Micro Electro Mechanical System [MEMS]

The
Technology for Everything!

Definition
Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are micron-size devices that can sense or manipulate the physical world.
MEMS are made up of components between 10 to 100 micrometers in size (i.e. 0.01 to 0.1 mm) and MEMS devices generally range in size from a 20 micrometers (20 millionth of a meter) to a millimeter (thousandth of a meter).

History of MEMS
The invention of the transistor at Bell Telephone Laboratories in 1947 sparked the fast-growing microelectronic technology industry. Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments built the first integrated circuit (IC) in 1958 using germanium (Ge) devices. The first high-volume pressure sensor was marketed by National Semiconductor in 1974 - it included a temperature controller for constant-temperature operation. Around 1982, the term micromachining came into use to designate the fabrication of moving micromechanical parts.

First transistor

History of MEMS
During 1987-1988, a turning point was reached in micromachining -for the first time, techniques for integrated fabrication of mechanisms (i.e. rigid bodies connected by joints for transmitting, controlling, or constraining relative movement) were demonstrated. During a series of three separate workshops on micro dynamics held in 1987, the term MEMS was coined. First commercialization of MEMS occurred in the 1990s

Components of MEMS
MEMS can include two or more of the following subsystems: sensors, actuators, a power supply, a central processing unit (CPU) or microprocessor, and/or a communication interface.

Materials
Silicon: The economies of
scale, ready availability of cheap high-quality materials and ability to incorporate electronic functionality make silicon attractive for a wide variety of MEMS applications. The basic techniques for producing all silicon based MEMS devices are deposition of material layers, patterning of these layers by photolithography and then etching to produce the required shapes. Polycrystalline silicon

Materials
Polymers
Polymers on the other hand can be produced in huge volumes, with a great variety of material characteristics. MEMS devices can be made from polymers by processes such as injection moulding, embossing or stereolithography and are especially well suited to microfluidic applications such as disposable blood testing cartridges.

Metals
Metals can also be used to create MEMS elements. While metals do not have some of the advantages displayed by silicon in terms of mechanical properties, when used within their limitations, metals can exhibit very high degrees of reliability. Metals can be deposited by electroplating, evaporation, and sputtering processes. Commonly used metals include gold, nickel, aluminum, chromium, titanium, tungsten, platinum, and silver

How MEMS are made?

There are three basic building blocks in MEMS technology. A MEMS process is usually a structured sequence of these operations to form actual devices. Deposition processes Photolithography Etching processes

Deposition processes
One of the basic building blocks in MEMS. MEMS deposition technology can be classified in two groups. Depositions that happen because of a chemical reaction.
Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) Electrodeposition Epitaxy Thermal oxidation

1.

These processes exploit the creation of solid materials directly from chemical reactions in gas and/or liquid compositions or with the substrate material.

Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD)

Deposition processes
Depositions that happen because of a physical reaction: Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) Casting Common for all these processes are that the material deposited is physically moved on to the substrate. In other words, there is no chemical reaction which forms the material on the substrate.

Physical Vapor Deposition

Photolithography
Lithography in MEMS context is typically the transfer of a pattern to a photosensitive material by selective exposure to a radiation source such as light.

Photolithography
If we selectively expose a photosensitive material to radiation the pattern of the radiation on the material is transferred to the material exposed, as the properties of the exposed and unexposed regions differs.

Etching processes
In order to form a functional MEMS structure on a substrate, it is necessary to etch the thin films previously deposited and/or the substrate itself. There are two basic categories of etching processes: Wet Etching Wet etching where the material is dissolved when immersed in a chemical solution.

Wet etching of Si

 Dry Etching Dry etching where the material is sputtered or dissolved using reactive ions or a vapor phase etchant. Types of dry etching Non-plasma based dry etching Plasma based dry etching

Dry etching

MEMS Fabrication Techniques

Bulk Micromachining Surface Micromachining LIGA

Bulk Micromachining
Bulk micromachining is the oldest paradigm of silicon based MEMS. The whole thickness of a substrate is used for building the micromechanical structures. Bulk micromachining has been essential in enabling high performance sensors. Can be formed by wet and dry etching of Si substrate.

Surface Micromachining
It uses layers deposited on the surface of a substrate as the structural materials, rather than using the substrate itself. Analog Devices have pioneered the industrialization of surface micromachining and have realized the cointegration of MEMS and integrated circuits.

LIGA
LIGA, a German acronym for (X-ray) lithography (Lithographie), Electroplating (Galvanoformung), and Molding (Abformung), is a process in microtechnology.

