Seventh Semester B.

emeTech Degree Examination, May 2013

(2008 Scheme)
08.3! " MEMS (T#)
$a%er &o'e"2!(2 Max. Mar)s"100
#ns*er +ey
$art , #
1. &ross section o- ty%ica. 'ia%hram /ase' micro%0m%.
Electrostatically actuated pump
Deformable silicon diaphram forms one electrode of a capacitor
It is actuated and deformed towards top electrode by applying voltage
Upward motion of diaphram---increases volume of pumping chamber--- hence reduces
pressure---inlet check valve open--- inflow of fluid.
Voltage is cut off--- diaphram return to initial position--- reduction of volume in pumping
chamber--- hence increases pressure of the entrapped fluid in chamber--- outlet check valve
opens--- fluid is released.
The pumping action is thus accomplished.
. Sha%e Memory #..oys
! shape-memory alloy "#$!% smart metal% memory metal% memory alloy% muscle wire% smart
alloy& is an alloy that 'remembers' its original% cold-forged shape( returning to the pre-
deformed shape when heated.
This material is a lightweight% solid-state alternative to conventional actuators.
#hape-memory alloys have applications in industries including medicine and aerospace.
#hape-memory alloys are capable of undergoing reversible phase transitions as a result of
temperature% pressure% or other stress-related changes.
These materials e)hibit a mechanical type of shape memory called pseudoelasticity and% under
certain conditions% linear superelasticity.
#ome shape memory alloys are *iTi% +u,n!l% +u!l*i.
1ne2*ay vs. t*o2*ay sha%e memory
#hape-memory alloys have different shape-memory effects. Two common effects are one-way and two-
way shape memory. ! schematic of the effects is shown below.
1ne2*ay memory e--ect
-hen a shape-memory alloy is in its cold state% the metal can be bent or stretched and will hold
those shapes until heated above the transition temperature.
Upon heating% the shape changes to its original.
-hen the metal cools again it will remain in the hot shape% until deformed again.
T*o2*ay memory e--ect
The two-way shape-memory effect is the effect that the material remembers two different
shapes( one at low temperatures% and one at the high-temperature shape.
! material that shows a shape-memory effect during both heating and cooling is called two-way
shape memory.
#%%.ications o- SM#
!s tubes and valves in piping systems for power plants% ships% and the petroleum industry.
use as e)plosive bolts in the aerospace and construction industry.
as packaging devices for electronic materials.
and as dental materials% prosthetics% and biomedical devices.
#hape-memory alloys may be found in sensors in automobiles% in consumer products% and
generally in smart materials and adaptive structures.
/. 3e.evance o- trimmer -orce sca.ing vector
It is important to know how si0e "scaling& affects the re1uired forces "2&% and thus power "3& in
the performances of these devices.
4. #te%s invo.ve' in %hoto.ithogra%hy
4. &om%arison /et*een *et etching an' 'ry etching
!. &om%arison /et*een si.icon an' 5a#s
. &hemica. 6a %o0r De%osition
8. &onstraints invo.ve' in microsystem %ac)aging
2ollowing are the principal design re1uirements that should be considered(
5. The re1uired costs in manufacturing% assembly and packaging of the components
. The e)pected environmental effects% such as temperature% humidity and chemical to)icity that
the product is designed for
/. !de1uate over capacity in the packaging design for mishandling and accidents
4. 3roper choice of materials for the reliability of the package
6. !chieving minimum electrical feed-through and bonds in order to minimi0e the probability of
wire breakage and malfunctioning.
7. Signa. ma%%ing in microsytems.
#ignal mapping relates to developing and establishing strategies in selecting both the types and
positioning of the transducers for a microsystem.
Ta/.e " common trans'0cers -or microsystems
Trans'0cers E.ectrica. signa.s 7n%0t or o0t%0t Ty%ica. a%%.ications
$ie8oresistors 3esistance 3 10t%0t $ress0re sensor
$ie8oe.ectric 6o.tage 6 7n%0t or o0t%0t #ct0ators,
acce.erometer
&a%acitors &a%acitance & 7n%0t or o0t%0t #ct0ators (/y
e.ectrostatic -orce),
%ress0re sensor
E.ectro2resistant
heating9SM#
&0rrent i 7n%0t #ct0ators
#ignal mapping for a micro pressure sensor(
3ie0oresistors are used to sense the change of electrical resistance relating to the Induced stresses.
