Microelectromechanical Systems Chip Research Articles

Electrohydrodynamic-Jet-Printed SnO2-TiO2-Composite-Based Microelectromechanical Systems Sensor with Enhanced Ethanol Detection.

Ethanol sensors have found extensive applications across various industries, including the chemical, environmental, transportation, and healthcare sectors. With increasing demands for enhanced performance and reduced energy consumption, there is a growing need for developing new ethanol sensors. Micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) devices offer promising prospects in gas sensor applications due to their compact size, low power requirements, and seamless integration capabilities. In this study, SnO2-TiO2 nanocomposites with varying molar ratios of SnO2 and TiO2 were synthesized via ball milling and then printed on MEMS chips for ethanol sensing using electrohydrodynamic (EHD) printing. The study indicates that the two metal oxides dispersed evenly, resulting in a well-formed gas-sensitive film. The SnO2-TiO2 composite exhibits the best performance at a molar ratio of 1:1, with a response value of 25.6 to 50 ppm ethanol at 288 °C. This value is 7.2 times and 1.8 times higher than that of single SnO2 and TiO2 gas sensors, respectively. The enhanced gas sensitivity can be attributed to the increased surface reactive oxygen species and optimized material resistance resulting from the chemical and electronic effects of the composite.

Fluid Flow to Electricity: Capturing Flow-Induced Vibrations with Micro-Electromechanical-System-Based Piezoelectric Energy Harvester.

We introduce a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) energy harvester, designed for capturing flow energy. Moving beyond traditional vibration-based energy harvesting, our approach incorporates a cylindrical oscillator mounted on an MEMS chip, effectively harnessing wind energy through flow-induced vibration (FIV). A highlight of our research is the development of a comprehensive fabrication process, utilizing a 5.00 µm thick cantilever beam and piezoelectric film, optimized through advanced micromachining techniques. This process ensures the harvester's alignment with theoretical predictions and enhances its operational efficiency. Our wind tunnel experiments confirmed the harvester's capability to generate a notable electrical output, with a peak voltage of 2.56 mV at an 8.00 m/s wind speed. Furthermore, we observed a strong correlation between the experimentally measured voltage frequencies and the lift force frequency observed by CFD analysis, with dominant frequencies identified in the range of 830 Hz to 867 Hz, demonstrating the potential application in actual flow environments. By demonstrating the feasibility of efficient energy conversion from ambient wind, our research contributes to the development of sustainable energy solutions and low-power wireless electron devices.

Novel Method for the Preparation of Lamellas From Porous and Brittle Materials for In Situ TEM Heating/Biasing.

A novel method for the preparation of lamellas made from porous and brittle compressed green powder using a focused ion beam (FIB) is described. One of the main purposes for the development of this methodology is to use this type of samples in micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) chips for in situ transmission electron microscopy heating/biasing experiments, concomitant with maintaining the mechanical integrity and the absence of contamination of samples. This is accomplished through a modification of the standard FIB procedure for the preparation of lamellas, the adaptation of conventional chips, as well as the specific transfer of the lamella onto the chips. This method is versatile enough to be implemented in most commercially available FIB systems and MEMS chips.

In-situ TEM study from the perspective ofholders.

During the in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations, the diverse functionalities of different specimen holders play a crucial role. We hereby provide a comprehensive overview of the main types of holders, associated technologies and case studies pertaining to the widely employed heating and gas heating methods, from their initial developments to the latest advancement. In addition to the conventional approaches, we also discuss the emergence of holders that incorporate a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) chip for in situ observations. The MEMS technology offers a multitude of functions within a single chip, thereby enhancing the capabilities and versatility of the holders. MEMS chips have been utilized in environmental-cell designs, enabling customized fabrication of diverse shapes. This innovation has facilitated their application in conducting in situ observations within gas and liquid environments, particularly in the investigation of catalytic and battery reactions. We summarize recent noteworthy studies conducted using in situ liquid TEM. These studies highlight significant advancements and provide valuable insights into the utilization of MEMS chips in environmental-cells, as well as the expanding capabilities of in situ liquid TEM in various research domains.

