Technologies for cofabricating MEMS and electronics

Microfabrication technologies initially developed for integrated electronics have been successfully applied to batch-fabricate a wide variety of micromechanical structures for sensing, actuating, or signal-processing functions such as filters. By appropriately combining the deposition, etching, and lithography steps for microelectromechanical devices with those needed for microelectronic devices, it is possible to fabricate an integrated microsystern in a single process sequence. This paper reviews the strategies for cofabrication, with an emphasis on modular approaches that do not mix the two process sequences. The integrated processes are discussed using examples of physical sensors (infrared imagers and inertial sensors), chemical and biochemical sensors, electrostatic and thermal actuators for displays and optical switching, and nonvolatile memories. By adding new functionality to integrated electronics, the use of microelectromechanical systems is opening new applications in sensing and actuating, as well as enhancing the performance of analog and digital integrated circuits.