Why Study MEMS and Microsystems?: Electro Electrical Signals Electrostatic Forces Mechanical Systems

Why study MEMS and
Microsystems?
The first M refers to small dimensions of the micron
(micrometers) scale. Typical range is 1-100 m
Human hair diameter is in the 50-70 m range
The E stands for electro; relates to electrical signals and
electrostatic forces .
The second M stands for mechanical; relates to micron scale
devices with (or without) moving parts.
The S stands for systems; relates coupled field phenomena
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Some elaborations:
Micro machines with moving parts
Micropumps, microgear trains, electrostatic sensors/actuators
Micro machines without moving parts

Biosensors, biomedical sensors,
Micro machines with no electrical components

Microfluidic channels
MEMS are now common in large numbers of applications
Automotive: airbag deployment, engine monitoring, comfort/convenience

Aerospace: altimeters, avionics controls,
Printer technology: ink jet printer heads,
Radio-frequency: advanced switching in cellular phones and other WIFI
Fiber optics: Fiber optic communications, imaging, etc.
Military: munitions guidance, chemical and biological field sensing
Medical :Diagnostics, forensics, drug delivery and monitoring
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Etc. etc.
A microsystem is created by combining two or more MEMS

units into a functional unit. Typically one of the MEMS is a
sensor and the other(s) may be signal conditional and an
actuator.
The ultimate value of any technology to society is its

ability/potential to generate useful and marketable products
and systems using available and practical knowledge and
skills.
Technology is not simply driven by scientific curiosity research,
but rather to apply knowledge to facilitate design and
manufacture.
New products give rise to intellectual property (IP) concerns
which is a necessary element for component
commercialization.
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Miniaturization technologies that embrace the micro (10-6 m)

and nano (10-9 m) scale are current leaders in the industrial
revolution that is driving the new economy trends.
Miniaturization has the potential to provide a wide range of
of products by leveraging skills across several technology
domains.
Many (MEMS) products based on micro technology have
evolved rapidly over the last decade based on manufacturing
methodologies developed and perfected in semiconductor
industry over the preceding 3-4 decades.
The same major materials are at play. Materials groups e.g.
silicon, gold, ceramics and polymers will be reviewed.
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Miniaturization technologies are normally tagged as

disruptive because they are discontinuous rather
than evolutionary. Examples include the printing industry as
they transitioned from dot matrix printers to ink jet printers.
Manufacturing platforms and pertinent technologies were
very different with little or no cross support.
Several challenges of miniaturization include a need to
develop new ways of thinking, designing, manufacturing
and assembling MEMS into Microsystems.
Phenomena usually deemed negligible at the macro and
meso scales, become key issues that dominate physical
behaviors at the micro and nano scale. For example surface
tension plays a major role in microfluidics compared
to open channel flows at the macro scale.
5
Nanotechnology devices depend on the advanced

understanding of the behavior of materials and processes
at the molecular level.
Several obstacles towards widespread embrace of
Nanotechnology manufacturing including:
toxicity associated with nanoparticles in consumer products
in like sunscreens and cosmetics
size of nanoparticles may be too small to be filtered by
natural body defenses body resulting in diseases.
several ethical concerns arise from nanotechnology
including mass job losses
lack of knowledge of the impact to health and society, of
new and upcoming developments
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There are many potential advantages of nanotechnology:

medical diagnostic devices
drug delivery systems
nano enhanced fibers for superior textile coatings
new class of super materials
high potent military weaponry
self assembling/repair systems for outer space applications
etc
Examples of successfully commercialized products
Shape and challenges of commercialization curves
Ref. Commercializing Micro-Nanotechnology Products, David Tollfree,

Mark J. Jackson, eds., CRC Press, Taylor & Francis, 2008
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So why MEMS?
Low cost
Low volume of material used
Batch processing, use one process to make large quantities
Redundancy
Use of several (cheap MEMS) in place of one large component
Better reliability
Disposability
Given device size, single use is NOT wasteful, especially if used in
hazardous environments/applications
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Favorable scaling
This is a fundamental exercise in MEMS. The need to identify
and apply favorable scaling effects in design and manufacture.
Follow illustration of characteristic length scale on p. 5 Adams
As you scale from a macro scale to a micro scale the ratio of:
volumes (micro/macro) = 10-9
surface areas (micro/macro) = 10-6
Scaling resulting from reducing the characteristic length L
can be summarized as:
m ~ L3
Asurface ~ L2
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Explore the combined effect of scaling surface area and

volume
Asurface /m ~ L2/L3 ~ 1/L
This is very significant generalization in miniaturization, i.e. as
the characteristic length decreases physical parameters
associated with surface area grow larger compared to those
associated with volume.
Invert a (macro) glass full of water on a table
The water will readily spill out and across the table and to the floor
At this scale gravity (a volume parameter) rules
Invert a micro glass with a drop or two of water on a table

At best you have to shake the glass to dislodge water drops
Water drops will quickly form spherical drops
At this scale surface tension (a surface parameter) rules
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How MEMS are made

Standard machining processes like drilling, milling shaping etc. are by
and large useless in manufacturing MEMS, due to main limitations:
Size
Brittleness
Process from the IC industry practices have been adapted to MEMS.
This involves creating structures on thin substrates of Si or GaAs in a
series of layers.
Illustration of the fabricating a the base of a pressure sensor on a Si
substrate using a series procedures called a bulk micromaching
process is shown in Fig. 1.3, Adams.
Illustration of a surface micromachining process for making a
cantilever beam of Aluminum on a Si substrate, Fig. 1.4, Adams
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Why study MEMS and

Micropumps, microgear trains, electrostatic sensors/actuators

Micro machines without moving parts

Micro machines with no electrical components

MEMS are now common in large numbers of applications

Automotive: airbag deployment, engine monitoring, comfort/convenience

A microsystem is created by combining two or more MEMS

The ultimate value of any technology to society is its

Miniaturization technologies that embrace the micro (10-6 m)

Miniaturization technologies are normally tagged as

Nanotechnology devices depend on the advanced

There are many potential advantages of nanotechnology:

Ref. Commercializing Micro-Nanotechnology Products, David Tollfree,

Explore the combined effect of scaling surface area and

Invert a micro glass with a drop or two of water on a table

How MEMS are made

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