MEMS

NAME:kavitha
DEPT:ECE

ABSTRACT
We are grateful in a revolution of microelectronics,
which has dramatically reduced the cost and increased
the capability of electronics. This has given much
potential to prosper in the area of micro mechanics
encompassing MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical
Systems). MEMS promises to revolutionize nearly
every product category by bringing together silicon
based microelectronics with micro machining
technology, making possible the realization of
complete systems on a chip. often referred to as micro
systems technology, are fabricated using modified
silicon and non-silicon fabrication technology. It
reduces cost and increases reliability of the system.
MEMS is a process technology used to create tiny
integrated devices or systems that combine
mechanical and electrical componentsMEMS has been
identified as one of the most promising technologies
for the 21st Century and has the potential to
revolutionize both industrial and consumer products
by combining silicon based microelectronics with
micromachining technology. Its techniques and
microsystem based devices have the potential to
dramatically effect of all of our lives and the way we
live. If semiconductor micro fabrication was seen to
be the first micro manufacturing revolution, MEMS is
the second revolution.

I. INTRODUCTION
Micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) is
a technology of miniaturization that has been largely
adopted from the integrated circuit (IC) industry and
applied to the miniaturization of all systems not only
electrical systems but also mechanical, optical, fluid,
magnetic, etc.
Micro Electromechanical systems or MEMS,
represent an extraordinary technology that promises to
transform whole industries and drive the next
technological revolution. These devices can replace
bulky actuators and sensors with micron-scale
equivalent that can be produced in large quantities by
fabrication processes used in integrated circuits
photolithography. This reduces cost, bulk, weight and
power consumption while increasing performance,
production volume, and functionality by orders of
magnitude.

furthermore, it is clear that current MEMS products

are simply precursors to greater and more pervasive
applications to come, including genetic and disease
testing, guidance and navigation systems, power
generation, RF devices( especially for cell phone
technology), weapon systems, biological and chemical
agent detection, and data storage. Micro mirror based
optical switches have already proven their value;
several start-up companies specializing in their
development have already been sold to large network
companies for hundreds of millions of dollars. The
promise of MEMS is increasingly capturing the
attention of new and old
industrises alike, as more and more of their challenges
are solved with MEMS.
After
extensive
development,
todays
commercial MEMS also known as Micro System
Technologies (MST), Micro Machines (MM) have
proven to be more manufacturable, reliable and
accurate, dollar for dollar, than their conventional
counterparts. However the technical hurdles to attain
these accomplishments were often costly and timeconsuming, and current advances in this technology
introduce newer challenges still. Because this field is
till in its infancy, very little data on design,
manufacturing processes or liability are common or
shared.

II. FABRICATION
MEMS devices are fabricated using a number of
materials, depending on the application requirements.
One popular material is polycrystalline silicon, also
called polysilicon or poly. This material is
sculpted with techniques such as bulk or surface
micro- machining, and Deep Reactive Ion Etching
(DRIE), proving to be fairly durable for many
mechanical operations. Another is nickel, which can
be shaped by PMMA (a form of plexiglass) mask
platng (LIGA), as well as by conventional
photolithographic techniques. Other materials such
as diamond, aluminum, silicon carbide and gallium
arsenide are currently being evaluated for use in
micro machines for their desirable properties; e.g., the
hardness of diamond and silicon carbide. To create
moveable parts, several layers are needed for
structural and electrical interconnect (ground plane)
purposes, with so-called sacrificial oxide layers in
between. The current manufacturing record is five
layers, making possible a variety of complex

mechanical systems. These,capabilities developed

over the last several years, are beginning to unlock the
almost unlimited possibilities of MEMS applications.
The methods used to integrate multiple
patterned materials together to fabricate a completed
MEMS device are just as important as the individual
processes and materials themselves. Depending on the
type of material used fabrication techniques are
classified as:
A. Silicon Micro fabrication:
The two most general methods of MEMS integration
are: Surface micro machining ,Bulk micro machining
1.