Estimation of Temperature Homogeneity in MEMS‐Based Heating Nanochips via Quantitative HAADF‐STEM Tomography

AbstractSample holders for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) based on micro‐electro‐mechanical systems (MEMS) have recently become popular for investigating the behavior of nanomaterials under in situ or environmental conditions. The accuracy and reproducibility of these in situ holders are essential to ensure the reliability of experimental results. In addition, the uniformity of an applied temperature trigger across the MEMS chip is a crucial parameter. In this work, it is measured the temperature homogeneity of MEMS‐based heating sample supports by locally analyzing the dynamics of heat‐induced alloying of Au@Ag nanoparticles located in different regions of the support through quantitative fast high‐angle annular dark‐field scanning TEM tomography. These results demonstrate the superior temperature homogeneity of a microheater design based on a heating element shaped as a circular spiral with a width decreasing outwards compared to a double spiral‐shaped designed microheater. The proposed approach to measure the local temperature homogeneity based on the thermal properties of bimetallic nanoparticles will support the future development of MEMS‐based heating supports with improved thermal properties and in situ studies where high precision in the temperature at a certain position is required.

Wafer-Level Manufacturing of MEMS H2 Sensing Chips Based on Pd Nanoparticles Modified SnO2 Film Patterns.

In this manuscript, a simple method combining atomic layer deposition and magnetron sputtering is developed to fabricate high-performance Pd/SnO2 film patterns applied for micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) H2 sensing chips. SnO2 film is first accurately deposited in the central areas of MEMS micro hotplate arrays by a mask-assistant method, leading the patterns with wafer-level high consistency in thickness. The grain size and density of Pd nanoparticles modified on the surface of the SnO2 film are further regulated to obtain an optimized sensing performance. The resulting MEMS H2 sensing chips show a wide detection range from 0.5 to 500ppm, high resolution, and good repeatability. Based on the experiments and density functional theory calculations, a sensing enhancement mechanism is also proposed: a certain amount of Pd nanoparticles modified on the SnO2 surface could bring stronger H2 adsorption followed by dissociation, diffusion, and reaction with surface adsorbed oxygen species. Obviously, the method provided here is quite simple and effective for the manufacturing of MEMS H2 sensing chips with high consistency and optimized performance, which may also find broad applications in other MEMS chip technologies.

Ultra-Compact Fourier Transform Near-Infrared MEMS Spectral Sensor for Smart Industry and IoT

Miniaturized spectrometers are being developed in the recent few years leveraging the rapidly-progressing technology and triggering new markets in the field of on-site and mobile spectroscopic analysis. Although some devices were commercialized for the near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), their size and cost still don't meet the requirements for the ubiquitous deployment of the spectrometer as a spectral sensor needed for the smart industry and IoT applications. In this work we report an integrated microelectromechanical system (MEMS)-based Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectral sensor. A monolithic scanning Michelson interferometer MEMS chip and an extended InGaAs photodetector chip are integrated with a micro-optical system in a tiny package with a footprint of 18 mm, presenting the smallest reported FT-IR solution to date. A compact light source head is designed and implemented targeting diffuse-reflection applications. The reported sensor's spectral resolution is about 66.6 cm <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">-1</sup> across the spectral range of 1350-2550 nm. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) achieved is 8000:1 at 2400 nm in 2 seconds, with an order of magnitude improvement with respect to previously reported fiber-coupled solution. The presented solution provides a low cost, low power, wide wavelength range NIR spectral sensor that can be manufactured with high volumes leveraging economies of scale.

Acoustofluidic localization of sparse particles on a piezoelectric resonant sensor for nanogram-scale mass measurements

The ability to weigh microsubstances present in low concentrations is an important tool for environmental monitoring and chemical analysis. For instance, developing a rapid analysis platform that identifies the material type of microplastics in seawater would help evaluate the potential toxicity to marine organisms. In this study, we demonstrate the integration of two different techniques that bring together the functions of sparse particle localization and miniaturized mass sensing on a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) chip for enhanced detection and minimization of negative measurements. The droplet sample for analysis is loaded onto the MEMS chip containing a resonant mass sensor. Through the coupling of a surface acoustic wave (SAW) from a SAW transducer into the chip, the initially dispersed microparticles in the droplet are localized over the detection area of the MEMS sensor, which is only 200 µm wide. The accreted mass of the particles is then calibrated against the resulting shift in resonant frequency of the sensor. The SAW device and MEMS chip are detachable after use, allowing the reuse of the SAW device part of the setup instead of the disposal of both parts. Our platform maintains the strengths of noncontact and label-free dual-chip acoustofluidic devices, demonstrating for the first time an integrated microparticle manipulation and real-time mass measurement platform useful for the analysis of sparse microsubstances.

