Ceramic Thick Films for MEMS and Microdevices

Book description

The MEMS (Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems) market returned to growth in 2010. The total MEMS market is worth about $6.5 billion, up more than 11 percent from last year and nearly as high as its historic peak in 2007. MEMS devices are used across sectors as diverse as automotive, aerospace, medical, industrial process control, instrumentation and telecommunications – forming the nerve center of products including airbag crash sensors, pressure sensors, biosensors and ink jet printer heads.  Part of the MEMS cluster within the Micro & Nano Technologies Series, this book covers the fabrication techniques and applications of thick film piezoelectric micro electromechanical systems (MEMS). It includes examples of applications where the piezoelectric thick films have been used, illustrating how the fabrication process relates to the properties and performance of the resulting device. Other topics include: top-down and bottom-up fabrication of thick film MEMS, integration of thick films with other materials, effect of microstructure on properties, device performance, etc.



  • Provides detailed guidance on the fabrication techniques and applications of thick film MEMS, for engineers and R&D groups
  • Written by a single author, this book provides a clear, coherently written guide to this important emerging technology
  • Covers materials, fabrication and applications in one book

Table of contents

  1. Cover image
  2. Table of Contents
  3. Front Matter
  4. Copyright
  5. Preface
  6. Acknowledgments
  7. Introduction
  8. Chapter 1. Integration and devices
  9. 1.1. Introduction
  10. 1.2. Structure of Film Devices
  11. 1.3. Obstacles to Integration
  12. 1.4. Overcoming Challenges
  13. 1.5. Overview of Functional Devices
  14. Chapter 2. Routes to thick films
  15. 2.1. Introduction
  16. 2.2. Routes to Achieve Non-thick–Thick Films
  17. 2.3. Thick-film Powder-based Routes
  18. 2.4. Modified Powder Routes
  19. 2.5. Powder Manufacturing Routes
  20. 2.6. Milling
  21. Chapter 3. Thick-film deposition techniques
  22. 3.1. Introduction
  23. 3.2. Creating Stable Inks
  24. 3.3. Components of Inks
  25. 3.4. Directed Coating Techniques
  26. 3.5. Spreading Coating Techniques
  27. 3.6. Immersion Coating Techniques
  28. 3.7. Post-production Poling
  29. 3.8. Help! It has All Gone Wrong
  30. Chapter 4. Microstructure–property relationships
  31. 4.1. Introduction
  32. 4.2. Material Properties
  33. 4.3. Why are Film Properties not the Same as Bulk Properties?
  34. 4.4. Microstructural Variations
  35. 4.5. Functional Properties
  36. 4.6. Mechanical Properties
  37. 4.7. Cracking
  38. 4.8. Interrelationship Between Property–Microstructure Relationships
  39. Chapter 5. Patterning
  40. 5.1. Introduction
  41. 5.2. Subtractive Patterning
  42. 5.3. Additive Patterning
  43. 5.4. Capabilities and Limitations of Patterning
  44. Chapter 6. Houston, we have a problem
  45. 6.1. Introduction
  46. 6.2. Integration
  47. 6.3. Cracking and Surface Finish
  48. 6.4. Poor Properties
  49. 6.5. Patterning
  50. Chapter 7. Recipes
  51. 7.1. Powders
  52. 7.2. Sols
  53. 7.3. Films and Inks
  54. 7.4. Processing, Poling, and Useful Stuff!
  55. Bibliography
  56. Index

Product information

  • Title: Ceramic Thick Films for MEMS and Microdevices
  • Author(s): Robert A. Dorey
  • Release date: September 2011
  • Publisher(s): William Andrew
  • ISBN: 9781437778182