Surface Micromachining
Surface micromachining enables the fabrication
of complex multicomponent integrated micromechanical
structures that would not be possible with traditional bulk
micromachining. This technique encases specific
structural parts of a device in layers of a sacrificial
material during the fabrication process. The substrate
wafer is used primarily as a mechanical support on which
multiple alternating layers of structural and sacrificial
material are deposited and patterned to realize
micromechanical structures. The sacrificial material is
then dissolved in a chemical etchant that does not attack
the structural parts. The most widely used surface
micromachining
technique,
polysilicon
surface
micromachining, uses SiO2 as the sacrificial material and
polysilicon as the structural material.

The two key capabilities that make bulk micromachining

a viable technology are

Anisotropic etchants of Si, such as ethylene-diamine

and pyrocatechol (EDP), potassium hydroxide (KOH),
and hydrazine (N2H4). These preferentially etch single
crystal Si along given crystal planes.Etch masks and
etch-stop techniques that can be used with Si
anisotropic etchants to selectively prevent regions of
Si from being etched. Good etch masks are provided
by SiO2 and Si3N4, and some metallic thin films such
as Cr and Au (gold).

Figure 2 Process flow of bulk micromachining

B. Non-Silicon Micro fabrication:

Figure 1 Process flow of surface micromachining

a)
b)

Advantages of surface micro machining

Structures, especially thicknesses, can be smaller than 10
m in size,
The micro machined device footprint can often be much
smaller than bulk wet-etched devices,
c)It is easier to integrate electronics below surface microstructures, and
d)Surface microstructures generally have superior
tolerance compared to bulk wet-etched devices.
The primary disadvantage is the fragility of surface
microstructures
to
handling,
particulates
and
condensation during manufacturing. Surface Micro
machining is being used in commercial products such as
accelerometers to trigger air bags in automobiles.
2.

Bulk Micromachining and Wafer Bonding

Bulk micromachining is an extension of IC
technology for the fabrication of 3D structures. Bulk
micromachining of Si uses wet- and dry-etching
techniques in conjunction with etch masks and etch stops
to sculpt micromechanical devices from the Si substrate.

The development of MEMS has contributed significantly

to the improvement of non-silicon micro fabrication
techniques. Two prominent examples are LIGA and
plastic molding from micro machined substrates.
1.

LIGA

LIGA is a German acronym standing for

lithographie,
galvanoformung
(plating),
and
abformung (molding). However, in practice LIGA
essentially stands for a process that combines
extremely thick-film resists (often >1 mm) and x-ray
lithography, which can pattern thick resists with high
fidelity and results in vertical sidewalls. Although
some applications may require only the tall patterned
resist structures themselves, other applications benefit
from using the thick resist structures as plating molds
(i.e., material can be quickly deposited into the mold
by electroplating). A drawback to LIGA is the need for
high-energy x-ray sources that are very expensive and
rare.

IV. PACKAGING

Figure 3 Process flow of LIGA

The LIGA process exposes PMMA (poly methyl metha

crylate) plastic with synchrotron radiation through a
mask. This is shown at the top of the Figure 1. Exposed
PMMA is then washed away, leaving vertical wall
structures with spectacular accuracy. Structures a third of
a millimeter high and many millimeters on a side are
accurate to a few tenths of a micron. Metal is then plated
into the structure, replacing the PMMA that was washed
away. This metal piece can become the final part, or can
be used as an injection mold for parts made out of a
variety of plastics.

As with micromachining processes, many MEMS

sensor-packaging techniques are the same as, or derived
from, those used in the semiconductor industry. However,
the mechanical requirements for a sensor package are
typically much more stringent than for purely
microelectronic devices. Microelectronic packages are
often generic with plastic, ceramic, or metal packages
being suitable for the vast majority of IC applications.
For example, small stresses and strains transmitted to a
microelectronics die will be tolerable as long as they stay
within acceptable limits and do not affect reliability. In
the case of a MEMS physical sensor, however, such
stresses and strains and other undesirable influences must
be carefully controlled in order for the device to function
correctly. Failure to do so, even when employing
electronic compensation techniques, will reduce both the
sensor performance and long-term stability.
Standard IC Packages
Ceramic Packages
Plastic Packages
Metal Packages

III. MEMS DESIGN PROCESS

There are three basic building blocks in MEMS
technology, which are,Deposition Process-the ability to
deposit thin films of material on a substrate,
Lithography-to apply a patterned mask on top of the
films by photolithograpic imaging. Etching-to etch the
films selectively to the mask. A MEMS process is
usually a structured sequence of these operations to form
actual devices.
Figure 5 Standard IC packeges

