A method for sealing through-holes in a material via material diffusion, without the deposition of a sealant material, is disclosed. The method is well suited to the fabrication and packaging of microsystems technology-based devices and systems. In some embodiments, the method comprises forming sacrificial material release through-holes through a structural layer, removing the sacrificial material via an etch that etches the sacrificial material through the release through-holes, and sealing of the release through-holes via material diffusion.