MEMS for Space

Seminar Report 04

1. AN INTRODUCTION
1.1 WHAT ARE MEMS
MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) are the integration of electrical devices and mechanical structures at the micrometer (10 - m ! 0"000001 m) scale" #he essence of MEMS is their a$ility to perform and enhance tas%s& in 'ays and in the micro 'orld& impossi$le using conventional technologies" MEMS devices find applications in the automotive& medical& aerospace& defense and telecommunications industries" (lthough& electrical devices and very fe' mechanical devices at this scale are common& the scaling do'n of common mechanical devices found in the macro 'orld has created a research area all its o'n" #he $ehavior of mechanical structures at the micro scale has yet to reach full understanding" (lthough& MEMS are created using many of the fully understood processing techni)ues used in *+ (*ntegrated +ircuit) processing 'ith little variation& there are still many material& fa$rication and pac%aging issues that have yet to $e resolved" Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) is the integration of mechanical elements& sensors& actuators& and electronics on a common silicon su$strate through micro fa$rication technology" ,hile the electronics are fa$ricated using integrated circuit (*+) process se)uences (e"g"& +M-S& .ipolar& or .*+M-S processes)& the micromechanical components are fa$ricated using compati$le /micromachining/ processes that selectively etch a'ay parts of the silicon 'afer or add ne' structural layers to form the mechanical and electromechanical devices" #he semiconductor industry already has much of the infrastructure to $atch process MEMS devices& ho'ever& the e0pertise to mass produce a 'ide variety of MEMS devices is still in its infancy& stimulated $y research funded $y $oth corporations and government agencies" 1(S( has a very special interest in MEMS technology" MEMS offer the $enefits of significantly reduced mass and
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po'er consumption translating directly into direct cost $enefits as a result of this" #he main o$stacle in rapidly integrating ne' technologies into space systems is determining system relia$ility" Relia$ility& the a$ility of a device4system to maintain performance re)uirements throughout its lifetime& is a ma5or consideration factor for ma%ing device selections for space flight applications" Space missions can $e e0pected to last up'ards of 6 years 'ith spacecraft su$5ect to e0treme mechanical shoc%& vi$ration& temperature& vacuum& and radiation environments" MEMS promises to revolutioni7e nearly every product category $y $ringing together silicon-$ased microelectronics 'ith micromachining technology& ma%ing possi$le the reali7ation of complete systems-on-a-chip" MEMS is an ena$ling technology allo'ing the development of smart products& augmenting the computational a$ility of microelectronics 'ith the perception and control capa$ilities of microsensors and microactuators and e0panding the space of possi$le designs and applications"

1.2

TYPES OF MEMS DEVICES

MEMS devices can $e classified in many 'ays& ho'ever in the

$roader sense there are only t'o types& sensors and actuators" Some devices act as $oth sensor and actuator" #he remaining systems include individual types or com$inations 'ith added electronic circuitry for control and4or processing information" #he three $asic types of MEMS devices are8 1" Sensor - converts a nonelectrical input )uantity (i"e" pressure& temperature& acceleration) into an electrical output )uantity" Sensors are commonly encountered" 9" Actuator - converts electrical input )uantities into non-electrical output )uantities"

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:" S art MEMS - MEMS com$ined 'ith additional electronic circuitry for control and processing information Microelectronic integrated circuits can $e thought of as the /$rains/ of a system and MEMS augments this decision-ma%ing capa$ility 'ith /eyes/ and /arms/& to allo' microsystems to sense and control the environment" Sensors gather information from the environment through measuring mechanical& thermal& $iological& chemical& optical& and magnetic phenomena" #he electronics then process the information derived from the sensors and through some decision ma%ing capa$ility direct the actuators to respond $y moving& positioning& regulating& pumping& and filtering& there$y controlling the environment for some desired outcome or purpose" .ecause MEMS devices are manufactured using $atch fa$rication techni)ues similar to those used for integrated circuits& unprecedented levels of functionality& relia$ility& and sophistication can $e placed on a small silicon chip at a relatively lo' cost"

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2.

