ABSTRACT
For all but the simplest of applications, the large assortment of individual fabrication processes discussed in Chapter 2 needs to be combined synergistically to form a technology that can produce useful MEMS devices. Three dominant MEMS fabrication technologies — philosophically different in their approach — are currently in use:
• LIGA (Lithographie, Galvanoformung, Abformung) • Bulk micromachining • Sacrificial surface micromachining
Figure 3.1 illustrates the basic concepts of each of the three fabrication approaches. Bulk micromachining and sacrificial surface micromachining are most frequently silicon based and are generally very synergistic to the microelectronics industry because they tend to use common tool sets.
