IC fabrication-compatible processing for instrumentation and measurement applications

The solid-state sensor field is maturing and an increasing number of applications is being served. Nevertheless, the available infrastructure and technology have found only few applications within the field of instrumentation and measurement (I&M). Therefore, the aim of this paper is threefold: (1) to categorize the various sensor processing strategies that are available; (2) to provide a representative overview of what different silicon sensor processing techniques are available; and (3) to point out their potential for use in metrological applications. To this end, a number of examples of (potentially) successful micromachined devices for metrology are discussed. The key considerations in this application area are: (1) the mechanical material properties of silicon and (2) the on-chip cointegration of the entire reference system.