Manufacturing Engineering Technology in SI Units, 6th Edition
Chapter 29:
Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems
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Chapter Outline
1. Introduction
2. Micromachining of MEMS Devices
3. The LIGA Microfabrication Process
4. Solid Free-form Fabrication of Devices
5. Nanoscale Manufacturing
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Introduction
Integrated circuits and products that operate on
electrical or electronic principle are called
microelectronic devices
A micromechanical device has dimensions
between a few millimeters and atomic length
scales
A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) is a
microelectromechanical device that incorporates
an integrated electrical system into one product
Nanoscale manufacturing have products
dimensions between 10-6 and 10-9 m
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Micromachining of MEMS Devices
Processes suitable for manufacturing devices
incorporate mechanical elements or features as
well
Four types of devices that can be made through
the approach:
1. Microelectronic devices
2. Micromechanical devices
3. Microelectromechanical devices
4. Microelectromechanical systems
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Micromachining of MEMS Devices
MEMS devices have been constructed from
polycrystalline silicon (polysilicon) and single-
crystal silicon
Surrounding the MEMS device also limits the
performance of the device
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Micromachining of MEMS Devices:
Bulk Micromachining
Bulk micromachining uses orientation-dependent
etches on single-crystal silicon
Depends on etching down into a surface and
stopping on certain crystal faces, doped regions,
and etchable films to form a desired structure
Etchants will not be able to remove heavily boron
doped silicon and the patch will not be etched
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Micromachining of MEMS Devices:
Surface Micromachining
Basic steps in surface micromachining are
illustrated for silicon devices
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Micromachining of MEMS Devices:
Surface Micromachining
A microlamp will emit a white light when a
current is passed through it
Produced through a combination of surface and
bulk micromachining
The etchant used to remove the spacer layer must
be selected carefully
Another difficulty that must
be overcome is stiction after
wet etching
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Micromachining of MEMS Devices:
Surface Micromachining
After the spacer layer has been removed, the
liquid etchant is dried from the wafer surface
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Micromachining of MEMS Devices:
Surface Micromachining
EXAMPLE 29.1
Surface Micromachining of a Hinge
Devices requiring very large vertical walls are
overcome by machining large, flat structures
horizontally and then rotating or folding them into
an upright position
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Micromachining of MEMS Devices:
Surface Micromachining
EXAMPLE 29.1
Surface Micromachining of a Hinge
The figure shows the cross section of a hinge
during its manufacture
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Micromachining of MEMS Devices:
Surface Micromachining
CASE STUDY 29.1
Digital Micromirror Device
The Texas Instruments digital pixel technology
(DPT™) device
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Micromachining of MEMS Devices:
Surface Micromachining
CASE STUDY 29.1
Digital Micromirror Device
Manufacturing sequence for the Texas
Instruments DMD device
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Micromachining of MEMS Devices:
Surface Micromachining
CASE STUDY 29.1
Digital Micromirror Device
Ceramic flat-package construction used for the
DMD device
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Micromachining of MEMS Devices:
Surface Micromachining
SCREAM
Stands for single-crystal silicon reactive etching
and metal
Making of very deep MEMS structures
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Micromachining of MEMS Devices:
Surface Micromachining
SIMPLE
Stands for silicon micromachining by single-step
plasma etching
Alternative to SCREAM
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Micromachining of MEMS Devices:
Surface Micromachining
Etching Combined with Diffusion Bonding
Very tall structures can be produced in crystalline
silicon through a combination of silicon-diffusion
bonding and deep reactive-ion etching
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Micromachining of MEMS Devices:
Surface Micromachining
EXAMPLE 29.2
Operation and Fabrication Sequence for a
Thermal Ink-jet Printer
Sequence of operation of a thermal ink-jet printer
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Micromachining of MEMS Devices:
Surface Micromachining
EXAMPLE 29.2
Operation and Fabrication Sequence for a
Thermal Ink-jet Printer
The manufacturing sequence for producing thermal
ink-jet printer heads
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The LIGA Microfabrication Process
LIGA process involves:
1. A very thick resist layer of PMMA is deposited
onto a primary substrate
2. PMMA is exposed to columnated X-rays and is
developed
3. Metal is electrodeposited onto the primary
substrate
4. PMMA is removed or stripped
5. Plastic injection molding takes place
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The LIGA Microfabrication Process
Resist materials must have high X-ray sensitivity,
dry- and wet-etching resistance when unexposed,
and thermal stability
Two newer forms of LIGA are UV-LIGA and
Silicon-LIGA
The electrodeposition of metal usually involves
the electroplating of nickel
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The LIGA Microfabrication Process
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The LIGA Microfabrication Process
EXAMPLE 29.3
Production of Rare-earth Magnets
Fabrication process used to produce rare-earth
magnets for microsensors
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The LIGA Microfabrication Process
EXAMPLE 29.3
Production of Rare-earth Magnets
SEM images of permanent magnets
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The LIGA Microfabrication Process
Multilayer X-ray Lithography
It is useful to have overhanging geometries within
complex MEMS devices
A batch diffusion-bonding and release procedure
has been developed for this purpose
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The LIGA Microfabrication Process
HEXSIL
Combines hexagonal
honeycomb structures,
silicon micromachining,
and thin-film deposition
to produce high
-aspect-ratio, freestanding
structures
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The LIGA Microfabrication Process
HEXSIL
Microscale tweezers can be produced through the
HEXSIL process
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Solid Free-form Fabrication of Devices
Solid free-form fabrication is another term for
rapid prototyping
Complex three-dimensional structures can be
produced through additive manufacturing
Microstereolithography
Uses the same basic approach as
stereolithography
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Solid Free-form Fabrication of Devices
Electrochemical Fabrication
The solid free-form fabrication of MEMS devices
using instant masking is known as
electrochemical fabrication
The mask is pressed against the
substrate in an electrodeposition bath
Elastomer conforms to the substrate
and excludes the plating solution in
contact areas
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Solid Free-form Fabrication of Devices
CASE STUDY 29.2
Accelerometer for Automotive Air Bags
Accelerometer with a surface micromachined
capacitive sensor (center), on-chip excitation, and
self-test and signal-conditioning circuitry
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Solid Free-form Fabrication of Devices
CASE STUDY 29.2
Accelerometer for Automotive Air Bags
Preparation of IC chip for polysilicon
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Solid Free-form Fabrication of Devices
CASE STUDY 29.2
Accelerometer for Automotive Air Bags
Polysilicon deposition and IC metallization
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Solid Free-form Fabrication of Devices
CASE STUDY 29.2
Accelerometer for Automotive Air Bags
Prerelease preparation, and release
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Nanoscale Manufacturing
Parts are produced at nanometer length scales
Many of the features in integrated circuits are at
this length scale, but very little else with
significant manufacturing relevance
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Nanoscale Manufacturing
Some top-down approaches:
1. Photolithography
2. Nanolithography
3. Dip Pen Nanolithography
Bottom-up approaches include:
1. Dip pen nanolithography
2. Microcontact printing
3. Scanning tunneling microscopy
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Nanoscale Manufacturing
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