Plastic-scale-model assembly of ultrathin film MEMS piezoresistive strain sensor with conventional vacuum-suction chip mounter

We developed a plastic-scale-model assembly of an ultrathin film piezoresistive microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) strain sensor with a conventional vacuum-suction chip mounter for the application to flexible and wearable strain sensors. A plastic-scale-model MEMS chip consists of 5-μm ultrathin piezoresistive strain sensor film, ultrathin disconnection parts, and a thick outer frame. The chip mounter applies pressure to the ultrathin piezoresistive strain sensor film and cuts the disconnection parts to separate the sensor film from the outer frame. The sensor film is then picked up and placed on the desired area of a flexible substrate. To cut off and pick up the sensor film in the same manner as with a plastic scale model, the design of the sensor film and disconnection parts of MEMS chips were optimized through numerical simulation and chip-mounting experiments. The success rate of the 5-μm ultrathin sensor film mounting increased by decreasing the number and width of the disconnection parts. For a 5-μm-thick 1 × 5 mm2 sensor film, 4 disconnection parts of 20 μm in width achieved 100% success rate. The fabricated ultrathin MEMS piezoresistive strain sensor exhibited a gauge factor of 100 and high flexibility to withstand 0.37 [1/mm] bending curvature. Our plastic-scale-model assembly with a conventional vacuum-suction chip mounter will contribute to more practical manufacturing of ultrathin MEMS sensors.

Temperature calibration of TEM specimen heating holders by isothermal sublimation of silver nanocubes

Micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) based TEM specimen heating holders exhibit excellent thermal stability and minimal specimen drift, which allows thermally-activated processes to be studied dynamically at high spatial resolution. The advantages of MEMS-based devices arise from the very small thermal masses of the sample studied, but this poses particular challenges for the precise measurement of specimen temperature. Previously, it has been proposed that the size-dependent sublimation behavior of Ag nanoparticles could be used to measure the specimen temperature by applying the Kelvin equation, but the effects of the capping ligands used in the nanoparticle synthesis and of electron beam heating have limited the application of such approaches. Here it is shown that for an appropriate choice of experimental parameters (nanoparticle size, loading, intermediate holding temperature, and illumination conditions) the sublimation of Ag nano-cubes can be used to measure the specimen temperature to an accuracy of ±5 °C, over the range 700–850 °C. The measurements are reproducible from area to area on the same MEMS chip, and from chip to chip of the same type. The values of specimen temperature obtained are consistently lower than the calibrated MEMS heater plate temperatures, and it is shown that this cannot be explained on the basis of random errors in the experimental measurements or systematic errors in the materials parameters used for the Kelvin equation analysis. It is proposed that this is instead due to the low thermal conductivity of the electron-transparent amorphous silicon nitride support membrane on the chip. As further evidence for this, it is shown that for a thicker crystalline Si support with a higher thermal conductivity, the magnitude of the difference is smaller. This approach could be extended to other temperature ranges by using nanoparticles of other metals with different vapor pressures and sublimation temperatures.

Avoiding blister defects in low-stress hydrogenated amorphous silicon films for MEMS sensors

Low-stress silicon-based thin films play a crucial role in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) such as silicon microphones. To obtain low stress, post annealing is usually applied and, in particular, the residual stress of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (α-Si:H) can be finely tuned by properly adjusting the annealing temperature to obtain slightly tensile thin films. However, blister defects are unfortunately observed in the course of stress control by high temperature annealing. We study structural parameters of thin films that may induce blistering behaviors and propose a statistical prediction model as a guide to avoid the blistering disaster for MEMS chips. By optimizing the shape, size, and thickness of thin films, the non-blister α-Si:H thin film with low stress of around 63 MPa is demonstrated.

Microscale ultrahigh-frequency resonant wireless powering for capacitive and resistive MEMS actuators

