TWO DECADES OF MEMS

-- FROM SURPRISE TO ENTERPRISE

Hiroyuki Fujita
Center for International Research on MicroMechatoronics (CIRMM),
Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo

ABSTRACT

2. PAST: ERA OF SURPRISE

This paper gives a brief overview of MEMS

research and commercialization in the past two
decades, its present status, and future prospects.
The historical development of MEMS technology
is followed in relation to devices enabled by
developed technology. For the present status, the
importance of MEMS design and fabrication
infrastructures is discussed in order to help more
MEMS products to be successful in high-end
market. Two future trends in low cost fabrication,
nano miniaturization, and system integration of
heterogeneous functional elements are observed.

The root of MEMS research can be found in the

research of silicon sensors. A noticeable turning
point from sensor research toward MEMS research
was the demonstration of micromachined movable
parts [3], gears and turbines [4] made on a silicon
chip in 1987. Since then, development has
continued in micromachining processes, material
varieties, micro actuators, and the application of
MEMS as shown in Fig. 1. The development was
so fast and wide in variety that I and many of you,
I guess, were kept surprised watching it.
Micromachining processes [5] are based on
silicon integrated circuits (IC) technology and used
to build three-dimensional structures and movable
parts by the combination of lithography, etching,
film deposition, and wafer bonding. The same
technology base that enabled miniaturization and
large-scale integration of electronics offers three
distinctive features defining micromachined
devices and systems: miniaturization, multiplicity,
and microsystem integration [6]. Miniaturization
is clearly essential. Small parts respond fast,
constitute miniature machines that work in
extremely shallow spaces, add functionality to
portable or wearable devices, and realize tools to
investigate the nanometric world. Millions of

1. INTRODUCTION
This paper is the follow up of the one I
presented at MEMS-97 [1, 2]. This time, I want
to focus more on the overview of the past, present
and future of MEMS than the technological
development dealt in my previous paper.
In the past twenty years, MEMS technology has
matured in the micrometer scale; flexible
3-dimensional fabrication, integration with
microelectronic circuits and operation of various
devices are successfully demonstrated. I have
experienced big surprises to see new processes and
devices presented at past IEEE MEMS conferences.
Some MEMS products achieved commercial
success. Based on such success, many new
products have been and will be introduced to the
market now. I will touch upon such applications
and give some consideration on how we can
accelerate the MEMS commercialization. For
wider acceptance of MEMS technology, I believe
it is important to provide infrastructures, e.g.
MEMS foundry services and a virtual design
environment, through the collaboration of
academic, industrial and governmental sectors.
Finally, I will discuss future trends of MEMS
research.

1-4244-0951-9/07/$25.00 2007 IEEE.

1970

1980

sensor
researchers

1990

2000

MEMS devices (actuators/structures)

electrical engineers

MEMS, micromachine

mechanical engineers
optical engineers
chemists, biologists
communication engineers
scientists in nano scale

Fig. 1

optical MEMS
micro-TAS, bio-MEMS
RF MEMS
nano tech.

Development of MEMS research

MEMS 2007, Kobe, Japan, 21-25 January 2007.

such parts can work cooperatively to do things

impossible for a single device alone. Thus,
multiplicity
is
one
key
to
successful
micromechanical systems. The coordination of
these parts is accomplished by integrating them
with electrical circuits. Furthermore, sensing,
optical, fluidic, and biological elements are to be
integrated in multi-functional microsystems in a
cost-effective manner.
In order to realize those prospects, researchers
have improved the fabrication, design and
integration methods of MEMS. As an example,
let us see the historical change of technology for
sensor fabrication. Pressure sensors, one of the
first MEMS products, are composed of KOH
etched
membranes
and
ion
implanted
piezoresistors. Integrated accelerometers depend
on the surface micromachining to have moving
masses and circuits on a chip. Defection of very
small capacitance change and electrostatic servo
feedback enable the sensor of high sensitivity,
linearity and wide dynamic range.
Angular
velocity sensors (gyroscopes) are intensively
developed recently; the deep reactive etching
technology plays a key role to make
high-aspect-ratio resonating structures of the
sensor. Wafer bonding technology is also used to
make a vacuum package for low mechanical loss.
In summary, we have experienced the
improvement in etching accuracy and minimum
dimension to a few tens of nanometers, and the
freedom of making 3-D shapes. The integration
of actuators/circuits, the replication process of 3-D
structures and the bonding technology have also
significantly advanced. In addition, wafer-scale
encapsulation of MEMS devices is possible by
sealing cavities by poly-silicon deposition and
epi-growth. Electrical contacts can be routed to
the device through the encapsulation layer.
Integrated circuits can be made on the wafer
surface after encapsulation [7].
Microactuators are the key devices allowing
MEMS to perform physical functions. Successful
operation of electrostatic micromotors had a big
impact to common people as well as scientists [8].
Since then, many types of microactuators of sizes
from 10 micrometers to 1 mm have been
successfully operated. Some of them are driven
by force associated with physical fields. Force
can be generated in the space between stationary
and moving parts using electric, magnetic, and
flow fields. There are many design varieties in
microactuators.
You may notice the new
fabrication process allows us to realize a new

