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 $asic types of MEMS devices are8
1" Sensor - converts a nonelectrical input )uantity (i"e" pressure&
temperature& acceleration) into an electrical output )uantity" Sensors are
commonly encountered"
9" Actuator - converts electrical input )uantities into non-electrical output
)uantities"
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:" Sart MEMS - MEMS com$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 $e
inserted in the near term"
Coan$ an$ Contro% s&stes
- /MEMtronics/ for ultra radiation hard and temperature-
insensitive digital logic
- -n-chip thermal s'itches for latchup isolation and reset
Inert'a% (u'$ance S&stes
- Microgyros (rate sensors)
- Microaccelerometers
- Micromirrors and micro optics for <->s (fi$er-optic gyros)
Att'tu$e $eter'nat'on an$ contro% s&stes
- Micromachined sun and Earth sensors
- Micromachined magnetometers
- Microthrusters
Po)er s&stes
- MEMtronic $loc%ing diodes
- MEMtronic s'itches for active solar cell array
reconfiguration"
- Microthermoelectric generators
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Pro*u%s'on s&stes
- Micromachined pressure sensors
- Micromachined chemical sensors (lea% detection)
- (rrays of single shot thrusters (digital propulsion)
- +ontinuous microthrusters (cold gas& com$usti$le solid resisto5et)
- ?ulsed microthrusters
T+era% contro% s&stes
- Micro heat pipes
- Microradiators
- #hermal s'itches
Coun'cat'on an$ ra$ar s&stes
- @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,'ronent sensors
- Micromachined magnetometers
- >ravity-gradient monitors (nano-g accelerometers)
D'str'-ute$ se'autonoous 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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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. OFFICIA# WE1SITES OF S)RI
3. OTHER WE1SITES SUPPORTED 1Y (OO(#E AND YAHOO
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