This paper presents a versatile chip-level wireless driving method for microelectromechanical system (MEMS) actuators. A MEMS actuator is integrated as an electrical component of a coupled LCR resonant circuit, and it rectifies the energy sent through an ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) radio frequency (RF) wave. Two types of actuators were remotely driven using the proposed method: thermal (bimorph) actuators used as the R component and capacitive (comb-drive) actuators used as the C component of a resonant receiver circuit. We demonstrated the remote actuation of a 13 Ω thermal actuator transferring 7.05 mW power with a power efficiency of 15.8%. This was achieved using coupled 500 μm diameter 5.5-turn planar coil antennas over a distance of 90 μm. When an impedance-matching configuration (Zo = 50 Ω) was used, the efficiency over a distance of 65 μm was measured to be 55.6%, which was 8.2 times greater than that of simple inductor coupling. The proposed method can be applied to future deployment scenarios, where fragile MEMS are placed on top of a system and must directly interface with the environment (thus, being prone to break). The authors propose to fabricate MEMS and energy receiver circuits monolithically on a chip, and place them on another energy transmitter chip. Thereby, the MEMS chip can avoid electrical feedthrough so that (a) the MEMS chip is easily replaceable if it breaks, and (b) the MEMS chip can move beyond wiring cable limitations. Four features are underlined in the article: (1) MEMS itself can rectify the RF energy owing to the fact that the governing equation of the MEMS actuator involves the square of the voltage and/or current, thereby, ensuring higher system-level efficiency than any other RF transceiver circuits using additional rectifying components (e.g., diodes). (2) Both the transmitter and receiver use coils of the same design, whose sizes are equivalent to those of the MEMS actuators (hundreds of micrometers). Moreover, they can be operated at UHF, owing to the much higher self-resonant frequency (fs > GHz) when compared to conventional transmitters (fs ≈ MHz). In addition, by using LCR resonant circuits, it is possible to not only (3) increase the transmission efficiency but also (4) multiply the driving voltage of the capacitive MEMS actuator, because of LC resonance. Voltage multiplication is quite useful for electrostatic MEMS operations because the movement is proportional to the square of the voltage across the MEMS capacitance. Comprehensive designs, implementations, and demonstrations of wireless operation are presented in this paper, for both thermal (resistive) and electrostatic (capacitive) actuators. Remote operation includes on–off-keying for MEMS without mechanical resonance and amplitude modulation of sinusoidal signals to stimulate the mechanical resonant frequency of MEMS.

Prolonged Corrosion Stability of a Microchip Sensor Implant during In Vivo Exposure.

A microelectronic biosensor was subjected to in vivo exposure by implanting it in the vicinity of m. trapezii (Trapezius muscle) from cattle. The implant is intended for the continuous monitoring of glucose levels, and the study aimed at evaluating the biostability of exposed semiconductor surfaces. The sensor chip was a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) prepared using 0.25 µm complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor CMOS/BiCMOS technology. Sensing is based on the principle of affinity viscometry with a sensoric assay, which is separated by a semipermeable membrane from the tissue. Outer dimensions of the otherwise hermetically sealed biosensor system were 39 × 49 × 16 mm. The test system was implanted into cattle in a subcutaneous position without running it. After 17 months, the device was explanted and analyzed by comparing it with unexposed chips and systems. Investigations focused on the MEMS chip using SEM, TEM, and elemental analysis by EDX mapping. The sensor chip turned out to be uncorroded and no diminishing of the topmost passivation layer could be determined, which contrasts remarkably with previous results on CMOS biosensors. The negligible corrosive attack is understood to be a side effect of the semipermeable membrane separating the assay from the tissue. It is concluded that the separation has enabled a prolonged biostability of the chip, which will be of relevance for biosensor implants in general.

