VINOD HANDI

16MMT1003
MEMS FABRICATION TECHNIQUE
Surface Micromachining

What is Surface Micromachining?

Surface micromachining:
Features are built up, layer by layer, on the surface of a substrate
Dry etching defines the surface features in the x, y plane
Wet etching releases them from the plane by undercutting.
The height typically is limited to less than 10m.
Surface Micromachining is the process of forming movable structures
by placing the structures on initially rigid platforms, then removing the
platforms, usually by etching the material away.
Bulk Micromachining means that 3D features are etched into the bulk
of crystalline and non-crystalline materials.
History of Surface Micromachining
1. 1967, resonant gate transistor by Nathanson
2. 1980s, Howe, Muller and Guckel are pioneers
3. 1989, the first survey of possible applications by Gabriel
4. 1991, ADXL-50 by Analog Devices
5. Recently, Texas Instruments, Digital Micromirror Device
Why Surface Micromachining?
Key Benefits of Surface Micromachining:
1. Compatibility with CMOS Processing
2. Single-sided Wafer Processing
3. Small Device Size
4. Cost Effective

Fabrication Steps-
1. Sacrificial Layer Deposition and Etching (Also Spacer or Sacrificial
Layer)
2. Deposition of Structure Material
3. Selective Etching of Spacer Layer
It starts with wafer of material, but unlike Bulk Micromachining where
the wafer itself serves as the stock from which material is removed to
define mechanical structures, in surface micromachining is the
substratethe working surfaceon which multiple, alternating layers
of structural and sacrificial layers are deposited and etched. Because of
the laminated structural and sacrificial material layers the etching of
material done by a process that is insensitive to crystalline structure,
surface micromachining enables the fabrication of free-form complex
and multicomponent integrated electro mechanical structures,
liberating the MEMS designer to envision and build devices and
systems that are impossible to realize with bulk process. More than any
other factor, it is surface micromachining that has ignited and is at the
heart of the current scientific and commercial scientific activity in
MEMS.
The components are typically integrated on a single chip using
microfabrication technologies. The electronics, mechanical and
electromechanical components are fabricated using technologies
borrowed heavily, but not exclusively, from integrated circuit
fabrication technology. There are three principal steps:
Deposition processes - thin films of material are placed on a
substrate.
Lithography - a patterned mask is applied on top of the films
Etching processes - the films are etched selectively to provide
relief following the mask outlines.
The fabrication of free-standing high-carbon microstructures by
soft lithographic techniques; these structures ranged in complexity
from simple beams to complex, suspended deflectors.
Microstructures of polymeric precursors (copolymers of furfural
alcohol phenol) to high-carbon solids were fabricated using
polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) moulds. Carbonization of these
microstructures under argon resulted in mass loss (up to 45%) and
shrinkage (up to 20% linearly); the density increased to reach a
plateau value of 1.5 g/cm3 at 900C. Microstructures pyrolyzed at
900C were electrically conductive, with a conductivity of 10-
2cm. Elementary microelectromechanical functions were
demonstrated in these microstructures: electrostatic actuation
 induced deflection or vibrations of suspended structures. The
measurement of the frequency of resonance of high carbon
cantilevered beams allowed the determination of Youngs modulus
for the solid: typical values were 1520 GPa. The
microelectromechanical properties of more complex structures
(micro resonators, light deflectors) were also determined.

EXAMPLES-

PRESSURE SENSORS-

PACKAGED PRESSURE SENSOR (MOTOROLA)

ACCELEROMETER-

Accelerometer for Automobile Airbag

FLOW CONTROL AND PUMP ASSEMBLY-

Flow
Differential pressure across an integrated channel.
Pump
Piezo-electric disk sitting on top of a thin, silicon membrane.

The below pump and flow assembly measures 6.0x2.5x9 cm -

MOTOR-