SAVING ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCE

BY MICRO-NANOMACHINING
Masayoshi Esashi

Tohoku University
New Industry Creation Hatchery Center (NICHe)
01 Aza-Aoba Aramaki Aobaku Sendai, Japan, 980-8579

ABSTRACT COST EFFECTIVE SMALL VOLUME

MANUFACTURING OF MEMS DEVICES
Micro-nanomachining technologies have been studied
with the aim of saving energy and natural resources. The MEMS foundry and versatile common
Wafer process packaging using electrical feedthrough prototyping facility are effective to share the cost of
in glass has been applied to micromechanical sensors production and development. Open collaboration
as electrostatically levitating micro motors (10,000 system for accessing different technologies and needs
rpm) for rotational gyroscopes. Maintenance tools as efficiently are also important for R&D to minimize
active catheters have been developed to be used in the turn around and maximize the risk tolerance.
narrow space for extended life. Technologies for It is told that packaging is 80% of cost and limiting
compact power source as fabrication of ceramic factor of MEMS devices. Wafer process packaging
microstructures using silicon mold and as shown in Fig.1 is effective for small volume
measurement of hydrogen storage capacity of carbon production because it makes batch assembly possible
nanotube were developed. and particular automated machines to assemble each
chip can be eliminated. The wafer process packaging
INTRODUCTION can be done by an anodic bonding of a silicon wafer
and a glass plate[1]. This method has advantages to
Applications of advanced states of the art of enable chip size packaging and to protect the MEMS
micromachining for saving energy and natural structure during the dicing process. Electrical
resource have been our main research subjects. feedthrough from glass holes plays important roles
Miniaturization of large sophisticated systems by and has been developed for this.
MEMS can be effective for this in principle. The wafer process packaging has been applied for
Cost effective small volume manufacturing of many products as integrated capacitive pressure
different kind value-added products are required not sensor[2], diaphragm vacuum sensor[3] and so on. As
only for MEMS devices to be used widely but also for an example an inertia measurement system which
preventing overproduction. Wafer process batch operates as two-axis rotating gyroscope for navigation
process packaging technique using electrical
feedthrough in a glass plate has been developed for
this purpose.
Micro tools for maintenance are required for
minimal invasive medicine and extending machine
life. Active catheters and sensors for such purposes
have been developed.
Compact power sources as micro gas turbine
electrical power generator and micro fuel cell are
needed for autonomous robots and wearable
information systems. Technologies for the compact
power sources have been studied.
Advanced key components can be also contribute
to minimize energy consumption. Multiprobe data
storage and anticorrosive integrated massflow
controller for information systems and manufacturing
systems will be described below. Fig.1 Wafer process packaging

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 control systems is shown in Fig.2 [4]. Since the rotor The levitated rotation (10,000 rpm) and the function
is electrostatically levitated this can be used as as a gyroscope and an accelerometer were
three-axis acceleromer as well[5][6]. The rotor of successfully demonstrated (Fig.2).
which diameter is 5mm was fabricated using the deep The electrical feedthrough in the glass can be made
RIE of silicon. The levitation is actively controlled by using a deep RIE (Reactive Ion Etching) of Pyrex
force balancing in all direction using a capacitive glass and an electroplating of nickel[8]. Although the
displacement sensing and an electrostatic actuation. etching rate of the glass is not so fast (0.5µm/min),
The rotation is based on the principle of a variable Pyrex glass could be etched through the thickness of
capacitance motor. The silicon rotor is packaged in a 200µm. Vertical etch profile could be obtained by
vacuum cavity by incorporating a non-evaporable narrowing the mask opening(~30µm) because the
getter in the cavity in order to prevent a viscous deposition of non volatile products on the side wall is
dumping[7]. The gaps between the silicon rotor and reduced. The holes made in a Pyrex glass was filled
the electrodes on the glasses are 5 m. with nickel by electroplating as shown in Fig.3.

