Chapter III:CASE STUDIES: SYNTHESIS, ANALYSIS,

FABRICATION, AND COMPUTER-AIDED-DESIGN OF MEMS

Text Book : S E Lyshevski
Introduction:
• In many applications (from medicine and biotechnology to aerospace and
security), the use of nano- and microscale structures, devices and systems is very
important
• In this chapter you will learn the analysis, modeling, design, and fabrication of
electromagnetic-based microscale structures, devices and MEMS
(microtransducers controlled by ICs)
• As said earlier micromachining is the extension of the CMOS technologies
developed to fabricate ICs
• Silicon structures can be made through bulk silicon micromachining (using wet or
dry processes) or through surface micromachining
• Metallic micromolding techniques, based upon photolithographic processes, are also widely
used to fabricate microstructures

• Molds are created in polymer films (usually photoresist) on planar surfaces, and then filled by
electrodepositing metal (electrodeposition plays a key role in the fabrication of the
microstructures and microdevices which are the components of MEMS)

• High aspect ratio technologies use optical, e-beam and x-ray lithography to create the
millimeter-range high trenches made deep in polymethylmethacrylate resist on the
electroplating base (called seed layer)

• Electrodeposition of magnetic materials and conductors, plating, etching and lift-off are
extremely important processes to fabricate microscale structures and devices.

• microelectronics fabrication technologies, techniques and materials is very important, and the
development of novel high-yield processes to fabricate MEMS is a key factor in the rapid
growth of affordable MEMS
• Devising (synthesis), design, modelling, analysis, and optimization of novel MEMS are
extremely important.

• the MEMS theory and microengineering fundamentals have been expanded to thoroughly
study other critical problems such as system-level synthesis, computer-aided design,
integration, synergetic classification, analysis, modeling, prototyping, optimization, and
simulation

• This chapter covers the fabrication, analysis, and design problems for electromagnetic
microstructures, microdevices and MEMS (microtransducers with ICs)
 DESIGN AND FABRICATION OF MEMS
• In MEMS, the fabrication of thin film magnetic microstructures require deposition of
conductors, insulators, magnetic and other materials with the specified properties needed to
attain the goals
• Example: design efficient and reliable MEMS capable to perform the desired functions and
tasks
• To fabricate MEMS and NEMS, different materials are used
• Some bulk material constants (conductivity σ , resistivity ρ at 200 C, relative permeability µr,
thermal expansion te and dielectric constant–relative permittivity rε ) in the SI units are given
in Table 8.1.
• In general, electromagnetic microtransducers have closed-ended, open-ended, and integrated
electromagnetic systems
• As examples, Figure 8.1 illustrates the microtoroid and the linear micromotor with the closed-
ended and openended electromagnetic systems, respectively
• The copper microwindings and ferromagnetic cores (microstructures made using different
magnetic materials) can be fabricated through electroplating, patterning, planarization, and
other fabrication processes
• Figure 8.1 depicts the electroplated circular copper conductors which form the windings
(10 µm wide and thick with 10 µm spacing) deposited on the insulated layer of the
ferromagnetic core.
• The comprehensive electromagnetic analysis must be performed for microscale structures,
devices, and systems
• For example, the torque (force) developed and the voltage induced by microtransducers
depend upon the inductance, and the microdevice efficiency is a function of the winding
resistance (resistivity of the coils deposited vary), eddy currents, hysteresis, etc

• Studying the microtoroid, consider a

circular path of radius R in a plane
normal to the axis. The magnetic flux
intensity is calculated using the
following formula
• Microwindings must guarantee the adequate inductance in the limited footprint area with the
minimal resistance
• For example, in the microscale transducers and power converters, 0.5 µH (or higher)
inductance is required at high frequency (1–10 MHz)
• Compared with the conventional minidevices, thin film electromagnetic microtransducers have
lower efficiency due to higher resistivity of microcoils (thin films), eddy currents, hysteresis,
fringing effect, and other undesirable phenomena which usually have the secondary
(negligible) effects in the miniscale and conventional electromechanical devices
• The inductance can be increased by ensuring a large number of turns, using core magnetic
materials with high relative permeability, increasing the cross-sectional core area, and
decreasing the path length. In fact, at low frequency, the formula for inductance is
• To achieve low resistance, one must deposit thick conductors with the thickness in the order
of tens of micrometers
• Therefore, the most feasible process for deposition of conductors is electroplating
• High-aspect-ratio processes ensure thick conductors and small track widths and spaces
(highaspect-ratio conductors have a high thickness to width ratio)
 AXIAL ELECTROMAGNETIC MICROMOTORS
• Figure 8.21 illustrates the devised axial topology micromotor which has the closed-ended
electromagnetic system
• The stator is made on the substrate with deposited microwindings (printed copper coils can
be made using the fabrication processes described as well as using double-sided substrate
with the one-sided deposited copper thin film through conventional photolithography
process)
• The bearing post is fabricated on the stator substrate and the bearing hold is a part of the
rotor microstructure
• The rotor with permanent-magnet thin films
rotates due to the electromagnetic torque
developed
• It is important to emphasize that stator and
rotor are made using the conventional well-
developed processes and materials
• It is evident that conventional silicon and SiC technologies can be used
• The micromotor has a great number of advantages
• The most critical benefit is the fabrication simplicity
• In fact, axial micromotors can be straightforwardly fabricated, and this will enable their wide
applications as microactuators and microsensors
• However, the axial micromotors must be designed and optimized to attain good
performance
• The optimization is based upon electromagnetic, mechanical, and thermal design