MEMS Product Development

Alissa M. Fitzgerald, PhD, founded A.M. Fitzgerald & Associates, LLC, a MEMS product development firm based in the Bay Area, California, in 2003. She has over 25 years of engineering experience in MEMS design and fabrication and now advises clients on the entire cycle of MEMS product development, from business and IP strategy to supply chain and manufacturing operations. Dr. Fitzgerald received her bachelor's and master's degrees from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and her Ph.D. from Stanford University, all in Aeronautics and Astronautics. She is a member of the SEMI-MSIG standards committee and served as a board director on the MEMS Industry Group (MIG) Governing Council from 2008-2014. In 2013, she was inducted into the MIG Hall of Fame.  Carolyn D. White, PhD, has a background in mechanics of materials and specializes in the design and fabrication of MEMS devices for a wide range of applications. She has additional experience in technology strategic analysis including of the evaluation of patent portfolios, feasibility studies, and cost/performance analysis. With over 20 years of experience in MEMS, Dr. White is a member of the SEMI MEMS & Sensors Industry Group, previously serving on its Technical Advisory Committee. Dr. White received her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Brown University and MS and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. Charles C. Chung, PhD, is the Quantum Industry Consultant for Electronics at IBM. He was at A.M. Fitzgerald & Associates, LLC, for 8 years and has developed MEMS and microsystems products for over 25 years. He is an advisor to the SEMI MEMS and Sensors Industry Group, a member of the University of Pennsylvania’s Singh Center for Nanotechnology’s Industrial Advisory Board, and a recipient of the Gates Grand Challenges Explorations Grant. Dr. Chung has been involved in the development of over 35 MEMS devices and microsystems products, including DNA sequencing chips, tire pressure monitoring systems, implantable biomedical sensors, quantum sensors, Internet of Things (IoT), micromirrors, microphones, gyroscopes, accelerometers, pressure sensors, and more. His roles include business and product development, technology and patent strategy, device design and fabrication, and supply chain establishment and management for volume production. He received his BA in Physics & Environmental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania, his MS n Physics from Duke University, and PhD in Electrical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

• Introduction.- Understanding global silicon wafer manufacturing infrastructure.- Stages of development.- MEMS parameter sensitivity models.- Co-development of control and readout electronics.- Process integration.- Planning for test and data gathering.- Planning for package integration.- Mask layout.- Documentation.- Opportunity analysis.- Operational requirements.- MEMS product cost modeling.- Timeline planning.- When is the right time to move to a production facility?.- Finding foundry and supply chain vendors.- Transferring technology for production.- Quality control requirements.- Managing a global supply chain.