design. For example, the surface micromachining

enabled the electrostatic rotational motor. With
deep RIE, vertical comb-drives became very
popular.
Some other actuators utilize active materials
including piezoelectric (PZT, ZnO, AlN, quartz)
materials, magnetostrictive materials (TbFe), shape
memory alloy (TiNi) and bio molecular motors.
Thermal expansion and phase transformations such
as the shape-memory effect and bubble formation
cause shape or volume changes. Micromachining
technology allows us to make structures in which
well-controlled field is generated or to deposit and
pattern actuator materials.
Although their
performances have improved dramatically, still
there are a lot of needs for stronger output force,
faster response and environmental robustness.
Various MEMS applications have been pursued;
that has resulted in some successful products.
Accelerometers for automobiles, e.g. an integrated
and surface-micromachined accelerometer [9],
ink-jet printer heads and MEMS projection
displays, e.g. a digital micromirror device [10], are
typical examples. They also provide very good
examples how MEMS features are beneficial to
practical devices. Accelerometers take advantage
of electronics integration for good performance.
Micromachined channels and integrated heaters
enable ink-jet heads to eject ink droplets of a few
pL at around 10 kHz from many nozzles in parallel.
Thus, high-definition color pictures are beautifully
printed.
The scaling effect associated with
miniaturization, that is faster thermal response due
to decrease in heat mass, is effectively used in the
head.
Also parallel processing capability is
owing to multiplicity of MEMS. The digital
micromirror device takes advantages of all three
virtues of MEMS as you may already know well.
Not all products, of course, are successful.
MEMS optical switches in 2000 were overheated.
After the crash of telecommunication market, very
few companies that developed MEMS optical
switches have survived. Major reason why the
business went wrong was the external cause; the
market environment changed. I may also observe
that the technology was too much specific to the
target. It was difficult to reorient the R&D
activities because the expensive and sophisticated
technology cannot match inexpensive market
segments. Presently, the MEMS devices have
much higher performance than those in seven years
ago and 3-D MEMS mirrors for beam steering can
realize inexpensive but highly reliable optical
switches [11].

Table 1
wet anisotropic
etching

Relation between MEMS products and technology

surface
micromachining

dry anisotropic
etching

circuit
integration

nano machining

microactuator

bonding

pressure sensor

accelerometer

angular speed
sensor

(servo feedback)

ink-jet printer
head

(micro heater)

digital
micromirror
device

VOA

electrophoresis
chip

high

- VOA
- Optical scanner
- Electrophoresis chip
- AFM probe

- ink-jet printer
head

- DMD
- GLV

success
- accelerometer
- pressure sensor

failure

Figure 2

success

essential
MEMS

Market sizequantity

small

large

Mapping of MEMS products

distinctive
MEMS

Mass
production
MEMS

failure

low

low
small

Value added by MEMS

high

(anti-sticking)

AFM probe

(hydrophobic
surface)

optical scanner

Value added by MEMS

surface
treatment

fluidic device

Figure 3

Market sizequantity

large

Categorization of MEMS products

microstructures fabricated by MEMS related

technologies.
Table 1 summarizes the correspondence between
MEMS products and technologies. You may
notice how the technological development is
essential for new successful products.

3. PRESENT: ERA OF ENTERPRISE

3.1 EMERGING MEMS PRODUCTS

Following successful cases in inkjet printers,

automobile sensors and projection displays, many
MEMS products have been or be introduced to the
market:

3.2 CLASSIFICATIONS OF MEMS PRODUCTS

MEMS products are categorized with respect to

their market size. Automobile sensors and printer
heads are in a mass-produced market. The
current market for MEMS display devices is less
large as those. Other devices, such as optical
scanners and AFM probes, have only a small
market today. One of the features of MEMS is its
batch production capability; thus, the market is
preferably large.
However, the success of a product depends on
its added value as well as its market size. Figure
2 shows the categorization of MEMS products in
both aspects. The horizontal axis represents the
market size and the vertical axis represents the
added value. All clusters stay above a line with
negative slope. It is natural because a product

