Development of MEMS micro-integration technologies: application to sensors

这项研究将开发新的微集成技术，这些技术需要将各种类型的微器件和MEMS(微型机电系统)结合在一起，形成完整的、自给自足的微系统。要开发的微集成技术包括混合微组装、微接口和微封装。这些技术的统一目标和长期目标是将它们应用于自给自足的毫米级微系统，例如微传感器。这样的微传感器可以在生物医学设备和智能材料领域提供令人兴奋的新应用。混合微组装研究旨在将串联机器人组装技术与自组装技术相结合。其目标是提高微组装速度，同时允许组装复杂的微结构。微接口研究旨在探索如何使用柔性硅微导线或使用微丝焊接技术将几个平面外的微设备电连接在一起。微封装研究的目的是探索新的方法来封装毫米级或更小的微系统，以保护它们免受不利环境条件的影响，同时允许有源传感器元件测量其周围环境。微接口研究和微封装研究的目标都是开发以前不存在的新技术。综上所述，拟议的微集成技术将在创造毫米级微系统和微型传感器方面取得重大进展。如果能够实现尺寸在几立方毫米或更小范围内的微型传感器，它们将在长期生物医学植入物、内部生物信号分析或用于在役性能分析的塑料中嵌入传感器等领域有很大的应用。

This research will develop new micro-integration technologies that are required to combine various types of micro-devices and MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems) together into complete, self-contained microsystems.  The micro-integration technologies to be developed are hybrid microassembly, micro-interfacing and micro-packaging.  The unifying aim and long term objective of these technologies is to apply them to self-contained, millimeter-scale microsystems, such as micro-sensors.  Such micro-sensors can provide for exciting new applications in the areas of biomedical devices and smart materials.  The hybrid microassembly research aims to combine serial-robotic assembly technology together with self-assembly technology.  The objective is to increase the microassembly rate, while allowing for complex microstructures to be assembled.  The micro-interfacing research aims to explore ways in which several out-of-plane micro-devices can be electrically connected together, using flexible silicon micro-wires or using micro-wire-welding techniques. The aim of the micro-packaging research is to explore new ways to package millimeter-scale or smaller microsystems, to protect them from adverse environmental conditions, while simultaneously allowing the active sensor elements to measure their surroundings. The objective of both the micro-interfacing research and the micro-packaging research, is to develop new technologies that did not previously exist. Taken together, the proposed micro-integration technologies will provide a significant advancement towards the creation of milli-scaled microsystems, and micro-sensors. If micro-sensors in the size range of a few cubic mm or smaller, can be achieved, they could have great application in areas such as biomedical implants for long term, internal bio-signal analysis, or embedded sensors in plastics for in-service performance analysis.