Nanotechnology Now

Our NanoNews Digest Sponsors
Heifer International



Home > Press > Baolab creates nanoscale MEMS inside the CMOS wafer

Abstract:
Uses standard CMOS technologies and lines to slash MEMS costs by up to two thirds

Baolab creates nanoscale MEMS inside the CMOS wafer

Barcelona, Spain | Posted on May 6th, 2010

Baolab Microsystems has announced a new technology to construct nanoscale MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) within the structure of the actual CMOS wafer itself using standard, high volume CMOS lines, which is much easier and quicker with fewer process steps than existing MEMS fabrication techniques that build the MEMS on the surface of the wafer. This significantly reduces the costs of a MEMS by up to two thirds and even more if several different MEMS are created together on the same chip.

The Baolab NanoEMS™ technology uses the existing metal layers in a CMOS wafer to form the MEMS structure using standard mask techniques. The Inter Metal Dielectric (IMD) is then etched away through the pad openings in the passivation layer using vHF (vapour HF). The etching uses equipment that is already available for volume production and takes less than an hour, which is insignificant compared to the overall production time. The holes are then sealed and the chip packaged as required. As only standard CMOS processes are used, NanoEMS MEMS can be directly integrated with active circuitry as required.

"We have solved the challenge of building MEMS in a completely different way," explained Dave Doyle, Baolab's CEO. "Existing MEMS technologies are slow, expensive and require specialist equipment. They have to be either built on top of the wafer at a post production stage or into a recess in the wafer. By contrast, our new NanoEMS technology enables MEMS to be built using standard CMOS technologies during the normal flow of the CMOS lines."

Baolab has successfully created MEMS devices using standard 0.18um 8" volume CMOS wafers with four or more metal layers, and has achieved minimum feature sizes down to 200 nanometres. This is an order of magnitude smaller than is currently possible with conventional MEMS devices, bringing the new NanoEMS MEMS into the realm of nanostructures, with the additional benefits of smaller sizes, lower power consumption and faster devices.

Baolab will be making a range of discrete MEMS including RF switches, electronic compasses and accelerometers, along with solutions that combine several functions in one chip. The prototype stage has already proved the NanoEMS technology and evaluation samples will be available later this year. These are aimed at handset designers and manufacturers, and Power Amplifier and RF Front End Module markets.

NanoEMS is a trademark of Baolab Microsystems, S.L.

####

About Baolab Microsystems
Baolab is leading the field of MEMS inside CMOS integration with our innovative NanoEMSTM technology, enabling smaller mobile phones with more functionality, improved battery life, better performance, and reduced cost.

NanoEMSTM are fabricated in standard CMOS fabs with standard CMOS processes, delivering the Holy Grail of MEMS with CMOS circuitry integrated in a single die, at the lowest possible cost thanks to high volume availability of CMOS processes and full compatibility with mainstream packaging options.

For more information, please click here

Contacts:
info[at]baolab[dot]com
Institut Politècnic del Campus de Terrassa, 08220 Terrassa, Spain.
Tel.: +34-93-394-17-70

Press contact for interviews and illustrations is Nigel Robson, Vortex PR.
Nigel[at]vortexpr[dot]com
Tel: +44 1481 233080

Copyright © Neondrum

If you have a comment, please Contact us.

Issuers of news releases, not 7th Wave, Inc. or Nanotechnology Now, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.

Bookmark:
Delicious Digg Newsvine Google Yahoo Reddit Magnoliacom Furl Facebook

Related News Press

News and information

Researchers develop artificial building blocks of life March 8th, 2024

How surface roughness influences the adhesion of soft materials: Research team discovers universal mechanism that leads to adhesion hysteresis in soft materials March 8th, 2024

Two-dimensional bimetallic selenium-containing metal-organic frameworks and their calcinated derivatives as electrocatalysts for overall water splitting March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

MEMS

Bosch launches longevity program for industrial and IoT applications: High-performance accelerometer, IMU and pressure sensor with 10-year availability July 23rd, 2020

CEA-Leti Develops Tiny Photoacoustic-Spectroscopy System For Detecting Chemicals & Gases: Paper at Photonics West to Present Detector that Could Cost 10x Less Than Existing Systems and Prompt Widespread Use of the Technology February 4th, 2020

MEMS & Sensors Executive Congress Technology Showcase Finalists Highlight Innovations in Automotive, Biomedical and Consumer Electronics: MSIG MEMS & Sensors Executive Congress – October 22-24, 2019, Coronado, Calif. October 1st, 2019

ULVAC Launches Revolutionary PZT Piezoelectric Thin-film Process Technology and HVM Solution for MEMS Sensors/Actuators: Enabling Reliable, High-quality Film Production for Next Generation Devices August 16th, 2019

Chip Technology

New chip opens door to AI computing at light speed February 16th, 2024

HKUST researchers develop new integration technique for efficient coupling of III-V and silicon February 16th, 2024

Electrons screen against conductivity-killer in organic semiconductors: The discovery is the first step towards creating effective organic semiconductors, which use significantly less water and energy, and produce far less waste than their inorganic counterparts February 16th, 2024

NRL discovers two-dimensional waveguides February 16th, 2024

Nanoelectronics

Interdisciplinary: Rice team tackles the future of semiconductors Multiferroics could be the key to ultralow-energy computing October 6th, 2023

Key element for a scalable quantum computer: Physicists from Forschungszentrum Jülich and RWTH Aachen University demonstrate electron transport on a quantum chip September 23rd, 2022

Reduced power consumption in semiconductor devices September 23rd, 2022

Atomic level deposition to extend Moore’s law and beyond July 15th, 2022

Announcements

What heat can tell us about battery chemistry: using the Peltier effect to study lithium-ion cells March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

The Access to Advanced Health Institute receives up to $12.7 million to develop novel nanoalum adjuvant formulation for better protection against tuberculosis and pandemic influenza March 8th, 2024

Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024

NanoNews-Digest
The latest news from around the world, FREE




  Premium Products
NanoNews-Custom
Only the news you want to read!
 Learn More
NanoStrategies
Full-service, expert consulting
 Learn More











ASP
Nanotechnology Now Featured Books




NNN

The Hunger Project