Using a 3-D Printed Mechatronics Project to Simulate MEMS Design and Fabrication

Contribution: A semester-long project, geared towards a multidisciplinary group of undergraduate engineering students, to design and simulate a large-scale microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) 2-D optical scanner is presented. Background: MEMS component design and fabrication typically requires a cleanroom and costly high-vacuum equipment; these are not available at many small educational institutions. Conventionally, institutions without cleanroom access teach MEMS courses using lectures and videos, but this fails to engage and motivate students because of the absence of hands-on fabrication and design experience. Application Design: The mechatronics project has students use simple accessible tools, including 3-D printing, servomotors, a microcontroller, and mechanical simulation software to design and optimize a large-scale model of a MEMS optical scanner that simulates the 2-D motion of the actual device. Intended Outcomes: This project involves a hands-on approach designed to improve the participating students' understanding of MEMS devices; its design and process constraints closely resemble aspects of the MEMS industry. Application Design: In addition to a detailed description of the various components of the project, this paper describes methods to assess student progress, and gives reflections on the project's implementation. The effectiveness of the project is evaluated through assessment data obtained from a total of 65 students over three semesters. Findings: After introducing the project to the course, instructors saw a great increase in interest, and an improvement in performance. Students showed a significant improvement in their understanding of mask design and fabrication process description, as demonstrated by their final exam grades.