As the commercial and military implementation of MEMS technology solutions moves further up the line from research to consumer and commodity applications, the need for a robust manufacturing technology base for MEMS continues to increase. MEMS, the merging of computation with sensing and actuation into an integrated system-based solution for problems pertaining to the physical world, has benefited greatly and grown rapidly out of the widespread infrastructure developed in the U.S. for the manufacture of integrated circuits (IC). The U.S. approach to MEMS applies the repetitive layering, batch-processed wafer methods of the integrated silicon circuit manufacturing industry to achieve revolutionary strides in mechanical miniaturization and system integration. This outgrowth from the IC industry has both benefits and pitfalls, and it is going to be capitalizing on the benefits and navigating the pitfalls that will determine the success of the transition of MEMS from its current low or sporadic volumes to the high-volume successes that will demand large-scale production capabilities. One of the many benefits that MEMS derives from its common base with the IC industry is the methodology behind its fabrication sequences. Most MEMS processes can be decomposed to a repeating series of material deposition, patterning and subsequent removal of specific areas of the material. This layering is repeated until the basic structure is created either on or within the silicon wafer. While many of these steps, or unit processes, are similar to those used in IC processing, the mechanical nature of MEMS puts additional stringent requirements on the processes that do not exist in the IC processes. Beyond the fabrication of the basic wafer structure, the releasing of the structures, the handling of these released wafers or die, the packaging, and the testing of the MEMS devices all can challenge even the most sophisticated and technically advanced manufacturing line. While there is a strong and vibrant manufacturing infrastructure for the IC industry, the uniqueness of some of the key steps of MEMS technology challenge the existing manufacturing technology infrastructure and place challenges and potential limitations on the development of a comparable support-structure for MEMS. Much of the IC industries infrastructure has grown as a result of, and not in advance of, the explosive growth the IC industry in the last 15 years. While the outlook for MEMS is quite strong ($9B - $30B by 2000)@footnote 1@ , it is a mere trifle when compared against the $148B@footnote 2@ (1995) IC market (year 2000 projection $371B) . MEMS will need to find creative and unique ways to ensure that the level of attention necessary to help drive the growth of manufacturing infrastructure are found and nurtured, despite the overwhelming shadow of the IC market. This presentation will discuss the manufacturing issues affecting the growth of MEMS from commercial curiosity to manufacturing reality, including design and simulation tools, fabrication equipment, through-put and resources, packaging, testing and reliability.
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@footnote 1@ Micromachine Devices newsletter, August 1997 @footnote 2@ World-wide Merchant Semiconductor Forecast, Source: ICE, Status 1996