EECS 414: Introduction to MEMS

Instructor: Professor Khalil Najafi, Professor Euisik Yoon

Coverage
This is an entry level course in the part of MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) lecture series. This course introduces the general overview of rapidly emerging, multi-disciplinary MEMS fields as well as teaches fundamentals of micromachining and microfabrication techniques. A designer of MEMS requires knowledge and expertise across several different disciplines. Therefore, this course will pay special attention to teaching of fundamentals necessary for the design and analysis of devices and systems in mechanical, electrical, fluidic, and thermal energy/signal domains, and will teach basic techniques for multi-domain analysis (e.g., electromechanical, electrothermal). Fundamentals of sensing and transduction mechanisms (i.e. conversion of non-electronic signals to electronic signals), including capacitive and piezoresistive techniques, and design and analysis of micromachined miniature sensors and actuators using these techniques will be covered.

Recently, this course has been retooled to gear toward more an introductory course than before to meet the need of students in other disciplines who would like to learn about MEMS. This year, we will include four guest lectures for the first time to cover the application spaces in biomedical sensors, RF MEMS, advanced inertia sensors, and packaging. These will give a good perspective of recent trends in MEMS research and applications along with the fundamentals in MEMS sensing and actuating schemes covered in the class. This course is a prerequisite for the advanced MEMS courses: EECS 509 BioMEMS, EECS 514 Advanced MEMS Devices and Technologies, and EECS 515 Integrated MEMS.

Lab
There is no lab in this course. However, we will have CAD assignments in which students will acquire hands-on experience in design and simulation of a few selected MEMS structures. The CAD tool will be available in the CAEN lab and we will have a lab session to explain how to use the CAD tool.

Textbook(s)
Liu, Chang. Foundations of MEMS. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2006.

Syllabus

• Review of Semiconductor Processing Technologies (Chapter 2)
• Silicon Bulk Micromachining Technologies (Chapter 10)
• Standard MEMS Process Technologies (Chapter 11)
• Materials and Structures (Chapter 3)
• Electromechanical Transducers (Chapter 4)
  • Capacitive Sensors (Pressure, Acceleration, etc.)
  • Electrostatic Actuators (Micromirrors, Resonators, etc.)
• Piezoresistive Transducers (Chapter 6)
  • Pressure Sensors
  • Strain Gauge
• Electrothermal MEMS (Chapter 5)
  • Flow Sensors, Gas Detectors, Uncooled Infrared Sensors
  • Bimorph Actuators, Bent-Beam Actuators
• Overview of BioMEMS, RF MEMS and Microfluidics