2nd International Conference COTS MEMS 2001 - Advances in Application of Integrated Commercial Off-The-Shelf MicroElectroMechanical Systems

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Overview

The 2nd annual COTS MEMS conference will take place as scheduled.

Our deepest sympathy's go out to the people involved in the widespread tragedy of Tuesday, September 11, 2001. There are no words to describe the senselessness of this horrible act. Our thoughts are with the families at this time.

Sincerely,
Craig Wohlers
President

In it's 2nd year, this international conference is designed to address the challenges faced by MEMS developers transitioning their technologies to the marketplace.

· Assessing and enhancing the maturity of MEMS design, manufacturing, packaging, testing, reliability and quality assurance infrastructure
· Defining meaningful standards and regulations for COTS MEMS across diverse applications
· Pinpointing unresolved component and system reliability and integration issues

Hear the latest from distinguished industry and government leaders covering such MEMS areas as telecom/optical MEMS, networking and packaging, RF MEMS, MEMS foundry, Si and MEMS, microfluidic devices, molecular nanotechnology and photonic MEMS. Conference presentations will highlight the issues of reliability, standardization, metrology, testing and quality assurance.

Some of the critical questions to be addressed will include:
· What are the synergies required to maintain successful COTS MEMS?
· What are the impacts of regulation of venture capital activities on COTS MEMS?
· Does your company have the correct business model for the transition from MEMS into COTS MEMS?
· How to integrate MEMS to achieve system level function?
· How to streamline the physical interface between devices and humans?
· How to overcome barriers for commercializing MEMS?

Don't miss this unique opportunity to participate in and learn from real-time COTS MEMS roadmapping!
REGISTER TODAY!

RELATED LINKS
Coventor
Etec,Inc.
MEMS Web Page
Microelectronic Engineering

Agenda

Thursday, November 29, 2001

8:00 Registration, Poster/Exhibit Setup, Coffee & Pastries

8:50 Chairperson's Opening Remarks
Chris C. Lumb, President and CEO, Micralyne Inc., Canada

9:00 Commercialization Issues of MEMS/MST/ Micromachines: An Updated Industry Report Card on the Barriers to Commercialization
Roger H. Grace, President, Roger Grace Associates
The last two years have witnessed an unprecedented interest in MEMS, Microsystem Technologies (MST) and Micromachines, collectively called M³. Of great interest has been the creation of many new companies whose desire has been to commercialize the technology. During 1999, 2000, and early 2001, a large number of startups, especially in the optical MEMS sector, were created. It is estimated that there are over 900 companies, research institutes, and universities currently involved with M3 worldwide. Over 200 of these are US-based companies who wish to commercialize this technology. Although this paper focuses on the US market, the commercialization issue is a global one. This paper addresses a number of the significant issues associated with the barriers that have existed to the successful commercialization of M³ by new as well as established companies throughout the world. These issues include R&D, marketing, infrastructure support and venture capital funding. An M³ "Report Card" is provided assessing current status of the industry and barriers to commercialization with respect to these issues and compares the grades with those reported from June 1998-2000. Recommended strategies are provided that are expected to help overcome these barriers to commercialization. A product evolution timetable is presented which charts the development of various products including pressure sensors, accelerometers, relays, bio, RF, and photonic MEMS from discovery to full commercialization. Market values and volatility indices are provided for various segments of the industry.

Design, Reliability, Standardization and Tests

9:30 Barriers to MEMS Commercialization - An Accelerometer Case Study
Bob Sulouff, Director, Business Development, Micromachined Products Division, Analog Devices
MEMS is an enabling technology that has created new opportunities for accelerometers that are used in automotive air bags, consumer products and are slowly overcoming barriers in military applications. This paper examines the surface micromachined accelerometer from Analog Devices as a case study to understand the barriers to commercialization. The barriers can be grouped into two areas, the technical and the business issues. The technical challenges of semiconductor materials and processing, packaging, testing and reliability are all highlighted. The business timing, system integration, automotive expectations and competitive pressures are also discussed.

10:00 MEMS Standardization - cifMEMS
Michael Gaitan, PhD, MEMS Project Leader,
National Institute of Standards and Technology
An overview for the monolithic integration of microelectronics with MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) in standard CMOS technology is presented. The approach is based on designing glass passivation openings in the integrated circuit that expose the silicon substrate. The MEMS structures are micromachined by wet or dry silicon micromachining as a post-process to the standard CMOS process. This approach to MEMS fabrication can be implemented directly through any CMOS foundry; however, it is formally supported by the MOSIS service and NIST. Applications based on this method are presented including microheating elements, passing microwave elements, and test structures and standards to evaluate the mechanical properties of the thin films used in the IC process.

