Article published MEMS 200
The dawn of multipurpose microsystems
Unequalled in Europe, the MEMS 200 platform develops microsystem components on a 200-mm diameter silicon wafer.
By using micro- and nanotechnologies in systems other than transistors, multipurpose microsystems are opening up a multitude of functionalities. They can be found in products such as Wii game console movement detectors, automotive gyroscopes and biochemical sensors. Within this context, CEA LETI is making its 200 MEMS platform available to companies for process development, prototypes and pre-production runs using 200-mm diameter silicon wafers. This development tool is unrivalled in Europe: a 200-mm R&D line, 1000 m2 of clean rooms, in-line and off-line nanocharacterisation, design laboratories for microsystems and associated control electronics, functional and parametric test resources, reliability testing laboratory, etc. The platform developed a through-silicon via (TSV) technology for STMicroelectronics' CMOS image chips, which was recently transferred to the company's production lines in Crolles. By using the MEMS 200 platform, the electronics giant gained around 12 months in its development cycle. Eight major innovation projects and nearly 30 upstream projects will be conducted this year on the platform, in the automotive, radiofrequency, 3D microelectronics and biochemistry fields.
