Advanced Micro & Nano Systems

Selected Topics in IEC I – ELL832

Dhiman Mallick
Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Delhi

1
Semester I – 2019 - 2020
Course Contents
i. Introduction to Micro/nano-systems
ii. Micro/Nano resonators - principles and applications
iii. Electromechanical & acoustic transducers and energy harvesters
iv. Nanogenerators - Triboelectric, Piezotronic
v. Thermoelectric transducers and energy harvesters
vi. RF and magnetic micro-systems
vii. Interface electronics for sensors and transducers
viii. Optical micro sensors
ix. Nano-systems concepts (focus on carbon nanotubes)
x. Micro and nano fluidics
xi. System Integrations
xii. Flexible and stretchable electronics and sensors 2
Grading Process

• Two mid-terms
• One end-term
• One research project - device to system level performance modelling
References
• Advanced Micro and Nanosystems book series – Wiley
(Resonant MEMS, Enabling Technology for MEMS and
Nanodevices, CMOS-MEMS, Micro Energy Harvesting)
• Fundamentals of Microfabrication and Nanotechnology –
(volume I – III) – Marc Madou
• Foundations of MEMS – Chang Liu
• State-of-the-art Research Papers 3
 Advanced Micro & Nano Systems
Selected Topics in IEC I – ELL832
Lecture - 1
Introduction to Micro/nano systems - I
• Motivations
• Historical Perspectives
• Some Use Cases

Dhiman Mallick
Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Delhi
4
Semester I – 2019 - 2020
IC Industry Timeline

Moore’s Law: Transistor density on Integrated Circuits (ICs) doubles in every two years.

Microsystems evolved from Microelectronics revolution

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Evolution of the transistor technology

Bell lab’s point contact transistor (1947) Samsung’s 14 nm FinFET transistor (2015)

Images are self-scaling!

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Evolution of the transistor technology

• CMOS technology scaling - primary driver of

the electronics industry

• Transistors are becoming faster, power per

switching is reducing

• More functionalities, better performances

• Total circuits per chip, and the total chip

power consumption has been increasing

Scaling trends accelerated in almost every device parameter, such as, lithography, effective channel length,
gate dielectric thickness, supply voltage, device leakage, etc.
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F. Schwierz. “Graphene transistors”. Nat Nano, Vol. 5, No. 7, pp. 1748–3387, 07 2010. 3, 101
Advances in Process Technology
IC process technology is the engine behind functional integration and miniaturization of electronics
From planar IC technology to 3D micro-fabrication technology
Anisotropic Silicon etching comes into play in late 1960s - High Aspect Ratio (HAR) micro-structures

Typical Aspect ratios (height-to-width ratio)

(a) fabrication of integrated circuits (b) micro-fabricated components

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Micro/Nano-systems vs IC

Micro/nano-systems IC
Unit cell No unit cell Transistor

Front-end technology No single stable technology CMOS

Aspect ratio Large Small (planar technology)

Device size Few mm to few µm Few µm to nm scale

Interaction space Multidimensional Electrical

Basic disciplines Multidisciplinary Physics and engineering

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Resonant Gate Transistor (RGT)
One of the first example of micro-electrostatic actuator

Series of batch-fabricated RGTs (L = 430 μm)

• Gate electrode is not fixed

• The distance between gate and substrate

controlled by electrostatic attractive forces

• Device operate at a particular frequency –

resonant behaviour
Schematic of RGT device
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H. Nathanson, et al., IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices 14.3 (1967): 117-133.
Micromachined Inkjet Nozzles
• Introduced in 1979 by Hewlett & Packard
(HP)

• Inkjet printers use a series of nozzles to spray

drops of ink directly on to a printing medium

• Micromachining enables extremely small and

densed nozzles – higher resolution
Micromachined thermal inkjet printer head
• Epson started using piezoelectric inkjet head.

• Applications extend to deposition of organic

chemicals, biological molecules etc.

