Module 3

Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS)

Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS)
• It is a technology that in its most general form can be defined as small
mechanical and electro-mechanical elements that are made using
techniques of micromachining. Made up of components between 1-
100 micrometers in size (i.e., 0.001 to 0.1mm) and MEMS devices
range in size from 20micrometers to millimeter (0.02 to 1.0mm).

• It Usually integrated with electronic circuitrs for control and /or

information processing.
• MEMS = Micro Electro Mechanical System

• Any engineering system that performs electrical and mechanical

functions with components in micrometers is a MEMS. (1 μm = 1/10
of human hair)
• MEMS is the integration of mechanical elements, sensors, actuators,
and electronics on a common substrate through the utilization of
micro fabrication technology or “micro-technology”.
Revolution Of MEMS
• MEMS from Microelectronics Revolution
 Components of MEMS
• Micro electronics:
• “brain” that receives, processes, and makes decisions
• data comes from microsensors
Micro sensors:
• constantly gather data from environment
• pass data to microelectronics for processing
• can monitor mechanical, thermal, biological, chemical optical, and
magnetic readings
Micro actuator:
• acts as trigger to activate external device
• micro electronics will tell micro actuator to activate device
Micro structures:
• extremely small structures built onto surface of chip
• built right into silicon of MEMS
 MEMES PRODUCTS
• Micro sensors (acoustic wave, biomedical, chemical, inertia, optical, pressure,
radiation, thermal, etc.)
• Micro actuators (valves, pumps and microfluidics; electrical and optical relays
and switches; grippers, tweezers and tongs; linear and rotary motors, etc.)
• Read/write heads in computer storage systems.
• Inkjet printer heads.
• Micro device components (e.g., palm-top reconnaissance aircrafts, mini robots
and toys, micro surgical and mobile telecom equipment, etc.)
• Micro Cars (Courtesy of Denso Research Laboratories,
7 Denso Corporation, Aichi, Japan).
Micro Cars
Applications of MEMS
Advantages of MEMS
• Better stability and higher accuracy in the performance.
• Miniaturization (is the trend to manufacture ever smaller
mechanical, optical and electronic products and devices).
• Integration of sensors and electronics on the same device.
• Mass fabrication at low cost.
Fabrication of MEMS
• The basic techniques used in the fabrication of MEMS is
deposition of one material over another material then,
patterning using photolithography and then by etching
the required shape.
1. Deposition
• Applying a thin film on a surface ranges from nano meters to micro
meters. Thin film is deposited on Substrates.

1. Physical Deposition
2. Chemical Deposition
Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD)
• In PVD deposition technology, the material is removed from the
source/ target and is deposited/transferred to the substrate.
• It is physical coating process, it involves condensation and
evaporation of materials.
• PVD used for high melting and low vapor pressure materials.
• PVD is carried out at high temperature and vacuum.
Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD)
• Evaporative deposition

• Sputter deposition
Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD)
• Techniques to do this include the process of

• Sputtering, in which an ion beam liberates atoms from a target,

allowing them to move through the intervening space and deposit on
the desired substrate, and

• Evaporation deposition, in which a material is evaporated from a

target using either heat (thermal evaporation) or an electron beam
(e-beam evaporation) in a vacuum system.
 Evaporative deposition
• The substrate is placed inside a vacuum chamber, in which a block (source)
of the material to be deposited is also located.

• The source material is then heated to the point where it starts to boil and
evaporate.

• The vacuum is required to allow the molecules to evaporate freely in the

chamber, and they subsequently condense on all surfaces.

• The Deposition process is controlled, and is uniform.

• The heating of source material is done by resistance heating or by electron

beam. Electron beam is generated from the tungsten filament.
 Sputtering deposition
• Sputtering works on the bases of momentum principle, formed by the
collision of the atoms and molecules.

