MEMS / NEMS
Thin films for sensing, actuating and magnetics
Overview
Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS) and Nano-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (NEMS) leverage wafer processing technologies for micro-machining and structuring of Advanced Functional Materials enabling the manufacturing of sensors and actuators. These devices bridge the gap between the analog and digital worlds, serving critical functions in various applications, from efficient ink delivery in printers to accelerometers in car airbags and optical switches in datacom networks.
Accurate preparation of microstructured films is essential for efficient and cost-effective production. Evatec's evaporation, sputtering, PECVD, and PEALD technologies support the deposition of metals, dielectrics, piezoelectric, and magnetic materials, ensuring precision and performance in MEMS/NEMS applications.
You can explore more about our thin film production solutions for MEMS applications in LAYERS.
Production Tools
The Evatec Tool Portfolio for MEMS
A diverse industry demands a flexible, wide tool portfolio. Evatec offers batch, single wafer, static, or dynamic concepts equipped with hardware features to master the characteristics of Advanced Functional Materials. Our R&D, small series, and manual or automatically loaded systems provide tailored solutions to meet diverse requirements.
Learn more about the BAK Evaporator, the LLS, or different members of the CLUSTERLINE® family by clicking on the button.
CLUSTERLINE® 200
200mm cluster tool offering single substrate processing for piezo MEMS including RF-MEMS or batch processing technology for multilayer stacks in micro-optics.
BAK Family
Benchmark evaporator in sizes from 0.5 to 1.4 meters backed by 70 years process know-how. Flexible source and substrate handling for MEMS applications.
LLS EVO II
Vertical batch sputter tool with long track record. Ideal for production of smaller volumes for any functional layer at lower investment costs.
MEMS Sensors
Sensors are integral components leveraging material-specific characteristics alongside electrical properties, responding to diverse physical stimuli from sound to light, temperature, mechanical force, or chemical reaction. As technological demands evolve towards monolithic integration, MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) play a pivotal role, especially in IoT connectivity. With over 70 years of expertise, Evatec offers an array of deposition technologies and process know-how, shaping the properties of resulting thin films. Whether utilizing evaporators or dynamic sputter concepts like the LLS EVO II or adopting classic single-wafer manufacturing with the flexible CLUSTERLINE® 200, Evatec provides tailored solutions to meet MEMS requirements.
Piezo MEMS
The market for devices leveraging piezoelectric effects is flourishing , expanding beyond traditional wireless communication to encompass ultrasonic transducers, microphones, speakers, and mirrors. Deposition of materials with high piezoelectric coefficients, such as AlN, AlScN, or PZT on Evatec's CLUSTERLINE® 200 platform, supports the production of highly sensitive elements or actuators. These materials efficiently convert forces and displacements into electrical energy and vice versa, with stress control mastered for optimal performance.
Precision and performance in modern sensor and actuator innovation.
Magnetic MEMS
Evatec's CLUSTERLINE® 200 and LLS EVO systems boast extensive expertise in magnetic sensors and TFH (Thin Film Heads) technologies, making them reliable choices for depositing a broad range of soft-magnetic layers. These systems facilitate the deposition of complex multi-layer stacks with magnetic self-alignment and engineered anisotropy on substrates, offering significant advantages in throughput and cost of ownership.
Optical MEMS
Evatec combines semiconductor industry precision in wafer handling with Advanced Process Control to enable high yields in manufacturing proximity, ambient light, and color rendering management sensors. In-situ reoptimization on platforms like CLUSTERLINE® 200 equipped with Batch Process Module (BPM) technology ensure secure production of complex optical stacks on high-value wafers, crucial for smart phone technologies. These optical layers, often deposited on micro-mirrors or tuneable lenses, rely on MEMS actuators—piezo or capacitive—for functionality.
Quantum Computing
Quantum Computers represent a technological leap in communication and Artificial Intelligence. You can read more about the expected market emergence of Quantum Computing technology in LAYERS 8 Evatec offers solutions for sputtering superconducting films like Nb or alpha-Ta on CLUSTERLINE® 200, alongside deposition of electro-optical materials for photonic computing devices. The fabrication of Josephson junctions is made reliable and repeatable using Evatec's family of BAK evaporators.