Piezoelectrically actuated inkjet printer head 11

C. Liu, Foundations of MEMS
MEMS Accelerometers and IMUs
• One of the most successful technology

• Initial applications in automotive industry – air bag

deployment

• Later in cellular phones

• Newer applications – smart writing, VR headgears,

electronic game controller, seismic monitoring etc.

Operational Principle of MEMS accelerometers ADXL202 ±2 g accelerometer

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Source: Analog Devices inc
ADI MEMS Accelerometers and IMUs

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Source: Analog Devices inc
Digital micro mirrors (DMDs)
Digital Light Processor (DLP) of Texas Instruments is a
digital optical projector

Source: Texas Instruments

• Consists of light modulating chip with >100k

micro mirrors (Digital Micro Mirrors – DMDs)

• Each mirror has an area of 10 x 10 μm2

Operational Principle of DMD mirrors
Out of millions of mirrors, if one fails – the display • Mirrors are addressed using row-column
will be ruined: DMDs put lot of trust on micro- multiplexing technique.
mechanical systems due to its high reliability – 14
Wide range of applications
Not just about electro-mechanical

Subdivision according to functionality/application

Bio-MEMS (Biological Applications)

Microfluidics (Lab on a chip, Micro-droplet generators)

Insulin Micro-pump
RF-MEMS (Radio Frequency Applications)

MOEMS (Micro Opto Electro Mechanical System)

Inertial Sensors (Gyroscopes, Accelerometers)

Pressure Measurements (Automotive and medical applications)

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Micro-waveguide
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Status of the MEMS Industry 2018 – Yole Development
Smart Sensor development in Consumer Electronics

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Apple’s Smart Sensor Technologies, Market Research Report (MEMS Jounral Inc. 2015)
Smart dust - Autonomous sensing and communication in a cubic millimeter
A cubic millimeter device with a sensor, power
supply, analog circuitry, bidirectional optical
communication, and a programmable
microprocessor.

Golem Dust
Solar powered mote with bi-directional communications
and sensing (acceleration and ambient light)
11.7 mm3 total circumscribed volume
Smart dust is a project by UC Berkeley in early 2000 ~4.8 mm3 total displaced volume
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http://www-bsac.eecs.berkeley.edu/~pister/SmartDust/
Internet of Things (IoT)
The platform where the Internet is connected to the physical world
via ubiquitous sensors wirelessly

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Anatomy of a IoT Device

Wireless Sensor Nodes (WSNs) are the heart of IoT devices

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Powering Wireless Sensor Nodes

Batteries are the most common power source for wireless sensing

Billions of batteries for billions of IoT devices!!

• Batteries use chemicals – not nature friendly

• Needs recharging/re-installing periodically

• Logistic cost is huge

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S. Roundy et al. Computer Communications, vol. 26, pp. 1131-1144, 2003.
Wireless Sensor Node & Energy Harvesting

Self-powering?

Batteries Energy Harvesting

Not suitable
for
‘fit-and-forget’
applications Solar Thermal RF Vibration

Micro/nano-systems – just not for sensing, but for powering also

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On-chip cooling enabled by micro-systems
Micro/nano-systems – another application case, beyond sensing

• The exponential growth in data traffic leading

to ever-greater levels of component
integration and ever-higher levels of energy
consumption

• On-chip thermal management is critical

• μ-thermoelectric cooler works on Peltier

effect

• Scalable, reliable, IC compatible. 23

G J Snyder, et al, Nature Materials, 2011. 101-110.
Conclusions Enabling 3rd dimension of Silicon Technology

Physical Laws Smart world

Structures
Advanced Energy
Manufacturing
Science Society efficient
Devices Resource
New Materials
efficient
Micro/Nano-Systems
Design, technology and fabrication efforts aimed at combining electronic functions with mechanical, optical,
thermal and others and employ miniaturization in order to achieve high complexity in small space.
M3 Characteristics:
• Europe – Micro/Nano Systems Technology (M/NST)
• Miniaturization
• USA – Micro/Nano Electro Mechanical Systems (M/NEMS)
• Multidisciplinary
• Japan – Micro/Nano-Machines (M/NM)
• Mankind needs
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