An overview of Sandia National Laboratories' MEMS activities

Sandia National Laboratories has a substantial effort in development of microelectromechanical system (MEMS) technologies. This miniaturization capability can lead to low-cost, small, high-performance, "systems-on-a-chip", and have many applications ranging from advanced military space systems to large-volume commercial markets like automobiles, rf or land-based communication networks and equipment, or commercial electronics. One of the key challenges in realization of the microsystem is integration of several technologies including digital electronics; analog and RF electronics, optoelectronics, sensors, and actuators, and advanced packaging technologies. This paper will provide an overview of Sandia's MEMS activities. Microscopic devices such as gears, transmissions, pop-up mirrors (such as those planned for the next generation telescope), and shutters, fabricated using silicon surface micromachining, techniques will be presented. Various sensors and the technology details used to create them will also be described. Such devices and technologies should provide aerospace system designers with a new set of tools for creating the next generation of space hardware.