MEMs Assignment: Fabrication, Applications, and Market Trends

This MEMs assignment solution provides a detailed analysis of microelectromechanical systems (MEMs). It compares etching processes in different fabrication methods, including bulk micromachining of silicon and silicon as a mechanical material, highlighting their applications and objectives. The solution also examines the most promising applications for MEMs sensors, particularly in the automotive industry, and discusses the expected market growth. Furthermore, the assignment explores the potential of MEMs in telecommunications and medical devices, emphasizing the role of optical switching and the growth of MEMs in these areas. Finally, it contrasts the MEMs market size with the integrated circuits market, explaining the impact of the piezoresistive effect on silicon micro-sensors and the factors contributing to the market size differences, such as the downsizing challenges and the increasing use of wet etching.

Running Head: MEMs
MEMs

MEMs 1
PART 1
ANSWER A: In both the papers etching is used because of its versatile nature as the MEMs
fabrication processes but the difference is that in the paper silicon as a mechanical material, other
processes are also used with the process of etching like epitaxial process, thermo-migration
process and field assisted thermal bonding process because the purpose is to alter the prevalent
perception of miniature components. Whereas in the bulk paper micromachining of silicon, wet
etching is used with different phases like isotropic wet etching, vapor-phase etching, and plasma-
phase etching because the purpose is to remove the eloquent amount of silicon.
ANSWER B: the applications which are highlighted in the paper bulk micromachining silicon
are usage of interhalogen etches, method of high aspect ratio dry etching and the applications
which are highlighted in the paper silicon as a mechanical material are the continuous
development of mechanical material, fabrications are being taken from the industry of
semiconductor, processing techniques of low temperature like plasma-phase etching, disk storage
technology, IC fabrication for the laser etching. Therefore, the given applications are being
highlighted in both the papers.
ANSWER C: The applications in both the papers differ because in the bulk paper
micromachining of silicon wet etching is used as a method of fabrication process because the
purpose is to remove the eloquent amount of silicon from substrates, so the applications are used
according to their techniques. Whereas in the paper silicon as a mechanical material different
process of etching are used in order to alter the prevalent perception of miniature components, so
the applications are used accordingly. And the difference is reflected in the manufacturing
process because their objective or purpose are different which they want to achieve.
ANSWER D: The most promising application for MEMs in 2014-2020 can be the growth in
the ‘global automotive’ MEMs sensors. It is expected that by the year 2020, it will expand
around four percent in market coverage (Electroiq.com, 2016). Moreover, it is expected that
MEMs will cover all the five senses, namely, sight (Image sensor, mirco-displays), balance
(Inertial devices), hearing (microphones), smell (Gas Sensors), taste (Humiditiy sensors and
electronic tongue), pressure (pressure sensors), and touch (force and touch sensors) (Bosch
Seminar, 2015).

MEMs 2
PART 2
ANSWER A: MEMs estimated that their market size would increase by 12 percent till 2020.
MEMs wanted to grow in the area of telecommunications and medical devices the sensors can be
used in laparoscopic devices, and this can be controlled by the personnel while checking the
patients. The techniques of optical switching will enable the MEMs to grow in the area of
telecommunications. And this will lead to increase in the market share. And this would help the
MEMs manufacturers to sustain the business. (Purlmutter, 2016)
ANSWER B: MEMs are very different from micro-nanotechnology and the fields of MEMs
are nano-electromechanical systems and nanotechnology. MEMs are also called as
micromachines. The MEMs use semiconductor devices in order to make electronics. And MEMs
will grow in the fields of telecommunication and medical devices with the help of technology.
The expected growth is due to the three major features of MEMs, namely, development of
microstructures that have challenging dimensions at the scale of nanometers, effective
development of the mechanical parts that contribute to the motions and mechanical resonance,
and the effective manipulation of electrical signals through various mechanisms.
PART 3
ANSWER: The world -wide market size for integrated circuits is 18.3 percent more as
compared it to the MEMs market size. Silicon integrated circuits and silicon micro-sensors were
invented around the same time in the 1960s but the silicon integrated circuits are etched with the
electronic circuit by using the techniques of photography. When the magnitude is affected by the
mechanical stress, then that impact is known as piezoresistive effect. This causes inaccuracy. The
main motive of this effect is to show the techniques which reduce the mechanical stress. This
effect can be applied on structures of mechanical censor. (Feng, 2016)
Whereas, the impact of piezoresistive effect on micro silicon sensor is it reduces the negative
impact on the sensors, and it is used to fabricate the elements of stress sensing. There are some
reasons that could explain the difference in the market size. As silicon micro sensors have
progressed so much from the past 30 years but there some of the dimensions of micro silicon
sensors have not downsized with the time and the reduction of those dimensions cannot be done

MEMs 3
now, but the efforts are being made to downsize them. The thin film metal materials also raised
which became the reason for integrated circuits to have a more market share than the micro
silicon sensors. The usage of wet etching is also increasing by the industries, and this resulted in
the difference in the market share of integrated circuits and silicon market share.

MEMs 4
REFERENCES
Feng, P. (2016). Retrieved 3 September 2016, from http://NEMS switches: Opportunities and
challenges in emerging IC technologies
Kovacs, G., Maluf, N., & Petersen, K. (1998). Bulk micromachining of silicon. Proceedings Of
The IEEE, 86(8), 1536-1551. http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/5.704259
Petersen, K. E. (1982). Silicon as a mechanical material. Proceedings of the IEEE, 70(5), 420-
457.
Purlmutter, M. (2016). Retrieved 3 September 2016, from http://High-performance, low cost
inertial MEMS: A market in motion!
Electroiq.com. (2016). Automotive MEMS sensors market to grow 6% from 2015-2020, P&S
Market Research | Solid State Technology. [online] Available at:
http://electroiq.com/blog/2015/10/automotive-mems-sensors-market-to-grow-6-from-2015-2020-
ps-market-research/ [Accessed 4 Sep. 2016].
Bosch Seminar, (2015). What does the future hold for MEMS ?. Beijing.