Introduction to MEMS
(Faculty of Mechatronics, WUT)
The field of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) has been expanding over recent years, and the production costs of these devices continue to fall. We have witnessed an increasing maturity of the MEMS industry and a rapid introduction of new products addressing applications ranging from biochemical analysis to fiber-optic telecommunications. Future predictions indicate that the mechanical microsensor market will continue to expand. Using materials, fabrication processes, and design tools originally developed for the microelectronic circuits industry, new types of microengineered device are evolving all the time- many offering numerous advantages over their traditional counterparts. The electrical properties of silicon have been well understood for many years, but it is the mechanical properties that have been exploited in many examples of MEMS.
The prime objective of this lecture is to give an overview of MEMS transducers. In order to achieve this, it provides some background information: defines some of the commonly used terms, presents some of the fundamental principles of mechanical transduction, describes fabrication techniques and processes that are employed to realize microengineered devices. The majority of the content, however, is dedicated to specific examples of commercial and research MEMS devices.
MATERIALS FOR STUDYING
Lecture 1 - Technology demands and Introduction
Lecture 2 - Fundamental processing steps
Lecture 3 - Fundamental MEMS techniques and exemplary procedures