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MEMS: recent advances and current challenges

Ryszard J. Pryputniewicz

Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Mechanical Engineering Department / CHSLT-NEST

Recent advances in MEMS technology have led to development of a multitude of new devices. However applications of these devices are hampered by challenges posed by their integration and packaging (Wei et al., 2005). Current trend in micro/nanosystems is to produce ever smaller, lighter, and more capable devices at a lower cost than ever before. In addition, the finished products have to operate at very low power and in very adverse conditions while assuring durable and reliable performance (Pryputniewicz et al., 2001).

Some of the new devices were developed to function at high rotational speeds, others to make accurate measurements of operating conditions of specific processes. Regardless of their application, the devices have to be packaged to facilitate their use. MEMS packaging, however, is application specific and, usually, has to be developed on a case by case basis (Pryputniewicz et al., 2006). To facilitate advances of MEMS, educational programs have been introduced addressing all aspects in their development (Pryputniewicz et al., 2003). This presentation will address various aspects in a development of MEMS including, but not limited to, design, analysis, fabrication, characterization, packaging, and testing. The presentation will be illustrated with selected examples, Figs 1 to 5.

References

Pryputniewicz, R. J., T. F. Marinis, D. S. Hanson, and C. Furlong, 2001, “New approach to development of MEMS packaging for inertial sensors,” Paper No. IMECE2001/MEMS-22906, Am Soc. Mech. Eng., New York, NY.

Pryputniewicz, R. J., E. Shepherd, J. J. Allen, and C. Furlong, 2003, “University – National Laboratory alliance for MEMS education,” Proc. 4^th Internat. Symp. on MEMS and Nanotechnology (4^th-ISMAN), Charlotte, NC, pp. 364-371.

Pryputniewicz, R. J., T. F. Marinis, J. W. Soucy, P. Hefti, and A. R. Klempner, 2006, “A metal interposer for isolating MEMS devices from package stresses,” in press, Proc. EFC-16, Alexandoupolis, Greece.

Wei, J., Wong, C. K., and Lee, L. C., 2005, “Wafer-level micro/nanosystems integration and packaging,” Proc. 6^th Internat. Symp. on MEMS and Nanotechnology (6^th-ISMAN),” pp. 1-12, Portland, OR.

Contact author: Ryszard J. Pryputniewicz

WPI-ME/CHSLT-NEST, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609 USA

Ph: (508) 831-5536 Fax: (508) 831-5713 E-mail: rjp@wpi.edu

Short bio

Ryszard J. (Rich) Pryputniewicz is the K. G. Merriam Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and, since 1978, founding Director of the Center for Holographic Studies and Laser micro-mechaTronics (CHSLT) at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in Worcester, MA; he is also founding Director of the NanoEngineering, Science, and Technology (NEST) Program at the Mechanical Engineering Department, addressing undergraduate and graduate education and research in the fields of lasers, photonics, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), and nanotechnology. Prior to joining WPI in 1978, he was a member of faculty and Director of the Laser Research Laboratory at the School of Engineering and the School of Medicine and Dentistry of the University of Connecticut (6 years) and a member of the technical staff in the aerospace industry (4 years). He received a M.E.T. Degree from the Technical Institute of Shipbuilding, Gdansk, Poland (1967), his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and CAESEE in Electrical Engineering Degrees from the University of Hartford (1972), and M.S. (1974) and Ph.D. (1976) Degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Connecticut at Storrs. His current research and teaching interests concentrate on theoretical and applied aspects of MEMS, smart sensors and structures, and, in particular, nanotechnology, lasers, noninvasive metrology with nanometer accuracy on sub-micron scale, and nondestructive testing (NDT) based on photonic methods. In this work, he emphasizes unification of analytical, computational, and experimental solutions (ACES) methodologies, especially when they can be merged to provide results where none would be obtained otherwise, to ease the solution procedure, or to attain improvements in the results. He is a Registered Professional Engineer (PE), Fellow of SPIE, Fellow of SEM, chairman of the Development Committee of the MEMS Division of ASME, Director of MEMS and Nanotechnology Division of SEM, member of the Executive Board of SEM, and chairman of the Education Committee of the IEEE Nanotechnology Council. He has over 300 publications and has chaired, co-chaired, and organized over 100 conferences, symposia, and workshops on the state-of-the-art and emerging technologies for various sponsors and professional societies. He has received numerous awards for his work including the 1991 Award from WPI Board of Trustees for Outstanding Creative Scholarship, the 2002 ASME International Award for outstanding contributions to the area of the application of engineering mechanics to electronic and photonic packaging, and the 2004 WPI Sigma Xi Faculty Research Award.

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