Note: The following provides a suggested course description,
objectives, and an outline. These may be modified pending discussion with
the Faculty Chairs, proposing faculty, and other curriculum
reviewers.
Course Description: The course will begin with a
summary of integrated circuit fabrication technologies leading into an
overview of the technologies available to shape electromechanical elements
on a submillimeter scale. Physics of MEMS devices will be covered at a
level necessary to design and analyze new devices and systems. Several
commercially available MEMS processes will be discussed in detail, and
students will design final projects in these processes.
Course Objectives: The objective of the course is to
provide each student a strong foundation in the design, fabrication, and
analysis of micro-electromechanical devices. At the completion of the
course, student should be able to make reasonable decisions about the
fabrication options and performance of new MEMS devices and systems.
Course Outline by Topical Areas:
| Basic fabrication techniques: lithography,
thin film deposition, chemical and plasma etching, anisotropic
silicon etching |
| Device physics: beam theory, electrostatic
actuation, capacitive and piezoresistive sensing, thermal sensors
and actuators |
| Standard processes: 2 layer polysilicon,
CMOS, DRIE. Electronic interfacing, mechanical and electrical noise,
fundamental limits |
| CAD tools: layout, process simulation, PDE
and ODE solvers, synthesis. |
