Feature-Based 3D Process Planning for MEMS Fabrication

Abstract

With the fast growth of the market for MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) devices, Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and Computer-Aided Process Planning (CAPP) systems for MEMS are essential for the appropriate division of labor between MEMS design and fabrication. Although several CAD systems for MEMS devices are commercially available, CAPP systems for MEMS are still underdeveloped, and few systems have been investigated. The purpose of this study is to prototype a CAPP system for MEMS for non-expert MEMS designers. MEMS device geometry, a complex layered structure made of multiple materials, is represented as a solid model called a device model. The system has two main functions. In process-extraction function, all feasible fabrication processes of the device are exhaustively derived from the device model using 3D fabrication features as clues. In manufacturable-geometry-estimation function, the expected 3D geometry of the device that will actually be fabricated by the derived process, which might differ from the original device model, is estimated. Process emulation using a commercial emulator and examination by expert researchers confirm that the derived process plans and the expected 3D geometries of the device are feasible and plausible.