EVENT OVERVIEW: Measurement & Design Tools for Future MEMS & IC Integration

Over the past two years there has been a surge in demand for a comprehensive link between MEMS design tools and leading mixed signal/analog IC design tools. This market pull is due to the consumerisation of MEMS, moving from automotive, inkjet and DLP applications to smart phones, gaming devices and other human machine interface products. MEMS are becoming ubiquitous in consumer electronics, with a market forecast expected to grow from $6B to $49B over the next 10 years. In this rapidly changing environment, emerging fabless design houses and pure MEMS foundries require information exchange from system level simulation tools combining both MEMS and IC design.

CEMMNT partner, Coventor, the leading developer of MEMS design-automation software, recently announced the release of its new MEMS+ product design platform, which intelligently integrates with leading IC design software within a common environment. With a reduction in design entry time, faster simulation speeds, and compatibility with existing IC design tools, MEMS+ now enables non-MEMS specialists to design MEMS devices into their own products.

To explore the challenges and benefits of MEMS+IC simulation further, and provide an in-depth insight into the new MEMS+ design software, CEMMNT and partner company Coventor, co-hosted an exclusive three-day event entitled, Measurement and Design Tools for Future MEMS & IC Integration in March 2010. The event on Wednesday 10th March 2010 focused on a series of presentations and discussions from leading experts in the field, with the 11th March offering an exclusive free-of-charge hands-on workshop focusing on the new MEMS+ platform. Due to the high demand for places, an additional date was added to the original two-day format, with a second MEMS+ training date added for the 9th March. With delegates from across the UK and Europe in attendence, the event provided delegates with an excellent opportunity to network and discover more about the growing range of applications and benefits of MEMS design.

Coventor's next MEMS event...

Following the success of the recent MEMS+ event held in the UK, CEMMNT partner, Coventor, have announced a further MEMS+ event will take place in Paris (France) on 17th-18th May 2010. The event entitled Essential Tools for MEMS & IC Systems will include exclusive presentations from Schlumberger, STMicroelectronics, Coventor, and Cadence Design Systems... For further information on the next MEMS event please contact Christophe de Vorges at devorges@coventor.com

MEMS+ training workshop, 11th March 2010

MEMS presentations and networking, 10th March 2010

• Click here to view a demo of the new MEMS+ platform
• Click here to view QinetiQ's new Dynamic MEMS Metrology application note
• If you would like to receive copies of the event presentations please click here
  
  
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Market developments set to boost Turbocharger use

Turbocharger output is set to increase at a rapid rate with some estimates showing 100% growth within the next 5-6 years from 15 to 30 million units.

Images courtesy of Cummins Turbo Technologies

Turbochargers are becoming increasingly common in both diesel and gasoline engines and are used in many applications such as automobiles, trucks, locomotives, boats and ships. The turbocharger increases engine output without the need to increase the size of the engine thus improving power output, emissions and fuel consumption. Manufacturing the turbo involves many processes including milling, turning, lapping and finish honing. The balance, geometry and surface finish of the turbo components are critical and require close quality control, typically involving roundness and surface finish instruments.

For example, the central shaft of the turbocharger is running at speeds of around 150,000 to 170,000 rpm, therefore straightness, parallelism and in-turn concentricity need to be controlled to ensure clearance of the impeller and turbine with respect to their housings; all of which ensures efficiency and low running noise.

The roundness of the shaft and its bearings (typically journal bearings) can also affect the smooth running of the turbocharger, any distortion in the housings will affect the journal bearings and vice versa. In order to keep these bearings lubricated, a constant supply of pressurised oil is needed. By use of split seals, this oil is kept apart from exhaust and inlet gases, this means that the surface quality and form of the seals and their mating surface on the shaft need to be controlled to ensure a tight seal.

The surface finish of these mating parts can be measured using a Taylor Hobson Talyrond 365 instrument in a radial or axial direction, allowing manufacturers to prevent leakage and ensure reliability. Using the Talyrond 365, virtually all of the parts of the Turbo can be measured, whether measuring flatness and axial run-out of the bearing thrust faces, parallelism and concentricity of the bearing housing, or the finish of the central shaft, making it a truly versatile inspection system.

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CEMMNT partner, Taylor Hobson, launches CCI SunStar...

CEMMNT partner, Taylor Hobson, launches CCI SunStar, leading the world in the next generation of combined thin film dimensional optical profilers. This instrument merges world-leading non-contact dimensional measurement capabilities with advanced thin and thick film technology. The CCI SunStar is able to meet the most demanding application challenges, including 1st and 2nd generation Solar PV, High power LED, Displays and Vacuum Coatings.

The unique features of the CCI SunStar include:

• 4 million pixel camera for high resolution imaging over a large area
• Film thickness measurement from 5 u down to 300 nm or less
• Auto-range and auto-fringe-find for ease of use
• Single mode of operation over all scan ranges for data you can trust
• Strong, stable and robust closed loop Z scanning mechanism

One of the new and exciting application areas is the PV Solar Cells

Recent developments in the design and manufacturing of PV solar cells offer improvements in efficiency and reduction in costs. These advantages are increasing the use of solar cells to replace traditional energy sources.

Solar Cell Design

There are multiple approached to solar cell design and the different approached are often divided into 3 separate categories; first generation, second generation and third generation.

First Generation Solar Cells

These are produced using crystalline silicon. This is the traditional solar cell approach and the majority of current solar cells are produced using this technology. Controlling the depth of scribe lines and the texture of the surface are important parts of solar cell manufacture. The Talysurf CCI is ideal for looking at these parameters in a single measurement. The roughness and trench depth can both be studied at the same time because every measurement has sub nanometre resolution, regardless of the scan range. Typically, the whole measurement and analysis takes less than 1 minute to set up and measure (using auto-fringe-find and auto-range). The average trench depth is the equivalent of over 2,000 stylus measurements and over 4 million data points are collected in each measurement. The large number of data points allows the study of surface roughness at the same time as the trench depth. The benefit of this multi-analysis approach is that it speeds up the metrology involved in process control, making it more cost effective.

Second Generation Solar Cells

These are based on thin film semiconductor materials. This design of solar cell is now becoming more common and it is expected that production of second generation solar cells will increase significantly in the next few years. Measurement of thin films using optical techniques can present some potential problems. The main issue arises from different signals from different layers influencing the final measurement data and producing an incorrect answer. It is possible to measure the thickness of semi-transparent film coating when it is greater than 1 - 2 micrometres and less than 20 micrometres using Thick Film analysis. The high Z resolution of the Coherence Correlation Interferometry (CCI) technique makes it an ideal method for measuring these film thickness because of the sub nanometre resolution over this range. For films thinner than 1 - 2 micrometres a different approach has to be used. Taylor Hobson has released its film thickness software for measuring these thinner films on the CCI SunStar interferometer. The CCI SunStar is capable of measuring film thickness of semi-transparent films from 5 micrometres down to 300 nm or less. The range of thickness that can be measured will vary from material to material depending on the optical properties of the film. The film thickness software is suitable for measuring many types of film including Cadmium Telluride (CdTe), Copper Indium Gallium Diselenide (CIGS), Indium Tin Oxide (ITO), Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide which are often found in the solar cells.

Third Generation Solar Cells

This term is often used to describe new approaches to photovoltaic solar cell design. The flexibility of the CCI SunStar makes it ideal for the study of the new materials and structures often used in these solar cells.

For more information on the measurement and characterisation services available to you through CEMMNT please visit:www.cemmnt.co.uk