Chris Mosser

http://www.d-r-t.com/sensortech.htm

http://news.thomasnet.com/fullstory/463874
 Outline
• Introduce MEMS
• Applications
• Automotive Specific Information
• Fabrication
• Packaging
 What are MEMS?
• Micro(small)
http://eed.gsfc.nasa.gov/562/SA_MEMs.htm

• Electro(electric components/functionality) http://www.memx.com/

• Mechanical(mechanical components/functionality)
http://www.memx.com/

• Systems(integrated, system-like functionality)

http://www.forbes.com/2008/04/22/mems-apple-nintendo_leadership_clayton_in_jw_0421claytonchristensen_inl_slide.html
 Where do you find MEMs?
• Printers
– High DPI inkjets
• Projectors
• Micro-Mirrors from Texas Instruments
• Cell Phones
– Knowles Microphones used in most new cell
phones
• Automobiles
 Why MEMS
• Small
– Typically .1-100um feature size

http://singularityhub.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/red-blood-cells.bmp

Red Blood Cells ~ 10um

http://www.vendian.org/envelope/dir2/scaling_construct.html

Human Hair thickness ~ 50um

 Why MEMS
• Low cost, High yield
– Use existing IC fabrication technology

– Made primarily on Silicon Wafers

http://media-2.web.britannica.com/eb-media/22/78522-004-BB539CA9.jpg
 Why MEMS
• Favorable scaling for a lot of applications
– Flow-rate sensors
– Electrostatics
– Magnetism
– Many others

• Not all applications

– Solar Power
– Turbulent Boundary Energy Harvesting
 Typical Applications
• Accelerometers
• Magnetometers
• Microphones
• Micro-Fluidics
• RF-MEMS
• Bridge to Nanotechnology
 Automotive MEMS
• MEMS Sensors and Actuators used to
control various elements of the automobile
– Powertrain and Chassis control
• Ex: Manifold Air Temperature
– Comfort and Convenience
• Ex: Air-Temperature Control
– Communications
• Ex: Wireless
 Where it Began
• 1979 - First recorded use of MEMs in automobiles
• Federal emission standards required monitoring the air-to-
fuel ratio of the engine
– Density of air value was needed
• Many different sensor technologies were introduced to
solve this problem
• MAP (manifold absolute pressure) and MAT (manifold air
temperature) sensors were developed using MEMS
• Silicon based MEMS sensors became the device of choice
due to low cost and high yield

http://www.quantummatrix.com.my/v1/content/view/231/59/
MAP Sensor
 Who Developed It
• Two groups
– Delco Electronics Group(General Motors)
• Used piezoresistive sensing
– Ford
• Used capacitive sensing
 Piezoresistive Sensors
• Use the piezoresistive effect
– Applied stress changes resistivity of material

Source: IMG(UF)

Diaphragm with two embedded piezoresisters

 Capacitive Sensors
• Vary two parameters
– Gap
– Overlap area
• Advantages
– Low power
– High accuracy
– Temperature independent
• Important for a lot of automobile applications
– Reciprocal
http://www.nanoshift.net/Technology.htm

• Disadvantages
– Parasitic capacitance
– Small signal
 What about Actuators?
• Traditionally only sensors were developed
for automobiles
• Actuators started to become popular as
MEMs development costs decreased
• Popular actuators include
– Microphones
– Fuel injection nozzles
 Fabrication
• Use basic IC fabrication
– Masks/layers/CVD/oxidation/etc

• MEMS specific fabrication

– DRIE (Deep reactive ion etch)
– SOI (silicon on insulator)
 General MEMS Packaging
• The most important and expensive part of a
MEMS sensor/actuator
– ~45% of the cost of designing a MEMS device is spent
on packaging
• Often times packaging constraints will prevent a
design from being produced
– May require too complex of a package design for
realistic implementation
• Package can greatly change the response of a
device
– Sensitivity/Dynamic Range/etc all effected by package
 Automotive MEMS Packaging
• Automotive sensors generally only allowed
to have 3 wires connected to them
– Minimizes cost
• Environment concerns are especially
important in automotive applications
– Engine heat
– High acceleration/deceleration
– Humidity
Automotive MEMS Summary

Precision Engineering
By V. C. Venkatesh, Sudin Izman
Thank You
 References
• Application of MEMS Technology in
Automotive Sensors and Actuators, David
Eddy and Douglas Spanks

• http://www.img.ufl.edu/ms/eel5225/html/as
signments.htm