MEMS for Heterogeneous Integration of Devices and Functionality

Abstract

Future MEMS systems will be composed of larger varieties of devices with very different functionality such as electronics, mechanics, optics and bio-chemstry. Integration technology of heterogeneous devices must be developed. This article first deals with the current development trend of new fabrication technologies; those include self-assembling of parts over a large area, wafer-scale encapsulation by wafer-bonding, nano imprinting, and roll-to-roll printing. In the latter half of the article, the concept towards the heterogeneous integration of devices and functionality into micro/nano systems is described. The key idea is to combine the conventional top-down technologies and the novel bottom-up technologies for building nano systems. A simple example is the carbon nano tube interconnection that is grown in the via-hole of a VLSI chip. In the laboratory level, the position-specific self-assembly of nano parts on a DNA template was demonstrated through hybridization of probe DNA segments attached to the parts. Also, bio molecular motors were incorporated in a micro fluidic system and utilized as a nano actuator for transporting objects in the channel.