Course Description
Exploration of the world of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) through awareness of material properties, microfabrication technologies, structural behavior, sensing techniques, actuation schemes, fluid behavior, electronic circuits, and feedback systems. Lectures will be augmented with homework assignments and design projects.
Athena Title
MEMS Design
Prerequisite
This class is open to all Engineering and Science graduate students.
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Miniature pressure sensors, accelerometer chips, rate gyroscopes, tiny fluidic systems for medical applications and drug delivery, stamp-sized opto-mechanical assemblies and displays, and tiny portable power generators are all examples of microelectromechanical devices (MEMS). Designing and building this class of sensors and actuators require an interdisciplinary knowledge ranging from microfabrication to mechanics to electromagnetism. This class presents an introduction to the broad field of MEMS, using examples and design projects drawn from real-world MEMS applications. Lectures during the first 2/3 of the term will cover material properties, microfabrication technologies, structural behavior, sensing techniques, actuation schemes, fluid behavior, simple electronic circuits and feedback systems. Student teams will design a complete microsystem along their interests to meet a set of specifications based on realistic microfabrication processes. Modeling and simulation in the design process is emphasized. This class is open to all Engineering and Science graduate students (and seniors with permission of the instructor).
Topical Outline
1. Introduction: An overview of microelectromechanical systems, and an introduction to design and modeling. 2. Micro Fabrication Technology: Brief review of standard microelectronic fabrication technologies; bulk micromachining and surface micromachining, bonding technologies and related fabrication methods. 3. Material Properties: Definitions of mechanical, thermal, electrical, magnetic, optical, and chemical properties of materials. 4. Lumped Element Modeling: Introduction to lumped modeling of systems and transducers; an overview of system dynamics. 5. Mechanics: Elasticity, structures, and energy methods. 6. Dissipation: The thermal energy domain and the modeling of the dissipative processes. 7. Fluids and Transport: A brief introduction to the fluid mechanics and transport processes relevant at the micro-scale. 8. System Issues: Electronics, feedback, and noise. 9. Case Studies: Case studies taken from various MEMS disciplines (e.g., pressure sensors, accelerometers, BioMEMS).
Syllabus
Public CV