IntroductiontoFiniteElementsandits

UtilityinMEMSDesignand
Manufacturing
Lecture25
MicroandSmartSystems
 Generalscenario..

Engineeringdesign

PhysicalProblem

Questionregardingtheproblem
...howlargearethedeformations?
...howmuchistheheattransfer?

Mathematicalmodel Assumptionsregarding
Geometry
Governedbydifferential
Kinematics
equations
Materiallaw
Loading
Boundaryconditions
Etc.
 Example:Abracket

Engineeringdesign Physicalproblem

Questions:
1. WhatisthebendingmomentatsectionAA?
2. Whatisthedeflectionatthepin?
FiniteElementProcedures,KJBathe
 Example:Abracket

Engineeringdesign Mathematicalmodel1:beam

MomentatsectionAA M WL
27,500 N cm
1 W (L rN )3 W (L rN )
Deflectionatload at load W
3 EI 5
AG
6
Howreliableisthismodel? 0.053 cm
Howeffectiveisthismodel?
 Example:Abracket

Engineeringdesign Mathematicalmodel2:plane
stress

Difficultto
solvebyhand!
 ..Generalscenario..

Engineeringdesign

PhysicalProblem

Mathematicalmodel
Governedbydifferential
equations

Numericalmodel
e.g.,finiteelementmodel
 ..Generalscenario..

Engineeringdesign Finiteelementanalysis

PREPROCESSING
1.Createageometricmodel
2.Developthefiniteelementmodel

Solidmodel Finiteelementmodel
 ..Generalscenario..

Engineeringdesign Finiteelementanalysis

FEManalysisscheme

Step1:Dividetheproblemdomainintonon
overlappingregions(elements)connectedtoeach
otherthroughspecialpoints(nodes)
Element
Node

Finiteelementmodel
 ..Generalscenario..

Engineeringdesign Finiteelementanalysis

FEManalysisscheme

Step2: Describethebehaviorofeachelement

Step3: Describethebehavioroftheentirebodyby
puttingtogetherthebehaviorofeachoftheelements
(thisisaprocessknownasassembly)
 ..Generalscenario..

Engineeringdesign Finiteelementanalysis

POSTPROCESSING

ComputemomentatsectionAA
 ..Generalscenario..

Engineeringdesign Finiteelementanalysis

Preprocessing
Step1

Step2
Analysis
Step3

Postprocessing
 Example:Abracket

Engineeringdesign Mathematicalmodel2:plane
stress

FEMsolutiontomathematicalmodel2(planestress)

M 27,500 N cm
MomentatsectionAA

Deflectionatload at load W 0.064 cm

Conclusion: Withrespecttothequestionsweposed,thebeammodelis reliable ifthe
requiredbendingmomentistobepredictedwithin1%andthedeflectionistobe
predictedwithin20%.Thebeammodelisalsohighly effective sinceitcanbesolvedeasily
(byhand).

Whatifweasked:whatisthemaximumstressinthebracket?
wouldthebeammodelbeofanyuse?
 Example:Abracket

Engineeringdesign Summary

1. Theselection ofthemathematicalmodel
dependsontheresponsetobepredicted.
2. Themosteffective mathematicalmodelis
theonethatdeliverstheanswerstothe
questionsinreliablemannerwithleast
effort.
3. Thenumericalsolutionisonlyasaccurateas
themathematicalmodel.
 Example:Abracket
...Generalscenario
Modelingaphysical
problem
PhysicalProblem Changephysical
problem

MathematicalModel Improve
mathematical
model

Numericalmodel

No!
Doesanswer
Refineanalysis
makesense?

YES! Designimprovements
Structuraloptimization
Happy
 HowcantheFEMHelptheDesignEngineer?

The FEM offers many important advantages to the design engineer:

Easily applied to complex, irregular-shaped objects composed

of several different materials and having complex boundary
conditions.

Applicable to steady-state, time dependent and eigenvalue

problems.

Applicable to linear and nonlinear problems.

One method can solve a wide variety of problems, including

problems in solid mechanics, fluid mechanics, chemical reactions,
electromagnetics, biomechanics, heat transfer and acoustics, to
name a few.
 HowcantheFEMHelptheDesignEngineer?(cont.)

