This interdisciplinary course not only gives an overview of the micro and smart systems technologies but also gives an in-depth understanding of the issues involved. It begins by answering the important question: why miniaturize? This is followed by a quick summary of a variety of sensors, actuators, and systems. It then presents a comprehensive description of microfabrication. This is followed by a detailed discussion of mechanics of solids as it pertains to micro and smart systems.
While this part may be viewed as strength of materials and design, an effort is made to relate this to micro devices and discuss such topics as residual stress and stress gradients, lumped modeling using energy methods, anticlastic curvature, etc.
The discussion ends with general equations of elasticity and their solution is discussed next using the finite element method. Here, too the basics and advanced topics are interleaved to provide a thorough understanding of the finite element method. After this, electronics circuits, control, and packaging are also presented.
Course contents:
- Module 1: Introduction - Glimpses of Microsystems; scaling effects, Smart materials and systems: an overview, Microsensors: some examples, Microactuators: some examples, Microsystems: some examples, Examples of smart systems: structural health monitoring and vibration control.
- Module 2: Microfabrication processes - Structure of silicon and other materials, Silicon wafer processing; Thin-film deposition, Lithography, wet etching and dry etching, Bulk micromachining and Surface micromachining, Wafer-bonding; LIGA and other moulding techniques, Soft lithography and polymer processing, Thick-film processing; Low temperature co-fired ceramic processing, Smart material processing.
- Module 3: Mechanics of Solids - Stresses and deformation: bars and beams, Microdevice suspensions: lumped modeling, Residual stress and stress gradients, Poisson effect; Anticlastic curvature; examples of micromechanical structures, Thermal loading; bimorph effect, Dealing with large displacements; in-plane and 3D elasticity equations, Vibrations of bars and beams, Gyroscopic effect, Frequency response; damping; quality factor, Basic micro-flows for damping calculation.
- Module 4: Finite element method, Types of numerical methods for solving partial differential equations, What is finite element method? Variational principles, Weak form; shape functions, Isoparametric formulation and numerical integration, Implementation of the finite element method, FEM for piezoelectrics.
- Module 5: Electronics and packaging, Semiconductor devices: basics, OpAms and OpAmp circuits, Signal conditioning for microsystems devices, Control and microsystems, Vibration control of a beam, Integration of microsystems and microelectronics, Packaging of Microsystems: why and how, Flip-chip, ballgrid, etc.; reliability, Case-study 1 (Pressure sensor), Case-study 2 (Accelerometer).