• Plasma glow, ion accelerator or radioactive emitting is used to

evaporate material.
 Sputtering deposition
• Sputtering is a technology in which the material is released from the
source at much lower temperature than evaporation.
• The substrate is placed in a vacuum chamber with the source
material, named a target, and an inert gas (such as argon) is
introduced at low pressure.
• A gas plasma is struck using an RF power source, causing the gas to
become ionized.
• The ions are accelerated towards the surface of the target, causing
atoms of the source material to break off from the target in vapor
form and condense on all surfaces including the substrate.
 Chemical vapor deposition (CVD)
• Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is a deposition method used to
produce high quality, high-performance, solid materials, typically done
under vacuum.
• The process is often used in the semiconductor industry to produce thin
films.
• Chemical deposition techniques include chemical vapor deposition
("CVD"), in which a stream of source gas reacts on the substrate to
grow the material desired.
• This can be further divided into categories depending on the details of
the technique, for example;
• LPCVD (Low Pressure chemical vapor deposition) and
• PECVD (Plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition)
 Low Pressure CVD (LPCVD)
• The LPCVD process produces layers with excellent uniformity of
thickness and material characteristics.
• The main problems with the process are the high deposition
temperature (higher than 600°C) and the relatively slow deposition
rate.
• LPCVD systems deposit films on both sides of at least 25 wafers at a
time.
 Plasma Enhanced CVD (PECVD).
• The PECVD process can operate at lower temperatures (down to
300°C) thanks to the extra energy supplied to the gas molecules by
the plasma in the reactor.
• However, the quality of the films tend to be inferior to processes
running at higher temperatures.
• Most of PECVD deposition systems can only deposit the material on
one side of the wafers on 1 to 4 wafers at a time.
 Gases in

Gases out

Fig. Typical PECVD

 Purpose of Deposition
• Deposition places conductive or insulating layers on a substrate.
• Deposition processes create locally conductive paths that can be
used to interconnect devices
• Deposition can be used to build up more complex structures one
layer at a time
 2. Patterning

• The transfer of a pattern into a material after deposition in order to prepare

for etching. (Like printing on a paper).

• Techniques involved for patterning are;

• Lithography or Photolithography
• LIGA process
 LITHOGRAPHY
• Lithography in the MEMS context is typically the transfer of a pattern
to a photosensitive material by selective exposure to a radiation
source such as light.
• A photosensitive material is a material that experiences a change in
its physical properties when it exposed to a radiation source.
• If photosensitive material is selectively expose to radiation light (e.g.
by masking some of the radiation) the pattern of the radiation on the
material is transferred to the material exposed and the properties of
the exposed and unexposed regions different.
• This exposed region can then be removed or treated by providing a
mask for the underlying substrate.
• In lithography for micromachining, the photosensitive material used is
typically a photoresist (also called resist, other Photosensitive polymers are
also used).
• When resist is exposed to a radiation source of a specific a wavelength, the
chemical resistance of the resist to developer solution changes.
• If the resist is placed in a developer solution after selective exposure to a
light source, it will etch away one of the two regions (exposed or
unexposed).
• If the exposed material is etched away by the developer and the unexposed
region is resilient, the material is considered to be a positive resist.
• If the exposed material is resilient to the developer and the unexposed
region is etched away, it is considered to be a negative resist.
Few lithography techniques are:
• Ion beam lithography
• Ion track technology
• X-ray lithography
 LIGA-process
• The LIGA-process is used to manufacture micro structures by deep X-ray
lithography.
• The term LIGA is the german acronym for lithography, electroplating and molding
(Lithographie, Galvanik und Abformung).

What is LIGA?
• LIGA is a process in MEMS fabrication which involves lithography, electroplating,
and molding on a given substrate.
• LIGA allows structures to have heights of over 100 µm respect to the lateral size.
• LIGA fabricates High Aspect Ratio Structures (HARMST).
• The ratio between the height and the lateral size is the aspect ratio. (e.g. 100:1)
 Characteristics of LIGA
• Any lateral shape is possible.

• Structural height is above 1mm.

• Smallest lateral size is 0.2 µm.

• Aspect ratios can range up to 500.

• Surface roughness is typically small ~ 30nm.

• Materials other than Si can be used.

 Processes of LIGA
• A sacrificial layer pattern is deposited on the substrate . Ti, Al, Cu, or Cr is
usually used.

• The structure is covered with a thin layer of plating. Ni or sputtered Ti/Ni is

commonly used.
 Processes of LIGA
• A thick layer of photoresist called PMMA is added to the surface.

• A mask is aligned and X-ray or UV light from a synchrotron radiation

source is exposed to the photoresist. It is Called Exposure
 Processes of LIGA
• The pattern is etched (removed) into the resistant substrate (PMMA)
by the use of x-ray or UV light and desired structure is formed. This
process is called development.
 Processes of LIGA
• The area exposed by X-ray or UV light is filled with electroplated metal.
Ni is commonly used. Is called electroforming

• The remaining photoresist (PMMA) is removed.

