The EMPF is currently engaged in the study and planning of manufacturing Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) device assemblies. MEMS are silicon devices ranging in size from a micron to a few centimeters, which combine mechanical and electrical structures that use fabrication technologies developed for manufacturing integrated circuits (IC). MEMS are fabricated from equipment or technology that can be found in the integrated circuit manufacturing arena. However most of this equipment is expensive to own and operate.

MEMS are miniaturized devices, gears, movable mirrors, and high-speed motors and MEMS technology can combine, motors, motion translators, sensors, gyros, gears and computers onto one single chip. The accelerometer in your vehicle's air bag that triggers a signal when a specified acceleration or deceleration profile is experienced is one of the earliest and most common examples of a MEMS device with which consumers may come in contact. A second example is the ink jet cartridge that uses a MEMS chip to propel droplets of ink when an electrical impulse is received. The chip consists of microscopic jet nozzles that discharge the droplets of ink using piezoelectric or thermo-mechanical pumps inside the chip.

The EMPF is currently enhancing its capability to serve the commercial electronic and military communities by studying and developing inexpensive assembly methods for MEMS devices.

The complicated processes used to assemble a MEMS device may utilize the following automatic equipment:

Precision placement -
pick and place equipment with five micron for enhanced accuracy, vision system for substrate and die alignment.

Die bonding -
attaching a bare die to a substrate or other material

Wire bonding -
welded electrical connections from the die to the lead or post.

Wafer dicing -
a high speed, pre- cision cutting saw with a diamond blade and automatic vision system, or the precision breaking of a perferated or scribed wafer.

Encapsulation -
dispensing a sealant to surround and protect the assembly.

Vacuum sealing, injection molding and welding -
final packaging and protection.

A recent addition to the EMPF Electronic Manufacturing Learning Center and Demo Factory that enhances its MEMS development capability, is the MRSI-Model 505 Advanced Packaging and Ultra-Precision Work Cell. This work cell is a multi tasking system which can be configured to perform specific ultra precision and critical microelectronic applications. Offering advanced vision and fully automatic operation, the system is specifically designed and configured for advanced packaging applications required for MEMS, medical, military, automotive, and computer applications.

The MRSI 505 system capabilities are as follows:

• Automatic material handling sys- tem (magazine to magazine, mechanical /vacuum fixturing etc.)
• Automatic vision system Wafer handling
• Waffle Pack and Gelpak
• Positive displacement pump dispensing
• Epoxy stamping
• Cassette- to-cassette part han dling systems
• Flip chip operation with upwards looking camera
• Eutectic hot plate
• Programmable amplitude and frequency scrubbing

This unit gives the EMPF the ability to train and conduct research in the latest electronic technologies, such as photonics, high frequency, flip chip, MEMS, eutectic attachment applications and advanced packaging. Typical assembly applications include: Analog to Digital (AtoD) converters, hearing aids, disk drive controllers, microprocessors, MEMS, super conductors, guidance systems, RF modules and microwave modules. In addition to the specific packaging options listed previously, MRSI Model 505 provides the EMPF the precision placement accuracy required for complex assembly operations.