Author Archives: memsstar

How China Can Successfully Compete in the MEMS Race

As trade tensions continue to flare between China and the United States, China is ramping up investment in its own semiconductor infrastructure to become a self-sufficient player in leading-edge technology. One key area of interest is in MEMS manufacturing, as …

How to Navigate MEMS Manufacturing for the Next Decade

Experts are predicting continued growth for MEMS devices for the next decade, driven by consumer applications such as smartphones, voice-activated devices, and bolstered by increasing demand from automotive, biomedical/health, artificial intelligence (AI), and industrial sectors. Additionally, the number of software …

Part 3: Vapour Phase Etching: A User’s Guide

Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) device fabrication presents unique challenges for process engineers and their choice of equipment. This is largely due to the three-dimensional (3D) nature and electro-mechanical functioning of MEMS products. In fact, with these additional challenges, a fundamentally different …

Part 2: Material Issues in MEMS Etching Processes

MEMS device fabrication requires a broad range of reactions and chemistries to create the structures and functions of these complicated electro-mechanical systems. MEMS etching processes in particular, merit attention for material compatibilities because, of course, the function of etching is …

HF Acid Etch vs HF Vapor Etch

In a previous blog post, Dr. Daniel Drysdale described some of the current methods for MEMS manufacturing from an etch perspective, from wet etching and its evolution, to the current suite of dry release technologies. We looked at the pros …

memsstar Recognized by Texas Instruments with 2017 Supplier Excellence Award

memsstar Ltd., a leading provider of etch and deposition equipment to manufacturers of semiconductors and micro-electrical mechanical systems (MEMS), has received the Texas Instruments (TI) 2017 Supplier Excellence Award. The annual award honors companies whose dedication and commitment in supplying …

Single Wafer vs Batch Wafer Processing

In both semiconductor device and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) manufacturing, wafer processes are generally divided into single wafer and batch processing. As the name implies, batch processing calls for multiple wafers to be processed at the same time. This cost-effective approach …

memsstar Supports University of Edinburgh MEMS Researchers

memsstar’s close collaboration with the University of Edinburgh has resulted in the first in a series of published MEMS research results using memsstar’s MEMS processing system and coating technology. This first article is entitled; “The effect of micropillar spacing and …

Heterogeneous Integration Versus Dimensional Scaling; One Year In (Part 2)

In the first part of this series, I covered the perspectives of dimensional scaling vs. heterogeneous integration based on discussions during SEMICON West 2017. For part two, I spoke with equipment and material suppliers who serve either (or in some …

SEMICON West 2016: Update from the Semiconductor Suppliers

Every year at SEMICON West, in addition to taking in keynotes and technology sessions, I like to catch up with semiconductor suppliers to find out about any significant news, their latest offerings and how they are enabling next-generation manufacturing. Here …