Structured Design Methods for MEMS

本研究旨在发展微电子机械系统（MEMS）的结构化设计方法。重点研究了MEMS制造工艺仿真和掩模布局综合。与当今的VLSI设计类似，正在探索允许快速，准确，保守的MEMS掩模布局合成的工具。这些工具的目标是使MEMS设计人员能够指定所需的微机械功能（例如，具有特定特性的机械弹簧），并使系统自动生成信息（掩模布局和其他制造说明）以创建显示所需功能的形状。这将包括改进和扩展三维各向异性蚀刻模拟方法。原型软件设计工具正在开发中。

This research is on developing structured design methods for Micro-Electrical- Mechanical Systems (MEMS). The focus is on MEMS fabrication process simulation and mask-layout synthesis. In analogy to present-day VLSI design, tools to permit rapid, accurate, conservative mask layout synthesis of MEMS are being explored. The objective for the tools is to enable a MEMS designer to specify a desire micro-mechanical function (e.g., a mechanical spring with particular characteristics), and have a system automatically generate the information (mask- layout, and other fabrication instructions) to create the shape that exhibits the desired function. This would includes refining and extending the 3-D anisotropic etch simulation methods. Prototype software design tools are being developed.