LIGA is a relatively inexpensive fabrication technology. LIGA is a technology which creates small, but relatively high aspect ratio devices using xray lithography.

Advantages of MEMS

Applications
Medical Micro Power Generation Space Microcombustion Automotive Aeronautical Communication Chemical detection MEMS-BASED STORAGE Micro propulsion Defense

Medical Applications
Disposable Blood Pressure Sensors MEMS transducer senses blood pressure through a silicon-based dielectric gel between the sensor and the saline solution. Drug delivery

MEMS devices can be positioned in the body by implantation or by the traditional pill.

Medical Applications
MEMS devices first were used in medical applications in the early 1970s MEMS in Surgery Tissue Sensing: This MEMS prevents cutting of the wrong tissue by sensing the resistance of the tissue.

MEMS propeller submarine

Micro applications
Micro Power Generation Generate power at the micro scale to enable standalone micro sensors and micro actuators with wireless communication Microcombustion self-sustained combustion in 1 mm3 chamber. Micro Fuel Cells

fabrication of micro fuel cells with built-in super capacitor & PdH layer as H2 source

Automotive Applications
Peripheral acceleration sensor Oil conditioner sensor Corrosion sensor GPS and inertial Navigation Brake pressure and control Climate control sensor Suspension control

Aeronautical Application
Pressure Sensor Belt on Jet Planes. It is senses the difference in air pressure above and below the wings. In engines MEMS are mainly used as the temperature sensor and speed sensor.

Communication Application
RF MEMS They are new class of devices and components with low insertion loss, high isolation, high Q, small size, and low power consumption; and enable new system capabilities.

MEMS Microphone Robust

design superior temperature/humidity performance

chemical detection
MEMS fabrication of a mass sensitive gas detector allows for integration with CMOS circuitry, potentially leading to fully integrated sensor arrays of different physical modalities for organic vapors and biological agents.

MEMS-BASED STORAGE
The MEMS fabrication process can be integrated with standard CMOS processes, opening the door to combine processing and nonvolatile storage. MEMS-based storage devices could be incorporated into future disk drives as very large (1-10 GB) non-volatile caches.

Space application
MEMS lowers launch cost by cutting the mass of components onboard the space vehicle. Cosmic radiation can upset the operation of solid state components, but MEMS structures can withstand radiation. MEMS can be used to design satellites of mass 1-10 kg classified as nanosatellites and 1kg satellites as picosatellites.

MEMS in Defense
Cyborg insects with MEMS that will run remotely controlled reconnaissance missions for the military. MEMS sensors, such as video cameras, audio microphones, and chemical sniffers so that they could move into enemy territory in swarms to perform reconnaissance missions otherwise dangerous for soldiers. Smart dust: A tiny wireless sensors (MEMS), robots and devices, installed with wireless communications, that can detect anything from light and temperature to vibrations.

Cyborg insect and Smart dust

Although some products like pressure sensors have been produced for 30 years, MEMS industry in many aspects is still a young industry. The relatively long development cycle for a MEMS component is also a hurdle that needs to be lowered if we want more company to embrace the technology. short introduction has shown that specific training is needed for MEMS engineers, where knowledge of mechanical and material engineering supplements electronic engineering. Considering the smaller market size of most MEMS component, standard is the only way to bring the numbers where unit packaging price is reduced substantially.

MEMS current challenges

Future trend of MEMS

Looking in the crystal ball for MEMS market has shown to be a deceptive work, but current emerging tendencies may help foresee what will happen in the medium term. lowering manufacturing cost will hopefully result in standardization of the MEMS interfacing. From the market side, MEMS will undoubtedly invade more and more consumer products. A farthest opportunity for MEMS lies probably in nanotechnology. Combination with nanotechnology and biotechnology

Conclusion
By looking at all the applications we can say that

"There's plenty of room at the bottom"!

Reference
www.memsnet.org www.mems.sandia.gov www.csa.com/discoveryguides/mems/overview.php www.ee.udel.edu clifton.mech.northwestern.edu www.darpa.mil/MTO/MEMS robotics.eecs.berkeley.edu/~pister/SmartDust www.arri.uta.edu www.eng.tau.ac www.inrf.uci.edu www-micrel.deis.unibo.it www. wps2a.semi.org www.fys.uio.no www. esamultimedia.esa.int www.matec.org www.stormingmedia.us www.mrs.org www. fy.chalmers.se

Thank you !!!!!!