10:30 Refreshment Break, Exhibit / Poster Viewing

11:00 Design for Reliability of MEMS/MOEMS for Lightwave Telecommunications
Susanne Arney, PhD, Technical Manager, Micromechanics Research, Lucent Technologies / Bell Labs*
Optical Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (Optical MEMS, or MOEMS) comprise a disruptive technology whose application to telecommunications networks is transforming the horizon for lightwave systems. An overview of MOEMS devices for lightwave telecommunications systems provides a background for understanding a Design for Reliability mindset to facilitate rapid commercialization of such MOEMS research concepts. The impact of materials systems, processing complexity, and reliability requirements on design flexibility, functionality and commercialization of MOEMS is discussed. A tight inter-dependent feedback loop between Component / Subsystem / System Design, Fabrication, Packaging, Manufacturing and Reliability is described as a strategy for building reliability into potential MOEMS products while accelerating their development into commercial offerings.
*In cooperation with: A. Gasparyan, M. Haueis, and H.R. Shea, Lucent Technologies / Bell Labs

11:30 Interactive Design of MEMS for Emerging Markets
Nora A. Finch, Applications Engineer, IntelliSense Corporation
This talk focuses on the use of MEMS-specific CAD tools to decrease product development time. These tools take into account factors not critical on the macro-scale, allow for optimization within the virtual environment, and result in improved device performance. Specialized CAD capabilities include process dependant material properties, anisotropic etching behavior, microfluidic analysis, and the coupling of multiple physical domains, such as electro-mechanical, electro-magnetic, and thermal-mechanical. By reducing the number of prototyping runs, engineers achieve more rapid market penetration of MEMS devices.

12:00 Designing COTS MEMS into Your System:
The Component-System Co-Design Problem
John R. Gilbert, PhD, Chief Technology Officer, Coventor, Inc.
All Systems enabled by MEMS pose the following co-design problems. Can the MEMS component be designed to improve the system? Can the system design be changed to allow the use of easier to design MEMS? These are key problems that any MEMS design methodology must cope with - and key problems in the effective insertion of MEMS (and COTS MEMS) designs into commercially viable systems. We will describe the Coventor Methodology and Toolset for attacking this co-design problem.

12:30 Luncheon Sponsored by Standard MEMS, Inc.
Join our lunch to hear from
Nicholas E. Ortyl, President, CEO and Chairman, Standard MEMS, Inc.
about:
Standardization and Commercialization of MEMS Processes
MEMS technology has been talked about and explored for the past twenty years or so, and is now just starting to come into its own as an industry. Many of the fabrication techniques are still formative, with very few being able to be exploited on the commercial front. Standard MEMS, Inc. has been leading the commercial MEMS charge since early 1995, and has recently shipped its fifty millionth device. This presentation will provide a technical overview of SMI’s state of the art MEMS fabrication processes and an introduction into the commercial scale MEMS processes design rules that SMI will provide in an "open architecture" basis to the engineering design community.

1:55 Chairperson's Remarks
Susanne Arney, PhD, Technical Manager, Micromechanics Research, Lucent Technologies / Bell Labs

2:00 Experiences and Lessons in Building Successful MEMS Manufacturer
Chris C. Lumb, President and CEO, Micralyne Inc., Canada
Micralyne Inc. is a leading MEMS supplier, with over 15 years of experience as a developer and manufacturer of micromachined products. Originally a university-owned not-for-profit, Micralyne has now been a profitable and growing MEMS supplier for over three years. This talk will describe our experiences in developing a sustainable model for operating a profitable MEMS business, including an assessment of various financing, product management, and customer/partner selection issues.

2:30 Positional Assembly for Heterogeneous Microsystems
James Von Ehr II, President, Founder & CEO, Zyvex Corporation
Monolithic integration of microsystems is not always possible or desirable. For systems integrating incompatible process technology, or for low volume applications, an approach of assembling from building blocks offers cheaper and faster solutions. New system architectures and design approaches are needed to make this commercially practical. A new MEMS process to be discussed allows for fully releasable subcomponents, which can be picked off a die and placed by MEMS-based grippers capable of operating in a highly parallel system. Example parts will be shown, and some potential applications of MEMS assembly discussed.

3:00 Microfluidic Devices: Coupling to the Macro World
Hugh McManus, PhD, MBA, Vice President/Sales, Nanostream Inc.
One of the main challenges facing designers of microfluidic devices is coupling to the macro world. This talk will focus on novel ways that Nanostream has developed to address this problem. The talk will focus primarily on microfluidic devices and development laboratories, showing how devices are designed to fit to existing instrumentation platforms. A specific example in the form of a case study will be presented.