(Invited) How to Integrate MEMS on Foundry-Fabricated CMOS Backplanes

A large variety of new applications for Internet of Things (IoT), Industrie 4.0 and other consumer products are pushing volume and manufacturing of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) into a new phase. Due to massive use of these sensors and actuators in mobile and industrial applications smaller systems combined with low power consumption and higher versatility are required. MEMS are transducers that sense or control physical, chemical or optical quantities creating devices for applications in the area of 3D-motion tracking, pressure sensing, light shaping or detection of irradiation. The combination of MEMS with an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) based on CMOS technology enables the entire system to interact with outside world. These ASICs are providing required features such as analog-to-digital conversion, amplification, filtering, information processing and storage as well as communication to the outside world. There are different solutions available to combine MEMS with customized CMOS circuits. One choice known as system-in-package (SiP) is the manufacturing of MEMS and CMOS on separate wafers and its subsequent integration in a multi-chip module using interposer/ rewiring technologies. Key advatanges of this technique are high flexibility, high modularity and a complete decoupled manufacturing of CMOS and MEMS. This enables a rapid development and leads to low development costs. And, there is no impact of different sizes between CMOS and MEMS chip. In order to enhance the integration density, to drive system feature size down, to suppress potential parasitic capacitances and to reduce power consumption an integrated manufacturing on the same substrate is a must and known as system-on-chip (SoC) solution. On one hand this approach can be still realized by a multi-wafer processing and a final integration using bonding technologies. This technology is often named as heterogeneous integration. Key advantage of multi-wafer technology is the possibility to use high-performance MEMS materials such as monocrystalline silicon as actuation/sensing material and its integration on CMOS wafers. Disadvantages are the required alignment accuracies when using a metallic bond or limitation for integration densities when using via-last approach. A more consistent way is a complete monolithic integration of MEMS on CMOS substrates. Especially when large transducer arrays are required (e.g. bolometers, micro-mirror arrays, CMUT arrays) a monolithic integration of MEMS on CMOS is the best solution. All advantages are now on hand – high integration densities, low parasitic capacitances and an effective usage of CMOS area. Fraunhofer IPMS applies surface and bulk micromachining technologies for the integration of MEMS on customized CMOS backplanes. To reduce development costs and time-to-market IPMS combines standard CMOS processes offered from CMOS foundries with a subsequent integration of MEMS part in our MEMS fab. Due to the application specific design of the CMOS backplane this concept allows a perfect match between ASIC and MEMS functionalities. In a typical project flow CMOS and MEMS will be manufactured and tested in parallel to shorten development time. After ASIC design is finished it will be tested using Multi- Project- Wafer run (MPW) in a CMOS foundry. Using these MPW runs a complete characterization of CMOS functionality can be realized in an early project state at low costs. Parallel to CMOS testing an entire process development of MEMS part can be done on passive devices in our MEMS fab. If CMOS and MEMS characterization is completed the MEMS part will be monolithically integrated on these customized CMOS backplanes. But there are still some challenges for the integration of MEMS on foundry fabricated CMOS backplanes, e.g.: Modifications of last CMOS/ interconnect/ ILD layers to realize an appropriate interface to MEMS Clarification of PCM (process control monitoring) test environment, depth of test structures and possible arising contamination issues In-chip surface topology after interconnect processing to define necessary actions to achieve required planarity for further processing Tuning mix-and-match lithography to achieve high overlay accuracies (Picture 1: Reached overlay accuracy between last 0,18µm CMOS and first MEMS layer of about 30- 40nm after correction step using i-line stepper) Required chip design features when using sacrificial layer technology IPMS offers a wide range of surface and bulk micromachining technologies which are particularly suitable for the fabrication of sensors and actuators on pre-fabricated CMOS wafers using monolithic integration. Especially surface micromachining using inorganic sacrificial layer technology allows the realization of rather complex MEMS structures on CMOS backplanes. Based on examples such as spatial light modulators (SLM) and capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUT) we will present solutions for the integration of surface micromachined MEMS on customized CMOS substrates. Figure 1

Visualizing Epithelial Expression in Vertical and Horizontal Planes With Dual Axes Confocal Endomicroscope Using Compact Distal Scanner.

The epithelium is a thin layer of tissue that lines hollow organs, such as colon. Visualizing in vertical cross sections with sub-cellular resolution is essential to understanding early disease mechanisms that progress naturally in the plane perpendicular to the tissue surface. The dual axes confocal architecture collects optical sections in tissue by directing light at an angle incident to the surface using separate illumination and collection beams to reduce effects of scattering, enhance dynamic range, and increase imaging depth. This configuration allows for images to be collected in the vertical as well as horizontal planes. We designed a fast, compact monolithic scanner based on the principle of parametric resonance. The mirrors were fabricated using microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology and were coated with aluminum to maximize near-infrared reflectivity. We achieved large axial displacements [Formula: see text] and wide lateral deflections >20°. The MEMS chip has a 3.2×2.9 mm2 form factor that allows for efficient packaging in the distal end of an endomicroscope. Imaging can be performed in either the vertical or horizontal planes with [Formula: see text] depth or 1 ×1 mm2 area, respectively, at 5 frames/s. We systemically administered a Cy5.5-labeled peptide that is specific for EGFR, and collected near-infrared fluorescence images ex vivo from pre-malignant mouse colonic epithelium to reveal the spatial distribution of this molecular target. Here, we demonstrate a novel scanning mechanism in a dual axes confocal endomicroscope that collects optical sections of near-infrared fluorescence in either vertical or horizontal planes to visualize molecular expression in the epithelium.

