From MEMS Devices to Smart Integrated Systems

TL;DR

This paper discusses integrating micromechanical components with CMOS electronics on-chip, exemplified by a CMOS-MEMS oscillator that detects external forces through frequency shifts, highlighting design considerations for future smart systems.

Contribution

It introduces a CMOS-compatible process for creating integrated micromechanical-electronic systems, demonstrated through a CMOS-MEMS oscillator design and analysis.

Findings

Successful design of a CMOS-MEMS oscillator with frequency change due to external forces

Discussion of design considerations for on-chip micromechanical systems

Potential for expanding to larger integrated systems

Abstract

The smart integrated systems of tomorrow would demand a combination of micromechanical components and traditional electronics. On-chip solutions will be the ultimate goal. One way of making such systems is to implement the mechanical parts in an ordinary CMOS process. This procedure has been used to design an oscillator consisting of a resonating cantilever beam and a CMOS Pierce feedback amplifier. The resonating frequency is changed if the beam is bent by external forces. The paper describes central features of this procedure and highlights the design considerations for the CMOS-MEMS oscillator. The circuit is used as an example of a "VLSI designer" way of making future integrated micromechanical and microelectronic systems on-chip. The possibility for expansion to larger systems is reviewed.