3:30 Refreshment Break, Exhibit / Poster Viewing

4:00 Commercial Off-The-Shelf High Volume MEMS Test & Measurement Production Equipment: It's All About Time-to-Volume
Thomas A. Cellucci, PhD, MBA, President & CEO, Etec Inc.
Time-to-volume is a very real issue facing the producers of optical MEMS or MEOMS. Much can be gained from the existing base of knowledge and experience of producing high volume production tools gained in the past few years from more mature inertial and pressure MEMS market segments. In order to minimize the cost-of-test and increase throughput and yield, it is crucial to adopt a system approach to MEMS testing and develop a test philosophy, which at its core, advocates continuity of data integrity from R&D through high-volume production. Commercially available automated test solutions currently exist at the wafer/die level with robust and reliable final test solutions on the horizon. We will present real-world case studies of how fully integrated and automated MEMS test solutions increase throughput and decrease the cost of test and packaging, a large driver in the production of optical MEMS.

4:30 Adhesion in MEMS: Test Structure, Metrology and Lubrication Choices
Maarten P. de Boer, PhD, Senior Member Technical Staff, MEMS & Novel Si Dept, Sandia National Labs
Tribological issues such as poorly controlled adhesion and friction are limiting the growth of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) in the wider market place. To address this problem, a MEMS-based tribology test infrastructure is being developed. Deflection curves of simple test structures sensitive to adhesion and friction are measured by interferometry at the nm scale, and properties are determined by comparing measurement results to mechanics models. In this presentation, we will describe test structure and metrology considerations for achieving a tribology lab on a chip, demonstrate that silane coupling agent monolayers significantly reduce adhesion and friction, and explore the limitations of these coatings.

5:00 MEMS Commercialization: An Asian Perspective
Miwako Waga, Associate Director, Asian Technology Information Program (ATIP), Japan
Technological innovation is a complex process that involves countless variables. Such variables include public and private investments in research and development, future vision, entrepreneurship, and market demand. In the field of Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems, Japan has played a large role in R&D since the early 1990s, while Korea and Taiwan have expanded investments in recent years to industrialize MEMS technology. This talk will compare these countries in terms of government funding, academic and industrial activity and analyze East Asian characteristics in MEMS commercialization.

5:30 Open Discussion: Warm-Up for Tomorrow's Panel

6:00 End of Day One

Friday, November 30, 2001

8:00 Exhibit / Poster Viewing, Coffee and Pastries

8:55 Chairperson's Remarks
Michael A. Huff, PhD, Director, MEMS Exchange, Corporation for National Research Initiatives

Telecommunications, Optical, RF and Packaging

9:00 Silicon Micromachines for Lightwave Networks
David J. Bishop, PhD, Vice President, Optical Research, Lucent Technologies / Bell Labs
MEMS are beginning to have an impact in almost every area of science and technology. The combination of high functionality, small size, low power, low cost, the ability to integrate with electronics and high speed give them clear advantages over other competing technologies. This is especially true in lightwave systems where many devices such as variable attenuators, add/drop multiplexors, switches, dynamic gain equalizers and especially optical crossconnects are being built with MEMS devices and sold in the marketplace. In my talk I will discuss some of the opportunities for MEMS in this space, describe devices currently on the market and present some of the challenges we face in growing this market.

9:30 MEMS Mirror Applications in Optical Networks
Mark F. Krol, PhD, Technical Development Manager, Optical Networking Devices, Corning Incorporated
Growth in the optical layer of telecommunications networks is generating the need for high port count and high functionality optical technologies. MEMS technology can play a significant role in a number of these important optical networking applications. In this paper, we will review key applications in optical networks where MEMS technology adds high value and discuss various MEMS technology based solutions for these applications.

10:00 Integrated Optical MEMS in Telecom Components
James Wylde, PhD, MEMS Technology Project Engineer, Nortel Networks Optical Components Inc., Canada
This presentation will discuss the challenges and concepts required to realize the implementation of integrated MEMS devices into optical telecommunication components. The presentation will be a case study of the integration of MEMS with opto-electronic devices (transmitters, detectors, PWG circuits, etc) in the context of a technology program. The focus will be on integration with existing or parallel development rather than stand alone functions. Topics covered will include the considerations required for fabrication, development, and implementation.

10:30 Refreshment Break, Exhibit / Poster Viewing

11:00 Defining Specifications for Consumer Focused MEMS and the Cost Performance Trade-Offs
Clifford R. Vaughan, Manager Emerging Products, Motorola
This presentation describes the design and manufacturing trade-offs involved in evaluating various RF MEMS switches for wireless hand set applications. The selected RF MEMS switch technology will then be compared with current semiconductor PIN diode & FET devices for benefits in the targeted wireless application. Also described are the problems encountered migrating the selected MEMS switch designs into production including the various packaging problems encountered with a low cost consumer focused product.

