Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-g8jcs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T05:28:59.008Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Laminate MEMS for Heterogeneous Integrated Systems

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 August 2012

G. P. Li  and
Mark Bachman
G. P. Li
Affiliation:
Integrated Nanosystems Research Facility, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, The Henry Samueli School of Engineering, California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology University of California, Irvine California 92697, USA
Mark Bachman
Affiliation:
Integrated Nanosystems Research Facility, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, The Henry Samueli School of Engineering, California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology University of California, Irvine California 92697, USA
Get access

Abstract

Post semiconductor manufacturing processes (PSM), including packaging and printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing are now capable of producing trace widths of a few micrometers, high aspect ratio vias, three-dimensional constructions, and highly integrated systems in a single small package. Such PSM technology can in principle be used to manufacture micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) for sensing and actuation applications. Although MEMS are traditionally produced using silicon processes, the broad array of manufacturing approaches available in the packaging industry, including lamination, lithography, etching, electroforming, machining, bonding, etc., and the large number of available materials such as polymers, ceramics, metals, etc., provides greater design freedom for producing functional microdevices. The results of such processes applied to fabricating small systems are heterogeneously integrated MEMS devices. Since lamination of stacked layers is a critical component of this process, we refer to these devices as “laminate MEMS.”

In many cases laminate MEMS devices are more suited to their applications than their silicon counterparts, especially for applications such as biomedical, optical, and human computer interface. Furthermore, such microdevices can be built with a high degree of integration, pre-packaged, and at low cost. Indeed, the PCB and packaging industries stand to benefit greatly by expanding their offerings beyond serving the semiconductor industry and developing their own devices and products. This paper illustrates that good quality MEMS devices can be manufactured using packaging style fabrication, particularly using stacks of laminates, and discusses some of the unique benefits of such devices. This laminate MEMS technology promises not only improved methods for manufacturing microdevices but also for heterogeneously integrating them with silicon microelectronics and other components into a single package.

Keywords

microelectro-mechanical (MEMS)packagingmachining
Type
Articles
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1427: Symposium B – Heterogeneous Integration Challenges of MEMS, Sensor and CMOS LSI , 2012 , mrss12-1427-b03-01
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1. Kada, Morihiro, “The Dawn of 3D Packaging as System-in-Package (SIP)”, IEICE TRANSACTIONS on Electronics Vol.E84-C No.12, pp.1763–1770 (2001).Google Scholar
2. Peterson, K., “Silicon as a mechanical material” Proceedings of the IEEE. Vol 70, No. 5, pp. 420–457 (1982).Google Scholar
3. Maluf, Nadim and Williams, Kirt. Introduction to microelectromechanical systems engineering. Artech House, Boston, MA (2004).Google Scholar
4. Chiou, J.A., Lee, Y.C., Kurabayashi, K., Candler, R., “Foreword Special Section on Packaging for Micro/Nano-Scale Systems.” Advanced Packaging, IEEE Transactions on. Vol. 32 No.2, pp.399–401 (2009).Google Scholar
5. Ulrich, Richard K. and Brown, William D. (Eds). Advanced Electronic Packaging (IEEE Press Series on Microelectronic Systems). Wiley-IEEE Press, Hoboken, New Jersey. (2006)Google Scholar
6. Madou, Marc, Fundamentals of Microfabrication and Nanotechnology, Third Edition, Three-Volume Set: From MEMS to Bio-MEMS and Bio-NEMS: Manufacturing Techniques and Applications, CRC Press-Taylor & Francis, Boca Raton, FL (2011).Google Scholar
7. Chang, HP, Qian, J., Cetiner, B.A., De Flaviis, F., Bachman, M., Li, GP. “Design and process considerations for fabricating RF MEMS switches on printed circuit boards,” Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems, 14 (6), pp. 1311–1322 (2005).Google Scholar
8. Palasagaram, JN, Ramadoss, R. “MEMS-Capacitive Pressure Sensor Fabricated Using Printed-Circuit-Processing Techniques”, IEEE Sensors, Vol. 6 No 6, pp. 1374–1375 (2006).Google Scholar
9. Ramadoss, R., Lee, S., Lee, Y. C., Bright, V. M. and Gupta, K. C.. “Fabrication, assembly, and testing of RF MEMS capacitive switches using flexible printed circuit technology”, IEEE Trans. Adv. Packag., vol. 26, pp. 248 (2003)Google Scholar
10. Wang, X., Lu, L.-H. and Liu, C.. “Liquid crystal polymer (LCP) for MEMS: Processes and applications”, J. Micromech. Microeng., vol. 13, pp. 628 (2003).Google Scholar
11. Ghodsian, B., Changwon, J., Cetiner, B.A., De Flaviis, F., “Development of RF-MEMS switch on PCB substrates with polyimide planarization”. IEEE Sensors, Vol 5, pp. 950–955 (2005).Google Scholar
12. Chang, C. H., Qian, J. Y., Cetiner, B. A., Xu, Q., Bachman, M., De Flaviis, F., and Li, G. P., “RF MEMS capacitive switches fabricated with HDICP CVD SiNx”, IEEE MTT-S Int. Microwave Symp., pp. 231–234 (2002).Google Scholar
13. Bachman, M and Li, GP, “Methods of Manufacturing Microdevices in Laminates, Lead Frames, Packaging,” US Patent Application 12/112,925, USPTO Publication US 2008/0283180 A1, April 30, 2008.Google Scholar
14. Chang, H.P., Qian, J.Y., Cetiner, B.A., De Flaviis, F., Bachman, M., and Li, G.P., “Low cost RF MEMS switches fabricated on microwave laminate printed circuit board”, IEEE Electron Device Letters, Vol. 24, No. 4, pp. 227–229, 2003.Google Scholar
15. Cetiner, B. A., Chang, H. P., Qian, J.Y., Bachman, M., Li, G.-P., and De Flaviis, F., “RF MEMS switches fabricated on low cost microwave laminates using low temperature processes,” IEEE Trans. on Microwave Theory and Tech., Vol. 51, pp. 332–335, Jan. 2003.Google Scholar
16. Bachman, M, Zhang, Yang, Wang, Minfeng, and Li, GP, “High Power Direct Contact (DC) Magnetically Actuated Microswitches Fabricated in Laminates,” submitted to IEEE Electron Device Letters.Google Scholar
17. Xu, Tao, Bachman, Mark, Zeng, Fan-Gang, and Li, G. P., “Polymeric Micro-cantilever Array for Auditory Front-end Processing,” Sensors and Actuators A: Physical, Vol. 114, pp. 176–182, Sep. 2004.Google Scholar
18. Liu, Hung-Wei, Chang, Ho-Jung, Li, Guann-Pyng, Bachman, Mark, “Performance Improvement of Organic Thin-Film Transistors by Solution-Processed Crystallization of Pentacene at Room Temperature”, IEEE Electron Device Letters, Vol. 30, No. 4, 346–348, 2009 Google Scholar