(1) Optical MEMS including variable optical

attenuators (VOA) and optical switches.
(2) IT sensors including microphones, uncooled
infra-red cameras, TV-game controller sensors,
robotic sensors, taste sensors, and odor sensors.
(3) RF MEMS includes RF switches, integrated
resonators, and variable capacitors/ inductors with
a high-Q factor.
(4) Nanotechnology tools including AFM
cantilevers and handling tools for atoms and
molecules.
(5) Micro fluidic systems including DNA
analysis chips, micro reactors, medical diagnosis
chips and environmental monitoring chips.
(6) Many other products utilizing 3-dimensional

having a low added-value and a small market can

never be successful. In other words, the region
above the line is a success region.
The clusters of products in Fig. 2 can be
classified into three groups as shown in Fig. 3;
those are mass-production MEMS, distinctive
MEMS and essential MEMS.
Here, the
distinctive MEMS means the use of a MEMS
device as a key component in the system that has a
unique feature because of the MEMS component.
The essential MEMS means the MEMS device
only with which a system specification can be
fulfilled.
The marketing strategy for each
category is very different.

fabrication issue. Fabrication cost is reduced by

sharing expensive facilities in foundry firms.
Following such service in foreign counties, more
than ten Japanese companies offer micromachining
service now.
Each company has, however,
different expertise. Those who use the service for
the first time might need some guidance. I
believe an alliance of foundry companies can offer
the comprehensive micromachining capability and
realize a one-stop-service.
MEMS design is more and more important to
verify new devices and optimize their
performances to satisfy the specification of
products [13]. The virtual design environment is
most effective to shorten the development time and
to reduce its cost. A designer can define a set of
masks and a micromachining process sequence and
find the final structure with its performance
through computer simulation. The environment
allows the designer to improve MEMS devices
with the minimum number of real fabrication. In
order to have precise matching between the
calculated result and the real one, the software for
process simulation and mechanical analysis should
be optimized to MEMS. The academic sector is
strong in theoretical background and may supply
appropriate solutions. Also, the material database
should include the material parameter dependence
on the type and conditions of each process.
Foundry companies and equipment venders are
expected to provide such data. A potential client
of a foundry can try how a device works in
simulation using detailed parameters matched with
a particular foundry and then submit a real order to
it, if the simulation result is satisfactory.
There are fairy large amount of knowledge
accumulated over past two decades on MEMS
devices and fabrication processes. It is not
difficult to provide such knowledge from the
academic sector. A knowledge database equipped
with a good search engine is a very helpful tool for
novice designers and students. In addition, some
popular device structures or process sequences
may be offered as IP, based on which application
specific devices may be developed in a short time.
The design environment is indispensable to
education in combination with some hand-on
experience in the clean room. Furthermore, the
simulator should not give only electro mechanical
characteristics of a device but also its functional
performances in its final application, e.g. the
optical loss and cross talk of a MEMS switch, the
chemical interaction in a micro fluidic system and
the S-parameters of a RF-MEMS device. A
combined multi-disciplinary analysis software

3.3 ISSUES SUFFERING COMMERCIALIZATION

MEMS technology provides a versatile

fabrication capability for a wide range of industries.
However, MEMS products remain a few in number,
probably because the marketing strategy of
semiconductor devices, namely reducing cost by
mass-fabrication, can be applied only to the
mass-production MEMS. This group includes a
very limited number of products. We must break
the IC manufacturing paradigm [12] for the
successful commercialization of the distinctive
MEMS and the essential MEMS.
Such
commercialization, however, bears the following
difficulties:
(1) Fabrication facilities are too expensive to be
installed only for small volume production.
(2)Because MEMS fabrication process differs
from a device to another, a designer should know
many variations of processes; such high-level
designers are very few.
(3)The optimization of a MEMS device requires
many repetition of design modification and trial
fabrication. This makes the development phase
long and costly.
(4)Those who want to utilize MEMS in various
products may not have enough knowledge of
MEMS technology; thus they cannot take the full
advantages of the technology.
3.4 STRATEGIES TO OVERCOME THE ISSUES

I believe above mentioned issues can be

overcome by providing a MEMS manufacturing
infrastructure, namely a MEMS foundry network
and a computer-aided design environment
associated with a comprehensive material and
process database.
The MEMS foundry service solves the

4. FUTURE OUTLOOK

should be constructed [14].

