UA Researchers Awarded NSF Grant to Develop Packaging for Micro-Electromechanical Systems

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A team of engineering researchers at the University of Arkansas has been awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation and a private company to develop novel electronic-packaging technologies for micro-electromechanical-system (MEMS) devices. The research will apply to products used for telecommunications, homeland security, biomedical devices, automotive and aerospace sensors, and fuel cells.

The UA team, led by Ajay Malshe, professor of mechanical engineering, will collaborate with researchers at wiSpry, a private company that produces MEMS devices, and Sandia National Laboratories, a U.S. Department of Energy lab, to develop the technologies. Other members of the UA group are Fred Barlow, associate professor of electrical engineering, and Bill Brown, distinguished professor of electrical engineering.

The $508,016 grant is part of an NSF initiative called Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry, which provides research funds to support university and industry partnerships. The research will help technology companies manufacture MEMS more efficiently and at a reduced cost.

“Today, the cost of MEMS products is dominated by packaging, and this research will contribute to reducing the cost significantly,” said Art Morris, chief technology officer and vice president of engineering at wiSpry.

Micro-electromechanical systems are microscale mechanical elements used for sensing and actuation, or setting into motion. MEMS are used in radio frequency switches and antennas, drug delivery systems and implants, optical displays and switches, and chemical reactors.

 For this project, the UA researchers will package MEMS on wafers, thin discs 4 to 12 inches in diameter. The researchers will develop the wafers by using silicon, polymer or low-temperature co-fired ceramic. These materials are suited for MEMS packaging because they can create an air-tight environment, and they can be used for high-frequency applications. They are also relatively inexpensive and easy to manufacture.

After developing the wafers, the researchers will then implement and test packaging application to arrays of radio-frequency, micro-electromechanical-systems witch devices. Successful packaging of these systems has great commercial potential, the researchers said. The technical approach of the research will enable industry to produce a wide variety of micro-electromechanical-system packages operating in an air-tight environment.

The researchers’ expertise and the interdisciplinary approach of the project will provide an ideal educational environment for microsystems education. There will be a special emphasis on recruiting students -- especially underrepresented minorities -- and providing a superior training environment.

“Training is critical to today’s technology community, particularly in the Midwest,” Malshe said. “This well-funded, multi-year opportunity will enable our node of excellence at the University of Arkansas to create new knowledge and educate a world-class workforce.”

The research will be performed at the University of Arkansas High Density Electronics Center (HiDEC). Researchers at HiDEC work on all aspects of advanced electronic packaging. In 1999, HiDEC researchers initiated research and education in packaging of application-specific MEMS devices and related microsystems. This group of investigators and their collaborators has gained international recognition for contributing to a fundamental understanding of the core technologies for low-cost system packaging and related products.