10. 7nter-aces 7n Microsystem $ac)aging
Interfaces between $E$# components and their operating environment is a ma8or challenge in
$E$# design. The interface problems associated with various kinds of microsystems are as follows(
5. Bio medical interfaces: interfaces in packaging of biomedical sensors and biosensors are much
more critical than in other micro systems. The packaged system need to be biologically
compactible with the human systems and have to function for a specific lifetime. Every
microbiosystem must be built to satisfy the following re1uirements related to interfaces(
i. 9e inert to chemical attack during the usefull life time of the unit.
ii. !llow mi)ing with biological materials in a controlled manner when used as a
biosensor.
iii. +ause no damage or harm to the surrounding biological cells
iv. +ause no undesirable chemical reactions such as corrosion between the packaged device
and the contacting cells.
. Optical interfaces: there are two principal types of optical $E$#. :ne type relates to the
direction of light in devices like micro switches involving mirrors and reflectors and other type
is optical sensors. 9oth optical $E$# re1uire(
i. 3roper passage for the light beams to be received and reflected.
ii. 3roper coating of the surface on which light beams are received and reflected.
iii. Enduring the 1uality of the coated surface during the lifetime of the device
iv. 2reedom from contamination of foreign substances on the e)posing surfaces.
v. 2reedom from moisture in the enclosure. moisture in the environment may cause stiction
of minute delicate optomechanical components.
!ll these re1uirements must be met to assure a 1uality optical $E$#.
/. Mechanical interfaces: mechanical interfacing is a design issue with moving parts in $E$#.
These parts need to be interfaced with their driving mechanisms% which may be thermal%
magnetic or fluidic% such as in microvalves and pumps. In case of a thermally actuated
microvalves and pumps% the diaphragms are e)pected to be in contact with the working media.
Thermal contact conditions at the interfaces can result in negative effects on performance or
over stress if the diaphragm structure.
4. Electromechanical interfaces: electrical insulation% grounding and shielding are problems that
are more obvious in the systems that operate at low voltage levels. #election of materials for
electrical terminals and the shielding of electrical conductors for micro devices is another ma8or
consideration.
6. Interfaces in microfluidics: microfluidics is important in chemical and biomedical applications.
2or e)ample is capillary electrophoresis "+E& re1uire precise fluid delivery% thermal and
environmental isolation and mi)ing. The sealing of the fluid flow and interfaces between the
contacting channel walls and the fluid are the two ma8or packaging issues relating to interfaces.
$#3T2B Mo'0.e 1
11. Microacce.erometers
12. Sca.ing in e.ectrostatic an' e.ectromagnetic -orces
1%eration o- a MEMS 'evice /ase' on e.ectrostatic -orces o- attraction
E)plain about any of the following devices
micro gripper
micro motors
micro pump
13. (a) :or)ing o- micro va.ves
a%%.ication o- micro va.ves"
lab on a chip
micro sprinkler valves for irrigation
(/) :or)ing o- micro motors
# %%.ication o- micro motors
side drive micro motor
dental electric micromotor"dental handpiece&
Mo'0.e 77
1(. Ste%s in s0r-ace micro machining
&om%arison o- s0r-ace misromachining *ith /0.) micro machining
14. ;a/rication o- microstr0ct0res 0sing %o.ymeric com%o0n's<=75# $rocess
1!. Si.icon %ie8oresistors
#%%.ications
pie0oresistive transducers
pressure sensor which uses transduction unit as pie0oresistors
M1D>=E2 777
1. =eve.s o- microystem %ac)aging.
18. 3; MEMS &om%onents
There are various types of ;2 $E$# components% such as +$:# integrable ;2
$E$# resonators and self-sustained oscillators % ;2 $E$# tunable inductors % and ;2
$E$# switches% switched capacitors and varactors.
S*itches, s*itche' ca%acitors an' varactors
;2 $E$# switches% switched capacitors and varactors can be used instead of 2ET
and 3I* diodes.
;2 $E$# switches% switched capacitors and varactors are classified by actuation method
"electrostatic% electrothermal%magnetostatic% pie0oelectric&% by a)is of deflection "lateral%
vertical&% by circuit configuration "series% shunt&% by clamp configuration "cantilever% fi)ed-
fi)ed beam&% or by contact interface "capacitive%ohmic&. Electrostatically-actuated ;2 $E$#
components offer low insertion loss and high isolation% linearity% power handling and < factor%
do not consume power% but re1uire a high control voltage and hermetic single-chip packaging
"thin film capping% =+3 or =T++ packaging&.
! capacitive fi)ed-fi)ed beam ;2 $E$# switch% as shown in 2ig. 5"a&% is in essence a micro-
machined capacitor with a moving top electrode% which is the beam. It is generally connected in
shunt with the transmission line and used in >- to --band "?? @A0 and 74 @A0& ;2 $E$#
components.