General-purpose FEM software packages are available at

reasonable cost, and can be readily executed on
microcomputers, including workstations and PCs.

The FEM can be coupled to CAD programs to facilitate solid

modeling and mesh generation.

Many FEM software packages feature GUI interfaces, auto-

meshers, and sophisticated postprocessors and graphics to speed
the analysis and make pre and post-processing more user-
friendly.
 HowcantheFEMHelptheDesignOrganization?
Simulation using the FEM also offers important business advantages to
the design organization:

Reduced testing and redesign costs thereby shortening the product

development time.

Identify issues in designs before tooling is committed.

Refine components before dependencies to other components

prohibit changes.

Optimize performance before prototyping.

Discover design problems before litigation.

Allow more time for designers to use engineering judgement, and

less time turning the crank.
NeedforFEMinMicrosystems
andMEMS
 Introduction
Developmentofmicrosystemstakesbetween
fourandtenyears
Alotofproductsorproductideaswillneverbe
produced
Nosufficienttoolsupportavailable
Traditionaldesignmethodstakealongtimeand
costintensive
Newmethodsandtoolsnecessary
FEAisoneofthetoolsthatcanbeeffectivelyused
forMEMS/Microsystemdesign
MicroSystemTechnology
DesignProcess
NeedforMechanics
 MEMSDesignrequirements
DuringtheMEMSdesignprocess,oneisconfrontedwithmanymoredesignand
simulationtoolsthanisgenerallythecaseforICdesign

processdevelopment
specialist/engineersof
analog
electrical
Designkitsetup,DRC

eachdomain
digital
mechanical
modeling(topdown)
Multiple customer
simulation,FEM/FEA
RFthermal
physics

failureanalysisdesign(botomup)
assemblyhouse
bio optical
drawing,layout,CAD
disciplines testingpartner
process
programming,scripting,interfacing
fluidic
players

testing&measurements
chemical
reliability
documenting
tasks packaging

testing

 MEMSdesignmodes

Concept Hand calculations

mathematical
simulations
+
behavioral modelling
level of
abstraction
FEM/FEA + 3DCAD more
- important in
Process MEMS

Device Layout + DRC

MEMSProcess
DifferencebetweenMicroelectronicsandMEMS
DesignProcess
DifferencebetweenMicroelectronicsand
MEMSDesignProcess
GeneralMEMSProcess
DesignOfMicroSystems
BehavioralDesign
BehavioralDesignDevelopmentof
Schematics
BehavioralDesignGenerationof
Layout
BehavioralDesignFEMSimulation
FEMPhysicalSimulation
TopDownApproachSummary
DesiredApproach

InBoththeDesign
Approaches,
SimulationPlaysa
BigRoleandhence
FEMisan
Importantdesign
toolforMEMS
NeedforModelingtoolinMEMSand
Microsystemdesign
 PurposeofFEA
Makedevelopmentcycleshortandcosteffective

Tounderstandbehaviors,limitsandinteractionsofcomplex
processes

Tooptimizedesigns

Forfailureanalysis
MEMSDesignNeedsVarious
Expertise
MEMSRequireMultiPhysics
Solutions
NeedtoDealWithLargeNumber
ofVariables
 ElementsandModelsinFEMUsed
inMEMSAnalysis
Elements:BeamsAnchorsPlatemass
Electrostaticgaps
Circuitselements(resistor,voltagesource)

Models: BeamLinearmechanicalmodel
Nonlinearmechanicalmodel
Mechanicalelectricalmodeletc.
GapNonlinearelectromechanicalmodel
AnchorMechanicalmodel
Electromechanicalmodel

 Summary
SimulationisimportantingredientofMEMS
FEMisaUsefulSimulationtoolintheMEMSDesign
Process
MostMEMSStructurescanbemodeledasrods,
beamsorplates
TheDOFScanbedisplacements,Velocities,Electric
field.Magneticfield,Temperatureetc.
NeedGoodOptimizationtoolthatiscoupledwith
FEMmodeltoobtaintheoptimumdesign
 Closure
Inthislecture,westudiedthefollowing
1. WhatisFEA,itshistory.
2. TheNeedforFEAandhowitworks
3. TheadvantagesofFEAanditsutilityindesign
andmanufacturingand
4. UtilityofFEAinMEMSandMicrosystems
designprocess