What Is Mems?: Mems M E M S

WHAT IS MEMS?
MEMS = MicroElectroMechanical System

Any engineering system that performs electrical and mechanical
functions with components in micrometers is a MEMS. (1 µm = 1/10 of
human hair)
Available MEMS products include:
● Micro sensors (acoustic wave, biomedical, chemical, inertia,

optical, pressure, radiation, thermal, etc.)
● Micro actuators (valves, pumps and microfluidics;
electrical and optical relays and
switches; grippers, tweezers and tongs;
linear and rotary motors, etc.)
● Read/write heads in computer storage systems.
● Inkjet printer heads.
● Micro device components (e.g., palm-top reconnaissance aircrafts,
mini robots and toys, micro surgical and mobile telecom equipment,
etc.)
HOW SMALL ARE MEMS DEVICES?
in plain English please!

They can be of the size of a rice grain, or smaller!
Two examples:
- Inertia sensors for air bag deployment

systems in automobiles
- Microcars
Inertia Sensor for Automobile
“Air Bag” Deployment
System Micro inertia sensor (accelerometer) in
place:
Sensor-on-a-chip:
(the size of a
rice grain)
(Courtesy of Analog Devices, Inc)

Micro Cars
(Courtesy of Denso Research Laboratories, Denso Corporation, Aichi, Japan)
Rice grains
MEMS = a pioneer technology
for Miniaturization –
A leading technology for the 21st Century, and
an inevitable trend in industrial products and

systems development
Miniaturization of Digital Computers
- A remarkable case of miniaturization!
Size: 106 down

Power: 106 up
A “Lap-top” Computer in 1996

The ENIAC Computer in 1946
Size: 108 down

Power: 108 up
A “Palm-top” Computer in 2001
This spectacular miniaturization took place in 50 years!!

MINIATURIAZATION – The Principal Driving Force for
the 21st Century Industrial Technology
There has been increasing strong market demand for:
“Intelligent,”
“Robust,”
“Multi-functional,”
and
“Low-cost” industrial products.
Miniaturization is the only viable solution to satisfy such

market demand
 Small systems tend to move or stop more quickly due to low mechanical
inertia. It is thus ideal for precision movements and for rapid actuation.
Miniaturized systems encounter less thermal distortion and mechanical
vibration due to low mass.
 Miniaturized devices are particularly suited for biomedical and
aerospace applications due to their minute sizes and weight.
 Small systems have higher dimensional stability at high temperature due
to low thermal expansion.
 Smaller size of the systems means less space requirements.
This allows the packaging of more functional components in a single
device.
 Less material requirements mean low cost of production and

transportation.
 Ready mass production in batches.

Enabling Technologies for Miniaturization
Microsystems Technology A top-down approach

(MST)
(1 m - 1 mm)* Initiated in 1947 with the invention of
transistors, but the term
“Micromachining” was coined in 1982
Miniature devices
(1 nm - 1 mm)
A bottom-up approach
Inspired by Richard Feynman in 1959, with
Nanotechnology (NT) active R&D began in around 1995
(0.1 nm – 0. 1 m)**
There is a long way to building nano devices!
* 1 m = 10-6 m  one-tenth of human hair

** 1 nm = 10-9 m  span of 10 H2 atoms
The Lucrative Revenue Prospects for
Miniaturized Industrial Products
Microsystems technology:
$43 billion - $132
billion* by Year 2005
( *High revenue
projection is based on
different definitions
used for MST
products)
Source: NEXUS http://www.smalltimes.com/document_display.cfm?document_id=3424

MEMS Products
MEMS as a Microsensor
Power
Suppl
y
Micro
Input Transduction Output
Sensing Unit
Signal Signal
Elemen
t
Micro pressure sensors

MEMS as a Microactuator- motor: Power
Supply
Micro
Output Transduction
Actuating
Action Unit
Element
Micro motor produced

Rotor by a LIGA Process
Torque
Stators Transmission
Gear
Components of
Microsystems
Power
Supply
Signal
Transduction &
Processing
Unit
Sensor Actuator
Microsystem
Typical Microsystems Products
Inertia Sensor for “Air Bag” Deployment
System
(Courtesy of Analog Devices, Inc.)
Inertia Sensor for Automobile
“Air Bag” Deployment
System Micro inertia sensor (accelerometer) in
place:
Sensor-on-a-chip:
(the size of a
rice grain)
Collision
(Courtesy of Analog Devices, Inc)

 Components are in micrometers with complex geometry
using silicon, si-compounds and polymers:
A micro gear-train by
Sandia National
Laboratories
25 m
Capillary Electrophoresis (CE)
Network Systems for Biomedic
A simple capillary tubular network with cross-sectional area of 20x30 µm is illustrated
Analysis
below:
Buffer
Analyte Reservoir,B Analyte Waste
Reservoir,A Reservoir,A’
Injection Channel
Separation Channel
“Plug”
Waste
Reservoir,B’ Silicon Substrate
Work on the principle of driving capillary fluid flow by applying electric voltages at the
terminals at the reservoirs.
Commercial MEMS and
Microsystems Products
Micro Sensors: Micro Actuators:
Acoustic wave sensors Grippers, tweezers and