A. MEMS Mechanical Sensor Packaging

A MEMS sensor packaging must meet several
requirements :

Figure 4 MEMS design flow starting to end

Protect the sensor from external influences and

environmental effects. Since MEMS inherently
include some microscale mechanical components,
the integrity of the device must be protected
against physical damage arising from mechanical
shocks, vibrations, temperature cycling, and
particle contamination. The electrical aspects of
the device, such as the bond wires and the
electrical properties of the interconnects, must
also be protected against these external influences
and environmental effects
Protect the environment from the presence of the
sensor. In addition protecting the sensor, the
package must prevent the presence of the MEMS
from reacting with or contaminating potentially
sensitive environments. The

classic examples of this are medical devices that contain

packaged sensors that can be implanted or used within
the body; these must be biocompatible, nontoxic, and
able to withstand sterilization.
Provide a controlled electrical, thermal, mechanical,
and/or optical interface between the sensor, its associated
components, and its environment. Not only must the
package protect both the sensor and its environment, it
must also provide a reliable and repeatable interface for
all the coupling requirements of a particular application.
In the case of mechanical sensors, the interface is of
fundamental importance since, by its nature, specific
mechanical coupling is essential but unwanted effects
must be prevented. A simple example would be a
pressure sensor where the device must be coupled in
some manner to the pressure but isolated from, for
example, thermally induced strains. The package must
also provide reliable heat transfer to enable any heat
generated to be transmitted away from the MEMS device
to its environment.

Figure 7 Schematic of micro accelerometer, ADXLseries, produced by

Analog Device.

V.APPLICATIONS OF MEMS
A.Communications:
High frequency circuits will benefit considerably
from advent of the RF-MEMS technology. Electrical
components such as inductors and tunable capacitors can be
improved significantly compared to their integrated counter
parts if they are made using MEMS technology. If the
integration of such components, the performance of
communication circuits will improve, while the total circuit
area, power consumption and cost will be reduced. In
addition, the mechanical switch, as developed by several
research groups, is a key component with huge potential in
various micro wave circuits

B. Biotechnology:
MEMS enabling new discoveries in science and
engineering such as the polymerase chain Reaction (PCR)
Microsystems for DNA amplification and identification,
micro machined scanning Tunneling microscopes (STMs),
Biochips for detection of hazardous chemical and biological
agents, and Microsystems for high-throughput drug
screening and selection.

C. Inertial sensors:
Inertial sensors are mechanics sensors aiming at
measuring accelerations, in the mechanics science
definition. There are two categories of inertial sensors.
They are, accelerometers which measures variation of
rotational speed and gyroscopes which measures
variation of rotational speed.
D. Accelerometers:

Figure 6 Capacitive accelerometers working diagram(reference from

www.sensorsmag.com)

Figure 8 Schematic of micro accelerometer with closerview

On these diagrams, we can see a micro accelerometer device

and the chip including associated electronics, made by
Analog Device. This is a two axis micro accelerometer. This
means it is able to measure accelerations in two directions at
a time (in the directions of the plane).

Micro accelerometers were the first MEMS

device to flood the market. Micro accelerometers
measure variation of translational speed. So acceleration,
deceleration, even very high deceleration, likeshock!
The sensor that detects a shock and launches the airbag is
a micro accelerometer combined with a electronic circuit
able to decide wether or not the shock was an accident or
just your car passing a pothole. There are lots of
applications, like navigation, micro accelerometers can
help in increasing precision. There are more and more to
say about micro accelerometers, they are still the
spearhead of MEMS industry.
E. Gyroscopes:
Micro gyroscopes are newer in the market
compared to micro accelerometers. Some devices have
appeared on the market for navigation application. The
key point in these devices is sensitivity.
F. RF switches:
RF switches have been under development for
years, but the commercial applications just begin to
appear. The reason is the difficulty to combine high
efficiency, reproducibility and reliability. RF switches
will be preferred to full electronic switches on
applications where security, integration capabilities,
power consumption and other parameters are critical.
G. Consumer Market:
Sports
Training
Devices,omputer
Peripherals,
Car and Personal Navigation Devices,Active Subwoofers

etc
H. Industrial Market:
Earthquake Detection and Gas Shutoff,Machine
Health, Shock and Tilt Sensing etc.
I. Military:
Tanks,Planes,Equipment for Soldier etc.