A micromachined angular-acceleration sensor for geophysical applications

This paper presents an angular-acceleration sensor that works as either an angular accelerometer or a gravity gradiometer and is based on the micro electromechanical system (MEMS) technology. The changes in the angle of the sensor mass are sensed by a rotational capacitive array transducer that is formed by electrodes on both the stator and rotor dies of the flip-chip-bonded MEMS chip (21 mm × 12.5 mm × 1 mm). The prototype was characterized, demonstrating a fundamental frequency of 27 Hz, a quality factor of 230 in air, and a sensitivity of 6 mV/(rad/s2). The demonstrated noise floor was less than 0.003 rad/s2/Hz within a bandwidth of 0.1 Hz to 10 Hz, which is comparable with the conventional angular accelerometer and is better than the other reported MEMS sensors in low-frequency ranges. The features of small size and low cost suggest that this MEMS angular-acceleration sensor could be mounted on a drone, a satellite or even a Mars rover, and it is promising to be used for monitoring angular accelerations, aiding seismic recording, mapping gravity anomalies, and other geophysical applications for large-scale terrestrial and space deployments.

Post micromachining of MPW based CMOS–MEMS comb resonator and its mechanical and thermal characterization

In recent years micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) based micro resonant sensors have been given a lot of attention due to their potential as a platform for the development of many novel physical, chemical, and biological sensors. That is why this paper covers post processing of the structures fabricated through Multi-Project-Wafer using 0.35 µm MIMOS CMOS technology with particular focus on dry etching of Si and SiO2 from the front side of CMOS---MEMS chip that is optimized using aluminum coated carrier wafer and achieved results are debris free as compared to photoresist coated carrier wafer. The device is etched through from the front side to avoid parasitic capacitances and squeeze film damping by keeping minimum size of the die. The etching of SiO2 as well as deep Si etch-through using the same plasma etcher (SS110A Tegal) is successfully demonstrated in this work. Finally, after the successful post CMOS micromachining of the device, resonance frequency i.e. 8164 Hz and quality factor i.e. 51.34, is determined. The joule heating effect due to the passing of current through the central shuttle of the device is characterized. The maximum temperature close to the anchors of the comb resonator where the piezoresistors are located is determined through temperature coefficient of resistance measurement using PE-4RF type probe station and it is found to be 37.62 °C.

Low-Cost MEMS Packaging Using Sacrificial Polymer-Based In-Situ Airgap Creation

The improvements in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) have been traditionally focused more on the functionality and sensitivity of devices. However, packaging of MEMS devices has become a bottleneck mainly due to a wide range of device dimensions and packages being device-specific. Even though MEMS packaging sector is estimated to grow 2x faster than integrated circuit (IC) packaging sector, MEMS packaging is still one of the least explored components of MEMS technology compromising up to 20-40% of the total material and assembly cost [1, 2, 3]. One essential concern is the cleanliness of surface of MEMS devices after packaging, since the contaminants might interfere with the device performance and reliability. In order to address these issues, we pursue sacrificial polymer-based airgap MEMS packaging as a low-cost, clean, IC-compatible, high volume, semi-hermetic, wafer-level packaging solution. The intention is to stabilize and secure the movable MEMS components inside a protective envelope so that the MEMS chip can then be treated like an integrated circuit (IC) and enjoy the benefits of low-cost, high-volume IC packaging, such as lead-frame, or plastic overmolding packaging. The airgap creation process uses complete thermal decomposition of a sacrificial polymer, poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC), encapsulated with overcoat materials, such as BCB (Cyclotene) and/or epoxy-molding compound (EMC), and permeation out of PPC decomposition products through the overcoat materials. To this end, we have previously demonstrated a minimal decrease in resonant frequency (<0.1%) and a small change in the quality factor (<5.2%) in airgap packaged MEMS resonators using PPC with BCB overcoat (i.e. no EMC overmolding) [4]. In this study, in order to minimize the material and processing cost and to simplify the previously developed packaging process, we will use a thin layer of patterned BCB only for patterning non-photosensitive PPC with O2 plasma, not for the overcoat. MEMS resonators with patterned PPC (and BCB) will be wire-bonded on a lead-frame package, and finally EMC overmolding will be done during which the decomposition of PPC and the curing of EMC and BCB will be achieved simultaneously, i.e. “in-situ airgap creation”. Apart from that, PPC will be subjected to a purification procedure by which lower decomposition temperatures (Td) were recently obtained in our group compared to unpurified PPC (Td difference about 20°C). After obtaining the complete airgap packaged MEMS resonators, an aging study will be performed in order to determine the change in resonant spectra over time.

