A New Fabrication Method
You may already be aware that the emergent MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems) fabrication process is generating considerable R&D energy, excitement, and commercial potential across the country. In short, MEMS-fabrication characterizes the “new face” of high-technology manufacturing in the US – it is increasingly a subject of regional economic advantage. An example MEMS manufactured device would be the packaging of a drug-delivery system to enable life without needles for diabetics. A brief introdution to MEMS is given below.

Industrial Overview
The MEMS industry can be characterized as one of the largest industries that produces products people are unaware they use every day. MEMS devices are embedded in automobiles (airbags), printers for pumping ink, and blood pressure sensors in hospital instruments.

Although micro-electrical-mechanical systems (MEMS) valves are accurately thought of as objects that can be sold, within the MEMS industry itself the proper characterization of MEMS is as an approach to fabrication. Essentially MEMS technology is based on several well-known tools and methods that are used to form very small structures -- on the order of several millionths of a meter in size – using techniques adopted from the integrated circuit (IC) industry. There are many similarities between MEMS and IC fabrication:

• Most devices are built on wafers of silicon
• Structures are composed by depositing thin films of materials on the substrate
• Photolithographic imaging is used to apply patterned masks
• Selective etching processes are required for the mask

Within the MEMS fabrication method there exists the ability to integrate microsystems and electromechanical systems together in a wide variety of industries, typically bringing all the benefits of miniaturization to the markets served. Although the devices themselves are (in production) relatively inexpensive, the value-added by iACTIV is in the packaging and application engineering of the valve within the context of the end-user product.

A majority of MEMS companies were founded in the late 1990’s primarily to serve the transportation (i.e, accelerometers for airbags) and telecommunication (pressure contacts) industries. More recently MEMS are finding application in biomedical industries. Sales for the MEMS industry in 2000 is estimated at between $2 - $5 billion.

People are frequently surprised at how many MEMS fabricated devices are already installed and serving millions of people every day – the MEMS Industry Group estimates that there exist about 1.6 MEMS devices per person in the U.S.!

In the MEMS fabrication process it is important to distinguish between the device design process and the MEMS fabrication process itself. This has bearing on product development cost. While MEMS fabrication is can be performed at any number of MEMS foundries (at commodity prices), the device design is where the true intellectual property and expertise are required. Innovation in design usually leads to the award of patents in specific fields of use.