ECE 485

• Microelectronics and Photonics

This undergraduate/graduate course presents a comprehensive introduction to the principles, materials, fabrication techniques, and applications of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Students will gain an in-depth understanding of principles for micro sensors and actuators. Integrated microfabrication techniques that originated from microelectronics, microfabrication, and coupled with new micromechanical fabrication techniques will be discussed. A review of several transduction principles will be dicscussed. Case reviews will cover several important and interdisciplinary device classes including micro sensors, microfluid systems, and applications of MEMS in nanotechnology.

Same as: IE 485 and ME 485

• Introduction and motivation
• Electrostatic sensing and actuation principles
• Thermal sensing and actuation principles
• Piezoresistive sensing principles
• Piezoelectric sensing and actuation principles
• Magnetic sensing and actuation principles
• Bulk and surface micromachining techniques
• Microfabrication of semiconductor and in-organic materials
• Case studies

Topics:

• Introduction and motivation
• Electrostatic sensing and actuation principles
• Thermal sensing and actuation principles
• Piezoresistive sensing principles
• Piezoelectric sensing and actuation principles
• Magnetic sensing and actuation principles
• Bulk and surface micromachining techniques
• Microfabrication of semiconductor and in-organic materials
• Microfluidics and BioMEMS
• Nanoelectromechanical Systems (NEMS)
• Case studies

  Same as: IE 485 and ME 485

Mask layout on PC workstations.

Device Simulation

Term Paper and Final Presentation

Course project: Teams of 5-6 students per project will be formed with the goal of designing a wirelessly powered swimming micro-robot or nano-robot. Wireless power for driving swimming micro-robot can be harvested from radio frequency electromagnetic field, magnetic field, and optical field, aerodynamic and fluid flows, chemical energy, biological etc. You can use any MEMS design, either what covered in this course or something you read about elsewhere or even a brand new one you create. You need to perform a comprehensive analysis of its performance, manufacturability, and real-world applications. The project is meant to develop skills in library research, critical thinking, device design and analysis, technical writing skills and presentation skills.

Chang Liu, Foundations of MEMS

Electromechanics and MEMS by Thomas Jones and Nenad Nenadic

Microsystem Design by Stephen Senturia

Introduction to BioMEMS by Albert Folch

This course presents an introduction to the principles, fabrication techniques, and applications of micro electromechanical systems (MEMS). Students will gain an in-depth understanding of sensors and actuator principles and integrated microfabrication techniques for MEMS. It also consists of a comprehensive investigation of state-of-the-art MEMS devices and systems.

A student in this class will be able to do the following:

1. understand the definition of micromachining and MEMS as well as an historical perspective of this emerging field (1, 4, 7)

2. understand the fundamental principle of electrostatic sensing and methods for fabricating electrostatic sensors (1)

3. understand the fundamental principle of electrostatic actuation and methods for fabricating (1)

4. understand the fundamental principle of piezoresistive sensing and methods for fabricating (1)

5. understand the fundamental principle of piezoelectric sensing and 0 actuation and methods for fabricating (1)

6. understand the fundamental principle of magnetostatic actuation and methods for fabricating (1)

7. gain a comprehensive perspective of the fabrication techniques used in microfabrication (1)

8. understand the principle, design, and fabrication techniques of leading exemplary devices in the MEMS industry (1, 4)

9. learn how to represent sensors and transducers in any energy domain using lumped circuit elements (1, 2)

10. learn to analyze spring-mass-damper systems for resonant frequency (1, 2)

11. learn to gather information from scientific journals, to analyze the strengths/weaknesses of a MEMS sensor/actuator approach, and to orally present analysis to classmates (1, 3, 4, 5)