An Overview of MEMS Fabrication Processes and Techniques in Surface Micromachining 

Surface micromachining is the process of forming movable structures made of thin films grown on rigid substrates  and etching selective sections away to provide the freestanding submicron-scale structures. Thus, simple microstructures like beams or membranes as well as complex structures such as multilayer thin film sensors on bulk micromachined silicon can be fabricated. Surface micromachining for MEMS is now a mature technology and has become increasingly popular in demanding optical applications where high-resolution and high-speed performance are mandatory.

Download our whitepaper on surface micromachining to learn more about:

• Surface micromachining and bulk micromachining
• Addressing challenges in fabrication of microstructures using surface micromachining
  • Management of stress, stress gradients, stiction control and charging in devices
  • Stress compensation strategies
• Fabrication Processes for Surface Micromachined MEMS
• Read our second whitepaper in the series to learn more about the application of surface micromachining in the manufacturing of tunable diffraction gratings.