As we enter the next millennium, there are clear technological patterns. First, the
electronic industry continues to scale microelectronic structures to achieve faster
DEVICES, new DEVICES, or more per unit area. Secondly, electrostatic charge, electrostatic
discharge (ESD), electrical overstress (EOS) and electromagnetic emissions (EMI)
continue to be a threat to these scaled structures. This dichotomy presents a dilemma
for the scaling of semiconductor technologies and a future threat to new technologies.
Technological advancements, material changes, design techniques, and simulation can
fend off this growing concern – but to maintain this ever-threatening challenge, one must
continue to establish research and education in this issue.
The planarization technology of Chemical-Mechanical-Polishing (CMP), used for the manufacturing of multi-
level metal interconnects for high-density Integrated Circuits (IC), is also readily adaptable as an enabling technology
in MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) fabrication, particularly polysilicon surface micromachining. CMP not
only eases the design and manufacturability of MEMS DEVICES by eliminating several photolithographic and film
issues generated by severe topography, but also enables far greater flexibility with process complexity and associated
designs. T
The mature CMOS fabrication processes are available
in many IC foundries. It is cost-effective to leverage the
existing CMOS fabrication technologies to implement
MEMS DEVICES. On the other hand, the MEMS DEVICES
could also add values to the IC industry as the Moore’s law
reaching its limit. The CMOS MEMS could play a key role
to bridge the gap between the CMOS and MEMS
technologies. The CMOS MEMS also offers the advantage
of monolithic integration of ICs and micro mechanical
components.
For more than three decades, Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) have
steadily transitioned out of research labs and into production forming a more than $10 billion
market [1]. MEMS DEVICES such as accelerometers, pressure sensors and microphones, to name
a few, have seen immense utilization, particularly in the consumer electronics market, because
of their compact sizes and minute power consumptions. In addition, these DEVICES benefit from
batch fabrication, which has enabled year-over-year reductions in cost [2]. In recent years,
Recent advancements in nanotechnology (NT) materials and growth of micro/
nanotechnology have opened the door for potential applications of microelectro-
mechanical systems (MEMS)- and NT-based sensors and DEVICES. Such sensors and
DEVICES are best suited for communications, medical diagnosis, commercial, military,
aerospace, and satellite applications. This book comes at a time when the future and
well-being of Western industrial nations in the twenty-first century’s global eco-
nomy increasingly depend on the quality and depth of the technological innovations
they can commercialize at a rapid pace.
Nowadays sensors are part of everyday life in a wide variety of fields: scientific
applications, medical instrumentation, industrial field, ...and, last but not least,
popular mass production and low-cost goods, like smartphones and other mobile
DEVICES. Markets and business behind the field of sensors are quite impressive.
A common trend for consumer applications is miniaturization which requires, on
one side, a lot of research, development efforts, and resources but, on the other
hand, allows costs and final application size reduction. In this scenario scientific
community and industries are very active to drive innovation.
Over many years, RF-MEMS have been a hot topic in research at the technology
and device level. In particular, various kinds of mechanical Si-MEMS resonators
and piezoelectric BAW (bulk acoustic wave) resonators have been developed. The
BAW technology has made its way to commercial products for passive RF filters,
in particular for duplexers in RF transceiver front ends for cellular communica-
tions. Beyond their use in filters, micromachined resonators can also be used in
conjunction with active DEVICES in innovative circuits and architectures.
Microengineering and Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) have very few
watertight definitions regarding their subjects and technologies. Microengineering
can be described as the techniques, technologies, and practices involved in the
realization of structures and DEVICES with dimensions on the order of micrometers.
MEMS often refer to mechanical DEVICES with dimensions on the order of
micrometers fabricated using techniques originating in the integrated circuit (IC)
industry, with emphasis on silicon-based structures and integrated microelectronic
circuitry. However, the term is now used to refer to a much wider range of
microengineered DEVICES and technologies.
GaN is an already well implanted semiconductor
technology, widely diffused in the LED optoelectronics
industry. For about 10 years, GaN DEVICES have also been
developed for RF wireless applications where they can
replace Silicon transistors in some selected systems. That
incursion in the RF field has open the door to the power
switching capability in the lower frequency range and
thus to the power electronic applications.
Compared to Silicon, GaN exhibits largely better figures
for most of the key specifications: Electric field, energy
gap, electron mobility and melting point. Intrinsically,
GaN could offer better performance than Silicon in
terms of: breakdown voltage, switching frequency and
Overall systems efficiency.
Under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA), the National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST) was assigned “primary responsibility to coordinate
development of a framework that includes protocols and model standards for information
management to achieve interoperability of Smart Grid DEVICES and systems…” [EISA Section
1305]. 35 This responsibility comes at a time when the electric power grid and electric power
industry are undergoing the most dramatic transformation in many decades. Very significant
investments are being made by industry and the federal government to modernize the power grid.
To realize the full benefits of these investments—and the continued investments forecast for the
coming decades—there is a continued need to establish effective smart grid 36 standards and
protocols for interoperability.