Glass

Rotor

Ni Glass

Fig.2 Electrostatically levitating micromotor and measured

gyroscope response (Tokimec Inc. and Tohoku Univ.) Fig.3 Electrical feedthrough in the glass made using a
deep RIE and Ni electroplating

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 Fig.4 shows an application of the feedthrough MAINTENANCE TOOLS FOR EXTENDED
shown in Fig.3. This is a micro relay which uses a LIFE
bimetal actuator for making contact to the
multi-micro spring[9]. The microsprings shown in Active catheter
Fig.4 have electrical connections to the backside of Multi-link active catheters which move like a snake
the glass. This electrical feedthrough can be also in blood vessel have been developed for navigation in
applied for multiprobe data storage and contactor for minimal invasive diagnosis and therapy. Distributed
LSI probing which will be described later. shape memory alloy (SMA) coils are utilized for the
movement in multi-degrees of freedom.
Active catheters which have bending, torsional,
extending and stiffness control functions are shown in
Fig.5[10]. The SMA coil and a stainless steel liner
coil are connected by nickel electroplating and acrylic
resin deposition. This novel method enables low cost
batch assembly and small outer diameter (1.4 mm).

Fig.5 Active catheter which can not only be bent but

also twisted and extended

Fiber optic pressure sensors

Small diameter (125µmφ) fiber optic pressure
sensor shown in Fig.6 has been developed for catheter
use[11]. A thin diaphragm is formed at the end of an
optical fiber and the deformation by a pressure is
detected interferometrically. The diaphragm is formed
on a silicon wafer and the wafer is etched by the deep
RIE to make silicon rods having diaphragms. The
Fig.4 Micro relay having electrical feedthrough silicon rod is bonded to the fiber end by heating in a
made by RIE and electroplating glass tube. Finally the silicon is etched out using XeF2

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 gas. By measuring the shift of the interference curve polarization modulator needed for surface infrared
in wavelength axis the sensor was not influenced by adsorption spectroscopy[13]. The structure is shown
the bending of the fiber. in Fig.8. Air bearing is used and the rotational speed
of 40,000 rpm was achieved. Based on this research
micro gas turbine engine electrical power generators
made of SiC are under development as shown below.

100µm

Fig.6 Fiber optic pressure sensor

Ultrasonic imager
A forward-looking ultrasonic imager has been
developed[12]. A 1-3 composite piezoelectric PZT
ceramic transducer array was made at the end of a
catheter as shown in Fig.7. A receiver integrated
circuit and a thermomechanical micro relay for
multiplexing the transmitting high voltage pulse are
under development to be assembled with the
ultrasonic imager at the end of catheter.

Fig.8 Silicon micro air turbine

Si lost mold process for SiC microstructures

3mm Novel silicon lost mold process for ceramic
microstructures has been developed[14]. A
micromachined silicon wafer is used as a mould for
sintering ceramics. The process to fabricate a SiC
microstructure using silicon as a mold is shown in
Fig.9. A silicon mould is formed by the deep RIE and
is cast with slurry of SiC and carbon powder. SiC
ceramic microstructures are obtained by a hot isostatic
pressing (HIP) and finally the silicon mold is etched
out. The process is called micro-reaction sintering
Fig.7 Ultrasonic imager at the end of a catheter because the silicon mold melts at the HIP condition
(1700°C, 100MPa) and reacts with the carbon powder.
Using this method SiC micro turbine for the purpose
COMPACT POWER SOURCE of micro gas turbine engine was fabricated as shown
in Fig.9. The silicon lost mold process was also
Micro air turbine applied to fabricate PZT(lead zirconium titanate)
Silicon micro air turbine for rotating an integrated ceramic microstructures[15].
wire grid polarizer has been fabricated as a

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 Evaluation of hydrogen storage capscity of carbon
nanotube by resonating thin cantilever
Thin silicon beams can be used as highly sensitive
resonating sensors. Energy dissipation is reduced and
Q (quality factor) higher than 200000 was obtained in
vacuum after removing surface oxide by heating in
ultra high vacuum(UHV)[16].
We applied the thin silicon cantilever to measure
the hydrogen storage capacity of carbon
nanotubes[17]. This is because carbon nanotubes
have been attracted attentions for the application of
reversible hydrogen storage for polymer electrolyte
fuel cell. Fig.10 shows the carbon nanotube bundle
attached on the end of a 170nm thick silicon
cantilever. The frequency changes of the cantilever
after loading the carbon nanotube and hydrogen
adsorption are also shown in Fig.10. Hydrogen
storage capacity of 6 wt% against the carbon
nanotube weight was measured from the experimental
results. The carbon nanotube can be selectively grown
on a silicon cantilever using nickel catalyst[18].