 Processes of LIGA
• The plating base is removed
Advantages and Disadvantages of LIGA
Advantages
• Allows material other than Si to be used.
• Better precision and low surface roughness.
• Can fabricate arbitrary cross sections.
• Mass production of parts is possible.
• Can use polymers and ceramics.
Disadvantages
• Synchrotron radiation source is not widely available.
• Results may vary depending on the deposition method used. (e.g. thermal
evaporation vs. plasma sputtering)
3. Etching
• Etching is a process which makes it possible to selectively remove the
deposited films or parts of the substrate in order to prepare a desired
patterns, shapes, features, or structures.
• Etching is used in micro fabrication to chemically remove layers from
the surface of a wafer during manufacturing.
 Purpose of Etch
• To remove material from areas identified by the lithography process
• Areas of photoresist exposed to light
• Developing leaves only these areas open
• Etching removes substrate areas not masked
• To create structures for functional use
• To remove oxide layers below features to allow for motion
Etching Techniques are;

• Wet etching
• Isotropic
• Anisotropic
• Dry etching
• Plasma etching
• Reaction ion etching
Etching is the process where unwanted areas of films
are removed by either dissolving them in a wet
chemical solution (Wet Etching) or by reacting them
with gases in a plasma to form volatile products (Dry
Etching).
 Wet etching
• Wet etching removes the material selectively through chemical reaction.
• The material is immersed in a chemical solution, which reacts and
subsequently dissolves the portion of the material, which is in contact
with the solution.
• Materials not covered by the masks are left undissolved.
• Dipping substrate into chemical solution that selectively removes
material.
• Process provides good selectivity, etching rate of target material higher
Wet etching
• Wet etching removes the material selectively through chemical
reaction.
• The material is immersed in a chemical solution, which reacts and
subsequently dissolves the portion of the material, which is in contact
with the solution.
• Materials not covered by the masks are left undissolved.
• Dipping substrate into chemical solution that selectively removes
material.
• Process provides good selectivity, etching rate of target material higher
that mask material
Wet etching process fall under three sub-activities.

1. Transportation of reactants to the reacting surface (e.g. by

diffusion)
2. Chemical reactions at the surface
3. Transportation of the products from the surface (e.g. by
diffusion)
Wet Etching
1 3

1 Reactant transport to surface

2
Selective and controlled reaction of etchant with
the film to be etched
3 Transport of by-products away from surface
• The dissolution of material due to chemical reaction may not be
uniform in all directions. This characteristic of etching is called
directionality

Generally speaking, chemical process (wet etch, plasma etch) leads to isotropic etch; whereas
physical process (directional energetic bombardment) leads to anisotropic etch.
Wet Etching
• Wet etch processes are generally isotropic
• Etch rate is governed by temperature, concentration, chemicals, etc.
• Wet etch processes can be highly selective
• Acids are commonly used for etching:
HNO3 <=> H+ + NO3-
HF <=> H+ + F-
H+ is a strong oxidizing agent
=> high reactivity of acids
Wet Etch Processes
Example 1

(1) Silicon Dioxide

To etch SiO2 film on Si, use
HF + H2O

SiO2 + 6HF  H2 + SiF6 + 2H2O

Note: HF is usually buffered with NH4F to maintain [H+] at a constant level (for constant etch rate).
This HF buffer is called Buffered Oxide Etch (BOE)
NH4F  NH3 + HF
 Wet Etch Processes
Example 2

(2) Silicon Nitride

To etch Si3N4 film on SiO2, use
H3PO4
(phosphoric acid)

(180oC: ~100 A/min etch rate)

Typical selectivities:
• 10:1 for nitride over oxide
• 30:1 for nitride over Si
 Wet Etch Processes
Example 3

(3) Aluminum
To etch Al film on Si or SiO2, use
H3PO4 + CH3COOH + HNO3 + H2O
(phosphoric acid) (acetic acid) (nitric acid)

(~30oC)