!n ohmic cantilever ;2 $E$# switch% as shown in 2ig. 5"b&% is capacitive in the up-state% but
makes an ohmic contact in the down-state. It is generally connected in series with the
transmission line and is used in D+ to the Ba-band components.
In electromechanical view% The components behave like a damped mass-spring system% actuated
by an electrostatic force. The spring constant is a function of the dimensions of the beam% as
well as the CoungDs modulus% theresidual stress and the 3oisson ratio of the beam material. The
electrostatic force is a function of the capacitance and the bias voltage. Bnowledge of the spring
constant allows for hand calculation of the pull-in voltage% which is the bias voltage necessary
to pull-in the beam% whereas knowledge of the spring constant and the mass allows for hand
calculation of the switching time.
2rom an ;2 view% the components behave like a series ;=+ circuit with negligible resistance
and inductance.
;2 $E$# switched capacitors are capacitive fi)ed-fi)ed beam switches with a low capacitance
ratio.
;2 $E$# varactors are capacitive fi)ed-fi)ed beam switches which are biased below pull-in
voltage.
:ther e)amples of ;2 $E$# switches are ohmic cantilever switches% and capacitive single
pole * throw "#3*T& switches based on the a)ial gap wobble motor.

1?. # -e* 'esign constraints -or Microsystems are
a) &0stomer 'eman's " it inc.0'es s%ecia. re@0irements that are not s%eci-ica..y inc.0'e' in
the %ro'0ct s%eci-ications. # sensor or act0ator insta..e' in toys re@0ire 'i--erent
consi'erations in terms o- sa-ety an' ro0gh han'.ing than the same 'evices insta..e' in a
.a/ or o--ice.
/) Time to mar)et (TTM )" this -actor is critica.. # micro system %ro'0ct nee's to enter the
mar)et at a critica. time to ca%t0re that mar)et an' hence maximi8e the %ro-it.TTM
in'icates the time 'esign engineers have to 'esign an' %ro'0ce the %ro'0ct. &#D
%ac)ages -or micro system so.ves the TTM %ro/.ems.
c) Environmenta. con'itions" three critica. con'itions are invo.ve'" therma., mechanica. an'
chemica.. # 'evice o%erating at high tem%erat0re nee's more attention in terms o-
therma. stresses an' strains. Mechanica. environment re.ates to mechanica. sta/i.ity. #
chemica. *or)ing me'i0m can 'egra'e the MEMS com%onents s0ch as corrosion an'
oxi'ation co0.' occ0r.
') $hysica. si8e an' *eight .imitations " these constraints are norma..y covere' in %ro'0ct
s%eci-ication.
e) #%%.ications " it is im%ortant to )no* that the micro system is -or once on.y a%%.ication or
-or re%eate' 0sage. 7- it is -or re%eate' 0sage, one nee's to 'esign -or the =i-e ex%ectancy
o- the %ro'0ct an' -atig0e -ai.0re o- the com%onents.
-) ;a/rication -aci.ity" this re.ates to the se.ection an' avai.a/i.ity o- man0-act0ring metho's
-or the %ro'0ct.
g) &osts" cost ana.ysis o- the %ro'0ct is im%ortant.cost is a critica. -actor -or mar)eta/i.ity o-
the %ro'0ct.
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The cost o- %ac)aging a micro %ress0re can /e as .o* as 20 %ercent o- overa.. cost o- the
%ro'0ct *ith sim%.e %.astic enca%s0.ation or as high as ?4 %ercent o- overa.. cost *ith com%.ex
%assivation an' stain.ess stee. or t0ngsten casings. So the maBor -actors that a--ect the %ac)aging
o- the %ro'0ct are
Die %assivation
Me'ia %rotection
System %rotection
E.ectric interconnect
E.ectrica. inter-ace
E.ectromechanica. iso.ation
Signa. con'itioning an' %rocessing
Mechanica. Boints
$ro'0ct re.ia/i.ity an' %er-ormance testing
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;o..o*ing are the %rinci%a. 'esign re@0irements that sho0.' /e consi'ere'"
1. The re@0ire' costs in man0-act0ring, assem/.y an' %ac)aging o- the com%onents
2. The ex%ecte' environmenta. e--ects, s0ch as tem%erat0re, h0mi'ity an' chemica. toxicity
that the %ro'0ct is 'esigne' -or
3. #'e@0ate over ca%acity in the %ac)aging 'esign -or mishan'.ing an' acci'ents
(. $ro%er choice o- materia.s -or the re.ia/i.ity o- the %ac)age
4. #chieving minim0m e.ectrica. -ee'2thro0gh an' /on's in or'er to minimi8e the
%ro/a/i.ity o- *ire /rea)age an' ma.-0nctioning