Three-Dimensional Solenoids Realized via High-Density Deep Coil Stacking for MEMS Application

MEMS inductors are used in a wide range of applications in micro- and nanotechnology, including RF MEMS, sensors, power electronics, and Bio-MEMS. Fabrication technologies set the boundary conditions for inductor design and their electrical and mechanical performance. This review provides a comprehensive overview of state-of-the-art MEMS technologies for inductor fabrication, presents recent advances in 3D additive fabrication technologies, and discusses the challenges and opportunities of MEMS inductors for two emerging applications, namely, integrated power electronics and neurotechnologies. Among the four top-down MEMS fabrication approaches, 3D surface micromachining and through-substrate-via (TSV) fabrication technology have been intensively studied to fabricate 3D inductors such as solenoid and toroid in-substrate TSV inductors. While 3D inductors are preferred for their high-quality factor, high power density, and low parasitic capacitance, in-substrate TSV inductors offer an additional unique advantage for 3D system integration and efficient thermal dissipation. These features make in-substrate TSV inductors promising to achieve the ultimate goal of monolithically integrated power converters. From another perspective, 3D bottom-up additive techniques such as ice lithography have great potential for fabricating inductors with geometries and specifications that are very challenging to achieve with established MEMS technologies. Finally, we discuss inspiring and emerging research opportunities for MEMS inductors.

show abstract

“…Power, wireless Through-silicon windings, double-sided embedded windings 161 , stacked substrate 162 , magnetic core integration.…”

Section: Tsv Fabrication Processesmentioning

confidence: 99%

MEMS inductor fabrication and emerging applications in power electronics and neurotechnologies

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In order to maximize the component of the magnetic field used for transduction, the array was placed near the edge of the magnet, and the microcantilevers in the array were aligned such that the fixed end of the beams were parallel to the magnet's edge. While this magnet and experimental setup facilitated experiments in a laboratory setting, portable applications would require either integrating magnetic material [42][43][44][45][46][47] or a solenoid [48][49][50][51]. Both methods have distinct advantages and pitfalls, but these relatively recent citations demonstrate that progress is being made and that it may be Figure 10.…”

Section: Device Silicon Bulk Siliconmentioning

confidence: 99%

A single-input, single-output electromagnetically-transduced microresonator array

Sabater

Hunkler

Rhoads

2014

J. Micromech. Microeng.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Resonant microsystems have found broad applicability in environmental and inertial sensing, signal filtering and timing applications. Despite this breadth in utility, a common constraint on these devices is throughput, or the total amount of information that they can process. In recent years, elastically-coupled arrays of microresonators have been used to increase the throughput in sensing contexts, but these arrays are often more complicated to design than their isolated counterparts, due to the potential for collective behaviors (such as vibration localization) to arise. An alternative solution to the throughput constraint is to use arrays of electromagnetically-transduced microresonators. These arrays can be designed such that the mechanical resonances are spaced far apart and the mechanical coupling between the microresonators is insignificant. Thus, when the entire array is actuated and sensed, a resonance in the electrical response can be directly correlated to a specific microresonator vibrating, as collective behaviors have been avoided. This work details the design, analysis and experimental characterization of an electromagnetically-transduced microresonator array in both low-and atmospheric-pressure environments, and demonstrates that the system could be used as a sensor in ambient conditions. While this device has direct application as a resonant-based sensor that requires only a single source and measurement system to track multiple resonances, with simple modification, this array could find uses in tunable oscillator and frequency multiplexing contexts.

show abstract

“…Electrically controlled generation of strong magnetic induction at room temperature is a topic of broad interest in a wide range of science and engineering applications, including magnetic resonance imaging, DNA analyses, biological behavior, and power electronics, among others (1)(2)(3)(4)(5). Many such magnetic induction systems use designs following Faraday's law to exploit similar strategies for realizing large coil densities, integrating high-permeability material, and maximizing current handling ability (6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12). Although a variety of technique innovations are capable of realizing specific structures in certain classes of materials on the macroscale so as to attain the desired performance, micro-and nanoscale fabrication techniques relying on advanced nanotechnologies have the potential to provide an extremely promising platform to embrace the trend of high-level integration (8)(9)(10)(11)(12).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although a variety of technique innovations are capable of realizing specific structures in certain classes of materials on the macroscale so as to attain the desired performance, micro-and nanoscale fabrication techniques relying on advanced nanotechnologies have the potential to provide an extremely promising platform to embrace the trend of high-level integration (8)(9)(10)(11)(12). The applicability of these latter methods, however, currently only extends directly to structures and materials compatible with two-dimensional (2D) semiconductor processing or 2.5D microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology, which is naturally contrary to the optimum design principle of 3D magnetic induction system on the macroscale (6,7). Fabrication of 3D coil structures monolithically based on semiconductor processingcompatible methods can be challenging.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Monolithic mtesla-level magnetic induction by self-rolled-up membrane technology

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Monolithic strong magnetic induction at the mtesla to tesla level provides essential functionalities to physical, chemical, and medical systems. Current design options are constrained by existing capabilities in three-dimensional (3D) structure construction, current handling, and magnetic material integration. We report here geometric transformation of large-area and relatively thick (~100 to 250 nm) 2D nanomembranes into multiturn 3D air-core microtubes by a vapor-phase self-rolled-up membrane (S-RuM) nanotechnology, combined with postrolling integration of ferrofluid magnetic materials by capillary force. Hundreds of S-RuM power inductors on sapphire are designed and tested, with maximum operating frequency exceeding 500 MHz. An inductance of 1.24 μH at 10 kHz has been achieved for a single microtube inductor, with corresponding areal and volumetric inductance densities of 3 μH/mm2 and 23 μH/mm3, respectively. The simulated intensity of the magnetic induction reaches tens of mtesla in fabricated devices at 10 MHz.

show abstract

Three-Dimensional Solenoids Realized via High-Density Deep Coil Stacking for MEMS Application

Cited by 8 publications

References 10 publications

MEMS inductor fabrication and emerging applications in power electronics and neurotechnologies

MEMS inductor fabrication and emerging applications in power electronics and neurotechnologies

A single-input, single-output electromagnetically-transduced microresonator array

Monolithic mtesla-level magnetic induction by self-rolled-up membrane technology

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About