development also necessitates modelling and simulation,

it is important that MEMS designers have access to
adequate analytical tools.
3. Packaging and Testing.
The packaging and testing of devices is probably

Table I. Application of MEMS in various fields

VI. THE FUTURE OF MEMS TECHNOLOGY

A. Industry Challenges
Some of the major challenges facing the MEMS
industry include:
1. Access to Foundries.
MEMS companies today have very limited
access to MEMS fabrication facilities, or foundries, for
prototype and device manufacture. In addition, the
majority of the organizations expected to benefit from
this technology currently do not have the required
capabilities and competencies to support MEMS
fabrication. For example, telecommunication companies
do not currently maintain micromachining facilities for
the fabrication of optical switches. Affordable and
receptive access to MEMS fabrication facilities is crucial
for the commercialization of MEMS.
2. Design, Simulation and Modelling.
Due to the highly integrated and interdisciplinary
nature of MEMS, it is difficult to separate device design
from the complexities of fabrication. Consequently, a high
level of manufacturing and fabrication knowledge is
necessary to design a MEMS device. Furthermore,
considerable time and expense is spent during this
development and subsequent prototype stage. In order to
increase innovation and creativity, and reduce unnecessary
time-to-market costs, an interface should be created to
separate design and fabrication. As successful device

the greatest challenge facing the MEMS industry. As

previously described, MEMS packaging presents unique
problems compared to traditional IC packaging in that a
MEMS package typically must provide protection from
an operating environment as well as enable access to it.
Currently, there is no generic MEMS packaging solution,
with each device requiring a specialized format.
Consequently, packaging is the most expensive
fabrication step and often makes up 90% (or more) of the
final cost of a MEMS device.
4. Standardization.
Due to the relatively low number of commercial
MEMS devices and the pace at which the current
technology is developing, standardization has been very
difficult. To date, high quality control and basic forms of
standardization are generally only found at multi-million
dollar (or billion dollar) investment facilities. However,
in 2000, progress in industry communication and
knowledge sharing was made through the formation of a
MEMS trade organization. Based in Pittsburgh, USA, the
MEMS industry group (MEMS-IG) with founding
members including Xerox, Corning, Honeywell, Intel
and JDS Uniphase, grew out of study teams sponsored by
DARPA that identified a need for technology road
mapping and a source for objective statistics about the
MEMS industry. In addition, a MEMS industry roadmap,
sponsored by the Semiconductor Equipment and
Materials International organization (SEMI)
5. Education and Training.
The complexity and interdisciplinary nature of
MEMS require educated and well-trained scientists and
engineers from a diversity of fields and backgrounds. The
current numbers of qualified MEMS-specific personnel is
relatively small and certainly lower than present industry
demand. Education at graduate level is usually necessary
and although the number of universities offering MEMSbased degrees is increasing, gaining knowledge is an
expensive and time-consuming process. Therefore, in order
to match the projected need for these MEMS scientists and
engineers, an efficient and lower cost

VII. CONCLUSIONS
MEMS promises to revolutionize nearly every
product category by bringing together silicon-based
microelectronics with micromachining technology,
making possible the realization of complete systems-ona-chip.Future Work.
MEMS will be the indispensable factor for
advancing technology in the 21st century and it promises
to create entirely new categories of products.
The automotive industry, motivated by the need for
more efficient safety systems and the desire for enhanced
performance, is the largest consumer of MEMS-based
technology. In addition to accelerometers and

gyroscopes, micro-sized tire pressure systems are now

standard issues in new vehicles, putting MEMS

pressure sensors in high demand. Such micro-sized

pressure sensors can be used by physicians and surgeons
in a telemetry system to measure blood pressure at a stet,
allowing early detection of hypertension and restenosis.
Alternatively, the detection of bio molecules can benefit
most from MEMS-based biosensors. Medical
applications include the detection of DNA sequences and
metabolites. MEMS biosensors can also monitor several
chemicals simultaneously, making them perfect for
detecting toxins in the environment.
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