MEMS FOR SPACE SYSTEMS! AN OVERVIEW

#he evolution of microelectomechanical systems (MEMS) from the

la$oratory curiosities to commercial off-shelf components (+-#S) is $eing driven $y government investments and strong mar%et forces" MEMS offers a capa$ility for mass production& small& relia$le& intelligent instruments at reduced costs $y reducing the num$er of piece parts& eliminating manual assem$ly steps and controlling material varia$ility" #hese features& together 'ith reduced mass and po'er re)uirements are 'hat space system designer;s dream a$out" Space system comprises more than 5ust spacecraft& they include launch vehicles and the ground $ased systems used for trac%ing& command and control and data dissemination (pictures of earth& telephone calls& movies via satellite etc") MEMS technology 'ould allo' developments of ne' commercial uses of space in the proliferation of miniaturi7ed ground transmitters 'ith on $oard sensors" MEMS& coupled 'ith the current generation of digital electronics and telecommunication circuits& can $e used for distri$uted remote sensing applications" <or e0ample& transmitters of the si7e of fist and smaller can send environmental information such as local atmosphere& pressure& temperature and humidity& directly to satellite" MEMS 'ill also ena$le a radically ne' 'ay of $uilding and using spacecraft" Silicon& for e0ample can $e used as a multifunctional material8 as structure& electronic su$strate& MEMS su$strate& radiation shield& thermal control system and optical material" ,ith proper spacecraft design it can provide these functions simultaneously" ( =silicon= satellite composed of $onded thic% 'afer could $e manufactured $y one or more semiconductor foundries" .atch fa$rication 'ould allo' mass production of spacecraft from one hundred to several thousands units 'hich 'ould ena$le dispersed satellites architecture and space design meant for single function and disposa$le missions"
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". RO#E OF MEMS IN SPACE APP#ICATION

MEMS offer the $enefits of significantly reduced mass and po'er consumption& translating directly into costs $enefits as a result of the ma5or decrease in si7e" #here are a num$er of possi$ilities for the insertion of MEMS and (S*M (application specific micro instruments) components into space hard'are" <ollo'ing are the $est estimate of the a$ove technologies that 'ill $e inserted in the near term" Co an$ an$ Contro% s&ste s insensitive digital logic - -n-chip thermal s'itches for latchup isolation and reset Inert'a% (u'$ance S&ste s - Microgyros (rate sensors) - Microaccelerometers - Micromirrors and micro optics for <->s (fi$er-optic gyros) Att'tu$e $eter 'nat'on an$ contro% s&ste s - Micromachined sun and Earth sensors - Micromachined magnetometers - Microthrusters Po)er s&ste s - MEMtronic $loc%ing diodes - MEMtronic s'itches for active solar cell array reconfiguration" - Microthermoelectric generators
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- /MEMtronics/ for ultra radiation hard and temperature-

MEMS for Space

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Pro*u%s'on s&ste s - Micromachined pressure sensors - Micromachined chemical sensors (lea% detection) - (rrays of single shot thrusters (digital propulsion) - +ontinuous microthrusters (cold gas& com$usti$le solid resisto5et) - ?ulsed microthrusters

T+er a% contro% s&ste s - Micro heat pipes - Microradiators - #hermal s'itches

Co

un'cat'on an$ ra$ar s&ste s

- @ery high $and 'idth& lo' po'er& lo' resistance radio fre)uency (R<) s'itches - Micromirrors and micro-optics for laser communications - Micromechanical varia$le capacitors& inductors and oscillators S*ace en,'ron ent sensors Micromachined magnetometers >ravity-gradient monitors (nano-g accelerometers)

D'str'-ute$ se 'autono ous sensors Multiparameter sensor (S*M 'ith accelerometers and chemical sensors

Interconnects an$ *ac.a/'n/ - *nterconnects and pac%aging designed for ease of repara$ility

