded surface.