In situ TEM/SEM electronic/mechanical characterization of nano material with MEMS chip

Our investigation of in situ observations on electronic and mechanical properties of nano materials using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a transmission electron microscope (TEM) with the help of traditional micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) technology has been reviewed. Thanks to the stability, continuity and controllability of the loading force from the electrostatic actuator and the sensitivity of the sensor beam, a MEMS tensile testing chip for accurate tensile testing in the nano scale is obtained. Based on the MEMS chips, the scale effect of Young's modulus in silicon has been studied and confirmed directly in a tensile experiment using a transmission electron microscope. Employing the nanomanipulation technology and FIB technology, Cu and SiC nanowires have been integrated into the tensile testing device and their mechanical, electronic properties under different stress have been achieved, simultaneously. All these will aid in better understanding the nano effects and contribute to the designation and application in nano devices.

Low-Cost MEMS Packaging Using Polymer-Based Air-Gaps

Packaging of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) is essential for preserving device performance, providing physical protection and enabling electrical connections to devices. MEMS packaging sector is estimated to grow 2x faster than the integrated circuit (IC) packaging sector, because of ever-increasing penetration of MEMS technology into mobile and consumer applications in recent years [1]. Despite its growth, MEMS packaging is still one of the least explored components of MEMS technology [2]. Moreover, MEMS packaging can compromise up to 20-40% of the total material and assembly cost [3]. Besides, conventional MEMS packaging techniques involving ceramic, metal or plastic packages has challenges either of size limitations, high-temperature requirements, and packages being device-specific [4]. In addition, the surface of the MEMS devices should stay clean after packaging because the atmospheric contaminants and moisture can create dampening effects and oxidation, which might interfere with device performance and reliability. Therefore, there is a clear need for low-cost, clean, IC-compatible, high volume, wafer-level packaging solutions. The goal of this study is to develop a MEMS packaging technique using polymer-based air-gaps as a cost-effective method. The intention is to stabilize and secure the movable MEMS components inside a protective envelope so that the MEMS chip can then be treated like an integrated circuit (IC) and enjoy the benefits of low-cost, high-volume IC packaging, such as lead-frame, or plastic overmolding packaging. The air-gap creation process uses thermal decomposition of patterned sacrificial polymer layer, poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC), which is encapsulated with an overcoat material, BCB (Cyclotene), through which PPC decomposition products permeate out, finally leaving an air cavity on top of MEMS device enclosed with overcoat. The process involves coating MEMS device with PPC, coating and patterning a thin pattern-transfer layer of BCB overcoat on top of PPC, reactive-ion etching by O2 plasma for patterning PPC, coating and patterning overcoat layer of BCB, then simultaneous thermal decomposition of PPC and curing of BCB (at around 250°C for 2-4 hours in N2 purged oven). PPC acts a temporary place-holder for defining air-gap region, whereas BCB provides mechanical stability to package. The application of the process on bare silicon substrates enabled 5-10 μm high air-gap creation in square or circular features up to 2 mm in size with no cracking or deformation in BCB overcoat. BCB is found to be chemically compatible with PPC providing uniform, conformal and adherent coating on top of PPC. Nanoindentation measurements revealed a mechanically stable and flexible BCB overcoat layer on top of the air-gap. The surface of silicon in the air-gap region was found to be clean after removal of BCB overcoat, with only a 5-10 nm thick high molecular weight hydrocarbon by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) measurements. The packaging process was also performed on actual working MEMS resonators of sizes 200 μm x 100-160 μm. Comparing the before-packaging and after-packaging resonant spectra measurements, we have observed a minimal decrease in resonant frequency (<0.1%), and little-to-no change in quality factor (<5.2%) in working MEMS resonators. Current focus is on implementing the developed packaging process into a lead frame packaging scheme with epoxy molding to achieve near-hermetic, actual MEMS devices. During epoxy molding, in situ decomposition of PPC and curing of BCB will occur simultaneously with curing of epoxy molding compound.Overall, a new MEMS packaging technique has been studied in order to achieve low-cost, clean, IC-compatible MEMS packages. The technique is easy-to-implement, and readily scalable to wafer-level packaging. The packaging of actual MEMS devices with the use of the developed packaging technique along with conventional lead frame packaging with epoxy molding is underway.