Biomedical and biosensors tongs Motors - linear and
Chemical sensors rotary Relays and switches
Optical sensors Valves and pumps
Pressure sensors Optical equipment (switches,
Stress sensors lenses &
mirrors, shutters, phase modulators,
Thermal sensors
filters, waveguide splitters, latching &
fiber alignment mechanisms)
Microsystems = sensors + actuators

+ signal transduction:
 Microfluidics, e.g. Capillary Electrophoresis (CE)
 Microaccelerometers (inertia sensors)
Evolution of Microfabrication
●There is no machine tool with today’s technology can produce any device or
MEMS component of the size in the micrometer scale (or in mm sizes).
● The complex geometry of these minute MEMS components can only be produced
by various physical-chemical processes – the microfabrication techniques
originally developed for producing integrated circuit (IC) components.
Significant technological development towards miniaturization was
initiated with the invention of transistors by three Nobel Laureates, W.
Schockley, J. Bardeen and W.H. Brattain of Bell Laboratories in 1947.
This crucial invention led to the development of the concept of

integrated circuits (IC) in 1955, and the production of the first IC three
years later by Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments.
ICs have made possible for miniaturization of many devices and

engineering systems in the last 50 years.
The invention of transistors is thus regarded as the beginning of

the 3rd Industrial Revolution in human civilization.
Comparison of Microelectronics and Microsystems
Microelectronics Microsystems (silicon based)
Primarily 2-dimensional structures Complex 3-dimensional structure
Stationary structures May involve moving components
Transmit electricity for specific electrical functions Perform a great variety of specific biological, chemical,
electromechanical and optical functions
IC die is protected from contacting media Delicate components are interfaced with working
media
Use single crystal silicon dies, silicon Use single crystal silicon dies and few other materials,
compounds, ceramics and plastic materials e.g. GaAs, quartz, polymers, ceramics and metals
Fewer components to be assembled Many more components to be assembled
Mature IC design methodologies Lack of engineering design methodology and standards
Complex patterns with high density of Simpler patterns over substrates with simpler
electrical circuitry over substrates electrical circuitry
Large number of electrical feed-through and leads Fewer electrical feed-through and leads
Industrial standards available No industrial standard to follow in design,
material selections, fabrication processes and
packaging
Mass production Batch production, or on customer-need basis
Fabrication techniques are proven and well Many microfabrication techniques are used for
documented production, but with no standard procedures
Manufacturing techniques are proven Distinct manufacturing techniques
and well documented
Packaging technology is relatively well Packaging technology is at the infant stage
Commercialization of
MEMS and
Major commercial success:
Microsystems
Pressure sensors and inertia sensors (accelerometers) with
worldwide market of:
 Airbag inertia sensors at 2 billion units per year.

 Manifold absolute pressure sensors at 40 million units per
year.
 Disposable blood pressure sensors at 20 million units per
year.
Old MEMS New MEMS
Recent
Pressure sensors Market Dynamics
BioMEMS
Accelerometers IT MEMS for Telecommunication:
Other MEMS (OptoMEMS and RF MEMS)
Principal
(4) (6)(1)
Sensors
(7)
(3)
(2)
(10)
(9) (5)
(8)
(1) Manifold or Temperature manifold (6) Gasoline direct injection pressure sensor
absolute pressure sensor (7) Fuel tank evaporative fuel pressure sensor
(2) Exhaust gas differential (8) Engine oil sensor
pressure sensor
(3) Fuel rail pressure (9) Transmission sensor
sensor (10) Tire pressure sensor
(4) Barometric absolute
pressure sensor
(5) Combustion sensor

What Is Mems?: Mems M E M S

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WHAT IS MEMS?

MEMS = MicroElectroMechanical System

Available MEMS products include:

● Micro sensors (acoustic wave, biomedical, chemical, inertia,

in plain English please!

- Inertia sensors for air bag deployment

(Courtesy of Analog Devices, Inc)

an inevitable trend in industrial products and

Size: 106 down

A “Lap-top” Computer in 1996

Size: 108 down

A “Palm-top” Computer in 2001

This spectacular miniaturization took place in 50 years!!

Miniaturization is the only viable solution to satisfy such

 Less material requirements mean low cost of production and

 Ready mass production in batches.

Microsystems Technology A top-down approach

* 1 m = 10-6 m  one-tenth of human hair

Source: NEXUS http://www.smalltimes.com/document_display.cfm?document_id=3424

Micro pressure sensors

Micro motor produced

(Courtesy of Analog Devices, Inc)

Acoustic wave sensors Grippers, tweezers and

Microsystems = sensors + actuators

This crucial invention led to the development of the concept of

ICs have made possible for miniaturization of many devices and

The invention of transistors is thus regarded as the beginning of

 Airbag inertia sensors at 2 billion units per year.

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