MEMS Course

Lesson 1 • Introduction to MEMS Concepts

Defines MEMS, their scale, and the physical domains they exploit. Anchors all subsequent fabrication and design topics.

Lesson 2 • Materials Used in MEMS

Introduces silicon, polymers, metals, and ceramics as MEMS structural and functional materials. Material choice directly affects fabrication and performance.

Lesson 3 • Scaling Laws and Physical Effects

Covers how physical forces scale with device dimensions and why miniaturization changes dominant phenomena. Builds intuition for design trade-offs.

Lesson 4 • MEMS Device Classification

Surveys sensors, actuators, and transducers as primary MEMS categories. Provides a taxonomy used throughout the course.

Lesson 1 • Photolithography Fundamentals

Teaches pattern transfer from mask to substrate using light-sensitive resists. Lithography resolution sets the minimum feature size achievable.

Lesson 2 • Thin-Film Deposition Methods

Covers physical and chemical vapor deposition techniques for growing functional layers. Deposition quality determines device electrical and mechanical properties.

Lesson 3 • Wafer Bonding and Stacking

Covers fusion, anodic, and adhesive bonding for creating multi-layer MEMS structures. Bonding enables sealed cavities and complex 3D geometries.

Lesson 4 • Doping and Ion Implantation

Explains how dopants modify silicon conductivity and create piezoresistive elements. Doping profiles are critical for sensor transduction.

Lesson 5 • Cleanroom Environment and Safety

Describes cleanroom classifications, contamination control, and safe chemical handling. Proper practice is prerequisite to all fabrication work.

Lesson 1 • Stiction and Release Challenges

Addresses adhesion failures during and after wet release of freestanding structures. Mitigation techniques are essential for high-yield fabrication.

Lesson 2 • Surface Micromachining Principles

Introduces deposition and selective removal of thin films above the substrate to build freestanding structures. Enables complex mechanical elements on standard wafers.

Lesson 3 • Bulk Micromachining Principles

Defines bulk micromachining as selective removal of substrate material to form structures. Establishes contrast with surface approaches introduced later.

Lesson 4 • Combined and High-Aspect-Ratio Processes

Covers LIGA, HARM, and hybrid process flows that extend geometric capability beyond standard micromachining. High-aspect-ratio structures enable new actuator and sensor designs.

Lesson 1 • Beam and Membrane Mechanics

Derives deflection and stress equations for cantilever beams and clamped membranes. These geometries appear in the majority of MEMS sensors and actuators.

Lesson 2 • Spring Constant and Stiffness Design

Teaches calculation and tuning of mechanical stiffness for desired sensitivity and range. Stiffness directly sets sensor resolution and actuator force requirements.

Lesson 3 • Stress, Strain, and Elasticity in MEMS

Reviews continuum mechanics fundamentals scaled to thin-film and microscale structures. Provides the analytical foundation for all structural design sections.

Lesson 4 • Failure Modes and Reliability

Identifies fatigue, fracture, and creep failure mechanisms specific to microscale materials. Reliability analysis is required before device qualification.

Lesson 1 • Optical and Magnetic Transduction

Introduces optical interferometry, diffraction gratings, and Lorentz-force actuation as alternative transduction methods. Expands the designer's toolkit for specialized applications.

Lesson 2 • Piezoresistive Transduction

Explains how mechanical stress changes resistivity in doped silicon and metal films. Piezoresistive sensors are simple to interface and widely used in pressure and force sensing.

Lesson 3 • Piezoelectric Transduction

Covers direct and converse piezoelectric effects in PZT, AlN, and ZnO films. Piezoelectric devices enable self-powered sensing and high-frequency actuation.

Lesson 4 • Capacitive Transduction

Derives capacitance-displacement relationships for parallel-plate and comb-drive geometries. Capacitive sensing dominates inertial and pressure MEMS due to low power and high sensitivity.

Lesson 1 • Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs)

Integrates accelerometers and gyroscopes into multi-axis IMU systems with sensor fusion. IMUs are core components in navigation, robotics, and consumer devices.

Lesson 2 • Sensor Interface Circuits

Connects MEMS sensor outputs to readout electronics including charge amplifiers and sigma-delta converters. Interface design determines system-level noise and dynamic range.

Lesson 3 • Pressure Sensor Design

Derives membrane deflection under pressure and maps it to piezoresistive or capacitive output. Pressure sensors span automotive, medical, and industrial markets.

Lesson 4 • Environmental and Chemical Sensors

Examines MEMS-based humidity, gas, and flow sensors and their transduction mechanisms. Environmental sensing is a fast-growing segment driven by IoT demand.

Lesson 1 • RF MEMS Switches and Resonators

Analyzes capacitive and ohmic RF MEMS switches and bulk acoustic resonators. RF MEMS enable low-loss, reconfigurable wireless front-ends.

Lesson 2 • Optical MEMS and Micromirrors

Designs electrostatically and electromagnetically driven micromirrors for display and sensing. Optical MEMS are critical in LiDAR, projectors, and fiber-optic switches.

Lesson 3 • Electrostatic Actuator Principles

Analyzes parallel-plate and comb-drive electrostatic actuators including pull-in behavior. Electrostatic actuation is dominant in optical MEMS and RF switches.

Lesson 4 • Thermal Actuator Design

Covers electrothermal bimorph and chevron actuators that convert Joule heating to displacement. Thermal actuators provide large force at low voltage.

Lesson 1 • Vacuum and Controlled-Atmosphere Packaging

Explains getter materials, hermetic sealing, and cavity pressure control for resonant devices. Vacuum packaging is essential for high-Q inertial and RF MEMS.

Lesson 2 • Electrical and Functional Testing

Defines wafer-probe, die-level, and final test strategies for MEMS devices. Comprehensive testing ensures performance specifications are met before shipment.

Lesson 3 • System-Level Integration and Co-Design

Addresses MEMS-ASIC co-design, PCB integration, and system-level performance verification. Co-design minimizes parasitics and optimizes overall system noise and power.

Lesson 4 • MEMS Packaging Fundamentals

Covers die-level, wafer-level, and system-in-package approaches for MEMS encapsulation. Packaging protects the device and defines its interface to the outside world.