Process Variations in Microsystems Manufacturing

Michael A. Huff, Ph.D., is Founder and Director of the MEMS & Nanotechnology Exchange (MNX) in Reston, Virginia. The MNX was established as a national-level program to provide access to MEMS implementation resources as well as to develop manufacturing techniques to help advance the technology. Dr. Huff has actively participated in MEMS research and development for over twenty-five years, has published numerous papers on MEMS devices and fabrication technologies, and holds more than a dozen patents and has several others pending. He has held a variety of notable positions, from industry to academia. Prior to establishing the MNX, Dr. Huff was on the faculty in the Department of Electrical Engineering at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) in Cleveland, Ohio. Before joining the faculty at CWRU, he held the position of Technical Fellow at the Baxter Healthcare Corporation and directed Baxter's corporate-wide efforts in applying MEMS technology to novel medical devices. Dr.Huff received an M.S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and simultaneously the M.S. in Material Science and Engineering with a specialization in Electronic Materials and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

• Introduction.- Overview of Microsystems Manufacturing.- Process Variations in Microsystems Processing Steps.- Microsystems Metrology Methods and Associated Errors.- Process Integration and Variations in Material Properties.- Device Parameter Variations in Microsystems Manufacturing.- Quality Assurance and Control Methods Used in Microsystems Manufacturing.- Design Methods for Handling Process Variations.- Future Methods for Improved Microsystems Manufacturing Process Variations.