11:30 Low Cost Vacuum Packaging for MEMS
Thomas R. Schimert, PhD, Engineering Fellow, Raytheon Commercial Electronics
Vacuum packaging of high performance uncooled focal plane arrays, inertial MEMS accelerometers and gyros, and RF MEMS resonators is a key issue in the technology development path to low cost, high volume COTS MEMS production. Wafer level vacuum packaging transfers the packaging operation into the wafer fab. It is a product neutral enabling technology for commercialization of MEMS for home, industry, automotive, and environmental monitoring applications. In this presentation, the issues regarding high volune wafer-level packaging for COTS MEMS will be discussed.

Foundries

12:00 MEMS and Foundry Service Within the Multi-Project Wafer Service at Bosch
Wilhelm Frey, PhD, Project Manager RTC, Robert Bosch Corp.
This talk will focus on MEMS at Bosch and the Bosch foundry service. More than hundred customers have joined the latest MPW runs and had their different designs processed in our wafer fab. Academic institutions as well as industrial companies have been among those customers. Several very promising projects are close to volume production now, e.g. highly accurate gyroscopes for automotive applications and aviation. Furthermore, we will discuss our planned approach to use well-established Bosch processes for the generation of a new standardized process sequence in silicon bulk micromachining. This sequence aims at the development and fabrication of passive modules and opens a wide range of biotechnological and medical applications.

12:30 Challenges of MEMS Commercialization Through Foundries
Sonbol Massoud-Ansari, Director of External Services, and
Nader Najafi, PhD, President & CEO, Integrated Sensing Systems (ISSYS) Inc.
Integrated Sensing Systems (ISSYS), Inc. is one of the oldest non-captive MEMS companies in the US. In the last few years, ISSYS has been offering foundry services for MEMS companies, ranging from single step fabrication processes to turnkey product services. This paper discusses some of the critical challenges in successful utilization of foundries for commercialization of MEMS products.

1:00 Lunch on Your Own

1:55 Chairperson's Remarks
Roger H. Grace, President, Roger Grace Associates

Programs & Implementation Tools

2:00 MEMS Program at DARPA: Current Thrust Areas and Future Vision
William C. Tang, PhD, MEMS Program Manager, Microsystems Technology Office, DARPA
Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) is one of the three core enabling technologies within the Microsystems Technology Office (MTO) of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Together with Photonics and Electronics, MEMS forms the foundation for a broad variety of advanced research projects sponsored by MTO as well as the other offices within DARPA. Research projects are underway to apply MEMS in specific military platforms in all four domains of engagement: air, land, sea, and space. These current thrust areas are showing strong potentials to transition into further development and small-scale production for military uses. The future vision of the MEMS program is to demonstrate all crucial technologies to co-locate on a chip scale all vital functions including sense, compute, actuate, communicate, and power. Strategic new programs will be established to advance the state of the art to fulfill this vision.

2:30 The MEMS Exchange: A Flexible and Affordable Environment for MEMS Implementation
Michael A. Huff, PhD, Director, MEMS Exchange, Corporation for National Research Initiatives
The MEMS Exchange is a national-level implementation service for MEMS technology supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which is furnishing extensive support and access capabilities to the growing domestic MEMS community. A key element of this program is to establish a distributed MEMS processing environment where fabrication and testing of MEMS devices and systems is performed at multiple, geographically dispersed sites located around the country. This distributed MEMS fabrication environment has quickly become a valuable national resource for commercial, academic and Government organizations interested in obtaining rapid, flexible, and affordable access to MEMS technology. This talk will discuss how the MEMS Exchange functions and provide some insight into lessons learned about MEMS fabrication.

3:00 Panel Discussion

Making MEMS a Viable COTS Product:
A remote goal or a technological reality?

Moderator: Roger H. Grace

Panelists: David J. Bishop
Thomas A. Cellucci
Michael A. Huff
Chris C. Lumb
William C. Tang

4:00 Group Discussions in the Exhibit / Poster Area. Refreshments

4:30 Selected Oral Poster Presentations

5:00 Closing Remarks / End of Conference

Call for Posters

Industry and academic scientists are encouraged to submit poster titles for this event. One-page abstracts (8 1/2” x 11” with 1-inch margins) must be submitted no later than October 30, 2001 for inclusion in conference documentation. Additional poster submissions will be accepted until November 15, 2001 but may not be included in conference documentation.

Note: If you're submitting a poster, you MUST be registered and paid in advance to ensure that a posterboard is reserved for you.

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