Integration of IC technology with MEMS: Silicon+ technology for the future

As silicon integrated circuits (ICs) continue their development scaling to smaller geometries there are increasing signs that the industry is diversifying into new device types and associated new application areas. The mainstream IC industry which is manufacturing devices such as memories and microprocessors will be following the ITRS roadmap towards smaller and smaller devices. However, in parallel, there will be an increasing activity involving the integration of silicon with other technologies and new materials, and it is clear that MEMS will form an important component of this Silicon+ activity. This paper identifies the options available for integrating MEMS with IC technology and examples will be used to identify the issues associated with their implementation through a number of examples.