6H+ + 2Al  3H2 + 2Al3+

(Al3+ is water-soluble)
 Dry etching
• A dry etching does not utilize any liquid chemicals or etchants to
remove materials.
• This etching process is primarily used in surface micromachining
process.
• The main advantage of dry etching are that the process eliminates
handling of dangerous acids and solvents, uses small amounts of
chemicals.
• In dry etching sputter the material using reactive ions or a vapor
etchant.
What is a plasma (glow discharge)?
• A plasma is a partially ionized gas made up of equal parts positively
and negatively charged particles.
• Plasmas are generated by flowing gases through an electric or
magnetic field.
• These fields remove electrons from some of the gas molecules. The
liberated electrons are accelerated, or energized, by the fields.
Dry Etching General Types
• Plasma etching
• Reaction ion etching
Deep Reactive-Ion Etching (DRIE)
• Deep reactive-ion etching (DRIE) is a highly anisotropic etch process
used to create deep penetration, steep-sided holes and trenches in
wafers/substrates, typically with high aspect ratios.
• In DRIE, the substrate is placed inside a reactor, and several gases are
introduced.
• It is a Combination of chemical and physical etching
• Wet etches are simpler, but dry etches provide better line width
control since it is anisotropic.
Deep Reactive-Ion Etching (DRIE)
ADVANTAGES
Micro Machining
 Why Micro Machining?
• Present day High-tech Industries, Design requirements are stringent.
• Extraordinary Properties of Materials (High Strength, High heat
Resistant, High hardness, Corrosion resistant etc).
• Complex 3D Components (Turbine Blades)
• Miniature features
• Nano level surface finish on Complex geometries
• Making and finishing of micro fluidic channels
 Bulk micromachining
• Bulk micromachining involves the removal of part of the bulk
substrate.
• It is a subtractive process that uses wet anisotropic etching or a dry
etching method such as reactive ion etching (RIE), to create large pits,
grooves and channels.
• Materials typically used for wet etching include silicon and quartz,
while dry etching is typically used with silicon, metals, plastics and
ceramics.
Surface Micromachining
ADVANTAGES
APPLICATIONS
 HIGH-ASPECT-RATIO MICROMACHINING or
LIGA process
• it is a process that involves micromachining as a tooling step followed
by injection molding or embossing and, if required, by electroforming
to replicate microstructures in metal from molded parts.
• It is one of the most attractive technologies for replicating
microstructures at a high performance-to-cost ratio and includes
techniques known as LIGA.
Sensors:
MEMS SENSOR
TYPES OF MEMS SENSORS
ACCELAEROMETER
Accelerometers – principles
• Newton’s second law may be written as:
Accelerometers – Capacitive
• One plate of a small capacitor is fixed and connected physically to the
body of the sensor.
• A second plate serves as the inertial mass of the sensor is free to
move and connected to a restoring spring.
• Three basic configurations are shown;
• In Figure a and b, the distance between the plates changes with
acceleration.
• In Figure c, the effective area of the plates changes while the distance
between the plates stays constant.

• In either case, acceleration either increases the capacitance or

decreases it, depending on the direction of motion.
• In a practical accelerator, the plates must be prevented from touching
by stoppers.
• Some kind of damping mechanism must be added to prevent the
springs or the beam from oscillating.
Strain gauge accelerometers
Pressure Sensors
Mechanical Gyroscopes:
• It Consists of a rotating mass (heavy wheel) on an axis in a frame -
provides the angular momentum.
• If one tries to change the direction of the axis, by applying a torque to
it, a torque is developed in directions perpendicular to the axis of
rotation.
• This forces a precession motion.
• This precession is the output of the gyroscope and is proportional to
the torque applied to its frame.
Coriolis force gyroscopes
• The Coriolis acceleration has been used to devise much smaller and
more cost effective gyroscopic sensors. T
• his gyroscope Built in silicon by standard etching methods.
• The rotating mass is replaced by a vibrating body, The coriolis
acceleration is used for sensing.
• The idea is based on the fact that if a body moves linearly in a rotating
frame of reference, an acceleration appears at right angles to both
motions
• When Linear motion is supplied by the vibration of a mass, usually a
harmonic motion.
• Under normal conditions, the coriolis acceleration is zero and the
force associated with it is zero.
• If the sensor is rotated in the plane perpendicular to the linear
vibration, an acceleration is obtained, proportional to the angular
velocity.
• If now an angular velocity exists, the flexural element (central square
piece) will oscillate at the same frequency as the input axis.
• This motion is sensed by two pairs of electrodes making up a
capacitor – one on the flexural plate, one on the outer body.
• The differential capacitance is then a measure of the angular velocity
since the amplitude is proportional to the angular velocity (the
frequency is fixed)