Introduction to MEMS

Bruce K. Gale Overview

Mechanical Engineering Department
! What is micromanufacturing and MEMS?
BIOEN 6421, ELEN 5221, MEEN 5960 and 6960
! Why the interest in MEMS?
! IC Fabrication Processes
! Bulk Micromachining Processes
! Surface Micromachining Processes
! Combined Processes
! References

MEMS - evolved from the Microelectronics So what exactly is MEMS?

Revolution
Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) is the
integration of mechanical elements, sensors, actuators, and
IC Industry Timeline electronics on a common substrate through the utilization of
microfabrication technology or “microtechnology”.
1947 1958 1999

single transistor first IC 10 million transistors

MEMS Examples
MEMS Timeline
1980

pressure sensors 1999

accelerometers
flow sensors
Bulk micromachined
inkjet printers
pressure sensor
deformable mirror devices
gas sensors
micromotors
microgears
lab-on-a-chip systems 2030

TI DMD
(1.3 million micro-mirrors)
?

The Opportunity of MEMS Technology

General MEMS Advantages
! Batch fabrication
– Reduced cost
! Reduced size
– Is everything better smaller?
! Reduced power
! High precision
! New capabilities?
! Improved performance?
The MicroTechnology/MEMS Tool Set Micromachining Processes
! Standard Integrated Circuit (IC) Processes
Cleanroom plus
microfab processes – Identical to those used in IC fabrication
– Generally used for surface micromachining
! Surface Micromachining
+ – Additive processes
! Bulk Micromachining
– Subractive Process
! Dividing line can become very blurry

Standard IC Processes Standard IC Processes

Source:
Photolithography Jaeger

Source:
CWRU
Source: Jaeger
 Standard IC Processes Standard IC Processes

1) Deposit/Grow Thin Films 2) Pattern Thin Films

• Sputtering • Lithography
• Evaporation • Etching Techniques (wet, dry, RIE)
• Thermal Oxidation
• CVD
• Spinning
• Epitaxy

Standard IC Processes Micromachining Processes

3) Introduce Dopants (to form electrically-active Bulk Micromachining
regions for diodes, transistors, etc.)
• wet vs dry
• isotropic vs anisotropic
• Thermal Diffusion • subtractive process
• Ion Implantation
 Micromachining Processes Micromachining Processes
Bulk Micromachining
Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE)

Source: Madou
• high density ICP plasma
• high aspect ratio Si structures
• cost: $500K
Source: LucasNova

Source: Maluf Source: STS Source: STS Source: AMMI

Source: Maluf

MEMS Examples
Micromachining Processes Source: NovaSensor
Pressure Sensor (conventional)
Wafer-Level Bonding
• glass-Si anodic bonding
• Si-Si fusion bonding
• eutectic bonding
• low temp glass bonding

60

50

Output Voltage (m V)
40

30

20

10

0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
Source: UofL
Source: Maluf Source: EV Pressure (PSI)
 Micromachining Processes
Surface Micromachining
• additive process
• structural & sacrificial layers
Micromachining Processes
LIGA (lithographie, galvanoformung, abformtechnik)
• uses x-ray lithography (PMMA), electrodeposition and
molding to produce very high aspect ratio (>100) micro-
structures up to 1000 um tall (1986)

Source: Sandia

Source: Madou Source: Kovacs

MEMS Examples Micromachining Processes

Micro-structures using LIGA Poor Man’s LIGA
• uses optical epoxy negative-resist (SU-8) developed by IBM
to produce high aspect ratio micro-structures (1995)

UofL Micro-reaction wells: 150 um wide,

120 um tall, 50 um wall thickness
Source: UW Source: Maluf
 MEMS Examples MEMS Examples
Micromotors Optical MEMS (MOEMS)

Source: MIT and Berkeley Source: NIST, Simon Fraser, UCLA, and MCNC

MEMS Examples MEMS Examples

Pressure Sensor (ultra-miniature) Lab-on-a-Chip Systems
• separation
• dilution
• mixing and dispensing
• analysis

Source: NovaSensor Source: Caliper

 Integration EFFF Fabrication 1
! Micromachining processes may be ! Anisotropic etching of Silicon
integrated input and output ports in
20% KOH at 65 C with
! Both bulk and surface micromachining may Conta Detect Au
Si3N4 mask Ti
be performed on a single substrate ct or
! Deposit and pattern
! Micromachined structures may be Ti/Au electrodes on Silicon
integrated with ICs front of wafer
Polyimide
! Thick photosensitive
polyimide or SU-8 used Silicon
to define flow channels

EFFF Fabrication 2 EFFF Fabrication 3

Output Port Input Port

! Remove Si3N4 ! Completed channel

Silicon
membrane looking from the top Channel

Polyimide
! Deposit and pattern Glass Detector Electrode Channel Electrod
Ti/Au electrode on glass Au
substrate Ti ! Cross section through
Glass channel showing
! Bond glass substrate to electrodes, polyimide
polyimide using Completed Cross Section
and substrates
biocompatible UV Silicon
curable adhesive
 Results-
Results- Section Fabrication
System Assembly
Glass substrate
with titanium,
gold, and
platinum
electrode

Silicon substrate with input/output ports, gold electrodes and patterned

SU-8 Above- Complete device with
input/output port connections

Right- Complete systems with

sample and buffer input, µ-EFFF
system, and detectors

MEMS Examples
Fabrication Results Micromachined Tips for FEDs and AFMs

! Micrograph of
detector wire Detection Wire
across channel
defined by
polyimide
! Wire is 19 µm
wide Output Port
! Location of wire Channel Sidewalls
eliminates all end
effects Source: Micron (?) Source: IBM
 MEMS Examples MEMS Examples
Neural Probes Neural Interface Chip

Source: Stanford
Source: Mich (K. Wise)

MEMS Examples MEMS Examples

Micro-Grippers Micro-Tweezers

Source: Berkeley Source: MEMS Precision Instruments

 MEMS Examples MEMS Examples
Optical MEMS (MOEMS) Accelerometers

Source: IMC (Sweden), Maluf and TI

Sources: Analog Devices, Lucas NovaSensor, and EG&G IC Sensors

MEMS Examples MEMS References

Channels, Nozzles, Flow Structures, and Load Cells Fundamentals of Microfabrication; Marc J. Madou

Micromachined Transducers Sourcebook; G. Kovacs

An Introduction to MEMS Engineering; by Nadim Maluf

Silicon Micromachining; by Elwenspoek and Jansen

Microsensors; by Richard S. Muller, Roger T. Howe, Stephen

D. Senturia, R. Smith (Editors)

Micromechanics and Mems : Classic and Seminal Papers to

1990; by W. Trimmer (Editor)

MEMS WWW Bookstore: http://mems.isi.edu/bookstore/

Source: EG&G IC Sensors