MEMS opportunities are not only in mass
produced devices but also in key devices of a
high-added-value system. The latter devices can
be fabricated cost-effectively by the foundry
service after the performance confirmation in the
virtual design environment. As shown in Fig. 4,
the infrastructure for MEMS design and
fabrication will accelerate the commercialization
of MEMS in different fields of application that
require small-volume-large-variety production.
The collaboration among foundry firms, equipment
and material suppliers, software vendors, academic
institutions and governmental organizations is
necessary to build the infrastructure.

high

success

essential
MEMS

Value added by MEMS

New research trends are (1) to advance the

technology further and (2) to realize
high-performance micro systems with multiple
heterogeneous functions.
The first direction
includes miniaturization to nano scales and
introduction of printing and replication technology
to IC-compatible micromachining. The second
direction will be achieved by the integration of
many elements for sensing, actuation, information
processing and communication into a single small
system as well as by the miniaturization of each
element in the nano scale.
Replication of micro molds has been
investigated over twenty years. However, there
are two new developments recently. One is nano
imprinting. Structural size below 100 nm can be
obtained with typical aspect ratio of 1-2. Hot
embossing is one way for nano imprinting. Also
UV-cured resin is used to replicate transparent
nano molds; this is called photo nano imprinting.
The other is the roll-to-roll printing process. As
shown in Fig. 5, the idea is to apply different
process on films continuously; these processes
include sputtering of films, off-set or gravure
printing of patterned ink, hot embossing, and
lamination. Although the minimum feature size
and alignment accuracy are approximately 10
micrometers, the technology enables us to process
meters wide and hundreds meters long film with
very low cost. Not only dyes and insulators but
also metal conductors and organic/inorganic
semiconductors can be printed. We may envision
that thinned silicon IC-chips are surface-mounted
at certain places on the sheet.
The minimum feature size of MEMS has
decreased to a few tens of nanometers owing to the
downsizing of VLSI technology.
Further
miniaturization becomes more and more difficult.
In order to overcome the difficulty, a novel
approach, so-called a bottom-up method, will be
incorporated.
Functional nano elements are
constructed from atoms and molecules. Carbon
nanotubes (CNT) and bio molecules are among
such elements. CNT can serve as a transistor, a
conductive wire and a nano torsion bar [15].
However, it is still out of our capability to build a
complicated system, e.g. an integrated memory
chip, by (self) assembling only nano elements, e.g.
CNT transistors. I believe the combination of
both is a solution. Individual nano elements are
placed at proper locations in a structure fabricated
by VLSI/MEMS technologies.
The structure
provides interconnections among nano elements to

distinctive
MEMS

Mass
production
MEMS

Effect of
infrastructure

failure

low
small

Market sizequantity

large

Figure 4 Effect of infrastructure for MEMS

commercialization

Top layer

Film Roll
printing

Embossing

MEMS on film
Lamination

sputtering

Bottom layer
Coating
Film Roll

Figure 5 Roll-to-roll MEMS fabrication

(prospected)

REFERENCES

integrate their functionalities into a target system.

It also serves as an interface between nano and
macro worlds and as a control mechanism of
system operation. Figure 6 represents how such a
system, named nanosystem, can be obtained.
Various heterogeneous functions will be in
integrated in a nanosystem; those include
electronic, mechanical, optical, quantum, chemical,
biological, etc.
In the same way as past
development of MEMS technology pushed
commercialization, such new development will
lead to new products to solve problems in the
future society.
0.1

10

100

micro reactor
manipulation by localized electric field
multi-probe, nanogripper

nano technology region

SPM
Laser tweezers

MEMS tools and devices

atom/molecule handling

nano system
bottom-up approach
based on both top-down
(from science to
manufacturing technique) and bottom-up approaches
self organization

protein engineering
supra molecular synthesis

Figure 6 Creation of
combining
bottom-up
technologies

1000nm

top-down approach
(miniaturization
towardnanoscale)
ultra precision machining

nano lithography
nano machining

nanosystems by
and
top-down

5. CONCLUSION
The MEMS research has shown remarkable
development.
Micromachining capability in
micrometer scale has reached its maturity. Such
technological advance enabled MEMS commercial
products.
In
order
to
accelerate
commercialization of MEMS, MEMS for
high-added-value systems should be introduced to
market as well as mass produced MEMS devices.
The cost effective production of various MEMS
devices in rather small quantities will be achieved
by efficient design and optimization in MEMS
CAE environment and by MEMS foundry service.
In the future, MEMS technology will include
printing/replication processes and will be capable
of integrating nano elements into the system.
MEMS will evolve into nanosystems that have
heterogeneous multiple functionalities.

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