Tribology issues and opportunities in MEMS

the long version

This volume contains the Proceedings of the NSF/AFOSR/ASME Workshop on Tribology Issues and Opportunities in MEMS, held in Columbus, Ohio, USA, 9-11 November, 1997. Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) is a rapidly growing industry. So far major emphasis has been placed on the fabrication processes for various devices. There are serious issues related to tribology, mechanics, surface chemistry and materials science in the operation and manufacturing of many MEMS devices and these issues are preventing an even faster commercialization. Very little is understood about tribology and mechanical properties on micro- to nanoscales of the materials used in the construction of MEMS devices. The MEMS community needs to be exposed to state-of-the-art tribology and vice versa, and this was the specific aim of the workshop. Better tribological understanding of MEMS will advance the state of the art in micromachining and in the IC industry in general. For example, better understanding will contribute to better performance prediction for micromachined pressure sensors, accelerometers and gyros as well as a better understanding of stiction behaviour of micro-mirrors and micromotors and of the influence of roughness on micro-fluids. This volume will be of interest to researchers, manufacturers and potential users of MEMS and experts in tribology (including mechanics, mechanical properties and surface modification).