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- <ield programma$le interconnect structures - ASmartB interconnects for positive-feed$ac% *nserting micro engineering technology into current systems can provide $etter monitoring of system status and health& 'hich can help resolve potential operational a$normalities and permit increased functionality 'ith almost negligi$le 'eight or po'er impacts"MEMS and (S*M technologies can also $e used to instrument the launch vehicle" +urrent launch vehicles such as #*#(1 *@ are often instrumented to measure the lift-off and ascent flight environments"MEMS sensors (accelerometers& chemical sensors etc") coupled to data transceivers can $e used in a 'ireless net'or% system on$oard the vehicle and on the launch site"

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MEMS for Space

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0. MICRO FA1RICATION TECHNI2UES

#his topic discusses on micro fa$rication techni)ues for ma%ing mechanical parts" Motors& pivots& lin%ages& and other mechanical devices can $e made to fit inside this circle A-B" #hese devices are also potentially )uite ine0pensive" <or e0ample& using silicon surface micromachining& a gear captivated on a pivot can $e made for less than a cent" #hese technologies ma%e devices ranging in si7e from a do7en millimeters to a do7en microns" Silicon surface micromachining ine0pensively ma%es completely assem$led mechanical systems" Silicon $ul% micromachining uses either etches that stop on the crystallographic planes of a silicon 'afer or etches that act isotropically to generate mechanical parts" #hese techni)ues com$ined 'ith 'afer $onding and $oron diffusion allo's comple0 mechanical devices to $e fa$ricated" #he D*>( technology ma%es miniature parts 'ith spectacular accuracy" Electro 2ischarge Machining& E2M& e0tends conventional machine shop technology to ma%e su$-millimeter si7ed parts" " Micromechanical parts tend to $e rugged& respond rapidly& use little po'er& occupy a small volume& and are often much less e0pensive than conventional macro parts" .elle Mead Research& .MR& speciali7es in helping companies understand 'hen it is advantageous to use micromechanical parts& and developing products incorporating these devices"

0.1 SI#ICON SURFACE MICROMACHININ(

Silicon surface micromachining uses the same e)uipment and processes as the electronics semiconductor industry" #his has led to a very rapid evolution of silicon surface micromachining" @ery sophisticated e)uipment and

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e0perienced operators are availa$le to manufacture these devices" -ne company is even offering the integration of surface micro machined devices and +M-S electronics on the same chip" #his techni)ue deposits layers of sacrificial and structural material on the surface of a silicon 'afer" (s each layer is deposited it is patterned& leaving material only 'here the designer 'ishes" ,hen the sacrificial material is removed& completely formed and assem$led mechanical devices are left" <igure 4 sho's the process steps to ma%e a gear" #he o0ide is the sacrificial material& and the polysilicon is structural" *n <igure 6& one of the original set of gears , #rimmer and colla$orators made at .ell Da$oratories is sho'n"

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+om$ drives actuators and electrostatic motors can $e fa$ricated using this techni)ue" <igure sho's a com$ drive actuator" #he curved 'hite fingers are fi0ed to the su$strate& and the gray fingers are free to move" .y applying a voltage alternately to the top and $ottom 'hite fingers& the electrostatic force causes the gray structure to start to resonate" <igure C sho's a mass attached to the com$ drive resonator" 2epending upon the fre)uency of e0citation& the mass can $e made to translate& or rotate"