Fig.10 Carbon nanotube bundle attached on a silicon

cantilever and the frequency changes of the cantilever
after loading the carbon nanotube and hydrogen
Fig.9 Si lost mold process for SiC and a micro adsorption. The hydrogen storage capacity measured
turbine made by this method is 6 wt%.

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 MULTIPROBE DATA STORAGE

A microprobe which has a nano-heater with 30 nm

metal junction located at the apex of a SiO2 tip was
fabricated as shown in Fig.11[19]. Not only high
spatial resolution but also quick response can be
achieved owing to the extremely small tip-size.
Thermal processing for writing and electrical
resistance measurement for reading was adopted for
multiprobe data storage[20]. The structures of the
multiprobe data storage system and the probe are
shown in Fig.12. Self-actuating microprobe array can
be made using AlN film as an actuator. The electrical
feedthrough in a glass shown in Fig.3 is used to make
an electrical connection from each probe to the
backside IC chip. The electrical connection makes
optimized process of the probe possible by separating
the IC chip. This thermal nanoprobe could be
successfully used for recording to the GeSbTe phase
change recording media which is used for DVD
RAM. Fig.12 Structures of the multiprobe data storage
system and a probe

30 nm

Fig.13 Nanoprobe array (32×32) and conductance

Fig.11 Fabrication process and a photograph of image of the recorded bits on thin GeSbTe
nano-heater (2µm×2µm)

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 The nanoprobe 32È32 array and the conductance gas control and minimized dead volume has been
developed[22]. Fig.15 shows an anti-corrosive
image of the recorded pattern are shown in
integrated mass flow controller made of stainless steel
Fig.13.The conductance modification of
and AlN. The operation as the anti-corrosive
approximately ten times was caused by the phase
massflow controller in chlorine gas was successfully
change. Owing to the small (30nm) tip-size the bit
demonstrated [23].
density can be Tbit/inch2 order which is about 100
times higher than the conventional data storage.
Rewritable multiprobe data storage using the phase
change media can be expected by making the thermal
response of the probe quick.

KEY COMPONENTS FOR MANUFACTURING

Contactor for microprober

Micromachined contactor for microprober is shown
in Fig.14 [21]. The electrical feedthrough made by
deep RIE and nickel electroplating in the glass shown
in Fig.3 plays important roles in the contactor. The
bended silicon beams were fabricated by non-planer
lithography by splay coating of resist and large focus
depth projection exposure system (UX-2000 Ushio
Inc.) and anisotropic silicon etching (p+ etch stop)
after anodic bonding to the Pyrex glass.

20mm

Fig.15 Anti-corrosive integrated massflow controller

CONCLUSIONS

Bulk micromachining with the aim of saving

energy and natural resources has been described.
Electrical feedthrough in glass holes has been applied
to packaged micromechanical sensors. Maintenance
tools as active catheters have been developed to be
used in narrow space for extended life. Technologies
Fig.14 Contactor for microprober (Tokyo Electron for compact power source, multiprobe data storage
Ltd. and Tohoku Univ.) and key components for semiconductor
manufacturing have been developed. Nanometer
Anti-corrosive integrated massflow controller structures could be extremely sensitive sensor and
Integrated massflow controller which has control high density data storage.
valve and thermal massflow controller enables fine

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT [13] S.Tanaka, M.Hara and M.Esashi,
"Air-Turbine-Driven Micro-Polarization Modulator
This work was supported by the Japanese Ministry for Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy",
of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technical Digest of the 17th Sensor Symposium,
Technology under grant-in-aid 13305010. (Kawasaki 2000) p.29
[14] S.Sugimoto, S.Tanaka, J.F.Li, R.Watanabe and
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