Future of MEMS: An industry point of view

Abstract

Micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS) are three-dimensional structures manufactured through silicon micromachining technologies. They made their first appearance in semiconductor fabs in the sixties. Our daily life is full of micromachined products. When we awake in the morning we step in the car to drive to office and many active and passive safety systems, like vehicle dynamic control and air bag, using acceleration and yaw rate sensors, protect our lives. Moreover, car gasoline consumption is very low also thanks to the use of pressure sensors in engine manifolds and fuel lines. When we arrive in the office, most of times we have to print a document, thus using a cheap and fast inkjet printhead, where hundreds of micromachined chambers eject the ink on the paper. Then, we attend a meeting, where a small and compact video-projector, using millions of micromachined mirrors, displays on the wall a shiny and sharp image. But our unconscious interaction with micromachiend products doesn't stop here, it goes on all the day along. MEMS are manufactured in semiconductor fab like the transistors we find in the electronic chips sold every year, but in this case not only electrons are moving. Membranes, cantilever and fluids are the the main moving actors. And thus MEMS reliability assessment methodology has to take into account additional potential failures modes of moving parts. MEMS compete with non-semiconductor based solutions in price and performances. But miniaturization is definitely another big advantages they bring to the consumer market. And this explains why in the last few years we saw the raise of MEMS "consumerization wave"