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3. SOME MEMS DEVICES

3.1 MICRO HEAT PIPE
,ithin the spacecraft& heat pipes are normally used to provide high thermal conductivity paths" Miniature heat pipes have diameters on the order of 1mm8 'hile micro heat pipes have diameters on the order of 10micro"m"Geat pipe is a sealed vessel as a thermal conductance device" ,or%ing fluid is charged in heat pipe" #he phase of 'or%ing fluid at evaporator section (heat source) is changed from li)uid to vapor and contrarily changed at condenser section and cooled" +ooled 'or%ing fluid is returned to from condenser to evaporator $y capillary action 'ithin 'ic% structure" *t dissipates energy from heat source $y the latent heat of evaporation in a nearly isothermal operation" ,or%ing fluid is circulated inside heat pipe accompanying 'ith the phase change at $oth evaporator and condenser" So& also called t'o-phase convection device" #he $asic elements of heat pipe are sho'n figure" ( num$er of heat pipes have $een developed to cool numerous applications& such as microelectronics chip& space& reactor& engine& etc"#he fa$rication is relatively straightfor'ard using a (100) silicon 'afer" ( long thin e0posed region of silicon can $e anisotropically etched to produce a /@/ groove& 'hich $ecomes a sealed tu$e 'hen $onded against a flat surface" Methanol has $een used as the 'or%ing fluid" #he results sho' an increase in effective thermal conductivity of up to E1H& compared 'ith a standard silicon 'afer& and a significantly improved transient thermal response" Micro machined heat pumps may provide an effective 'ay of removing heat from the integrated circuits 'ithout using metallic radiator elements"

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<ig" Micro heat pipe

3.2 SI#ICON SATE##ITES

Silicon satellites (also %no'n as nanosatellites) 'ere introduced $y Ianson& Gelva5ian and Ro$inson" #his concept presents a ne' paradigm for space system design& construction& testing& architecture and deployment" *ntegrated spacecraft that are capa$le of attitude and or$it control for comple0 space missions can $e designed for mass production using adaptations of
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semiconductor $atch fa$rication techni)ues" Jseful silicon satellites have dimensions of 10 to :0cmsK 'hile more comple0 configurations using additional nonsilicon mechanical structure (i"e" truss $eams& honeycom$ panels and inflata$le structures) 'ill $e much larger" #he $enefits of silicon satellites are as follo's"

Radically increased functionality per unit mass ($ility to produce 10&000 or more units for Athro' a'ayB and dispersed satellite missions" 2ecreased material varia$ility and increased relia$ility $ecause of rigid process control" Rapid prototyping production capa$ility using electronic circuit& sensor and MEMS design li$raries 'ith e0isting computer aided design (+(24+(M) Reduced num$er of piece parts ($ility to tailor design in +(24+(M to fa$ricate mission specific units" Silicon satellites are classified as follo's Micro satellites (1%g 100%g mass) 1ano satellites ( 1g L 1%g mass) ?ico satellites ( 1mg L 1g)

<emo satellites (1 micro"g L 1mg mass) #hese technologies permit the integration of the +M2G and

communication systems& lo' resolution attitude sensors& inertial navigation sensors and a propulsion system into a 1cm cu$e or smaller si7e satellite" ?ico satellites and <emo satellites 'ould $e ideal as simple environment sensors" Jsing only solar radiation and depending on the overall configuration& ?ico satellites through micro satellites can produce po'er levels in the 1 L 100'
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range" ?ico satellites are the smallest useful satellites& $ut active thermal control 'ill $e re)uired" ( thermally passive ?ico satellite 'ill have temperature range s'ings of F0% $et'een sunlight and eclipse on lo' earth or$it" +u$ic ?ico satellites made of silicon can have as much as 0"1Ecm radiation shielding and or$it lifetimes of several years at C00%m altitude under solar ma0imum conditions" #hese silicon satellites can $e good for disposa$le or short duration missions"

4. CONC#USION
Microelectromechanical systems have proved to $e a part of the developing age especially in the field of space and technology" *t can $e seen that the incorporation of the MEMS devices 'ill increase the autonomy in the operations and increase availa$ility through the use of condition $ased maintenance protocols" ?erhaps the most profound result from this revolution 'ill $e that MEMS and MEMS devices 'ill $ecome truly a mass produci$le commodity much li%e the dynamic R(M chip used today

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5. 1I1I#IO(RAPHY
1. MICROEN(INEERIN( TECHNO#O(Y FOR SPACE SYSTEMS 6 H. HE#VA7IAN

2. OFFICIA# WE1SITES OF NASA ". OFFICIA# WE1SITES OF IIT!MUM1AI 0. 3. OFFICIA# WE1SITES OF S)RI OTHER WE1SITES SUPPORTED 1Y (OO(#E AND YAHOO

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