MEMS Foundry
and Prototyping Services
Sensor, actuator, microfluidic and photonic MEMS built from one wafer upward: deep etching, wafer bonding, thin films, lithography, release and dicing, each step managed end to end by a dedicated project manager. Bring a drawing or a process flow; we return a feasibility answer and a route.
order
diameters
aspect ratio
target
The process building blocks, in one program
A MEMS device rarely needs one process. It needs six in the right order, with the interfaces between them controlled. That coordination is what we sell.
Inertial and pressure sensors
DRIE springs, proof masses and membranes on SOI or bulk silicon; cavities and backside etch to a buried oxide; hermetic caps by eutectic, anodic or glass-frit bonding.
Microfluidics and biochips
Channels and reservoirs in silicon, glass or quartz; through-holes for ports; bonded covers and patterned electrodes. See biochip and microfluidics.
Optical MEMS and photonics
Mirrors, gratings, V-grooves and alignment features; metallized reflectors; benches and submounts for hybrid integration.
Actuators and resonators
Piezoelectric (AlN, PZT) and electrostatic structures with patterned electrodes, release etching and controlled stress films.
Vapor cells and packages
Alkali vapor cells and hermetic MEMS packages by multi-wafer bonding; see MEMS vapor cells.
Test structures
Trench ladders, membrane arrays and bond-strength coupons that let you qualify a step before a full build. See test wafers.
MEMS Foundry and Prototyping Services
Scope and specification options. Every figure is confirmed for your program in the quotation.
What is typical, and what is reviewed
The table gives the ranges we quote routinely. Anything outside it is reviewed at engineering review before a quotation.
| Element | Typical capability | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Substrates | Si, SOI, glass, fused silica, quartz, sapphire; 2 to 12 inch | Customer-supplied or sourced by us |
| Deep silicon etch | Bosch DRIE, aspect ratio above 50:1 on narrow features, through-wafer | See deep silicon etching |
| Lithography | Contact, stepper and e-beam; multi-layer overlay | Mask sets made to our 150 mm template or yours |
| Thin films | Sputtering, evaporation, PECVD, LPCVD, ALD; piezoelectric AlN and PZT | See the material library |
| Bonding | Anodic, fusion, eutectic (AuSn, AuSi, Al-Ge), adhesive, SLID | Cavity and vacuum sealing reviewed per design |
| Release and dicing | HF vapor and wet release, critical point drying, blade and stealth dicing | Fragile-structure handling agreed in advance |
From drawing to diced devices
- 01Feasibility reviewWe read your device drawing or flow, check each step against the ranges above and list open questions, typically within one business day.
- 02Process definitionA step-by-step flow with inspection points, mask layout requirements and the substrate specification.
- 03Masks and test couponsMask set fabrication; where a step is new for the design, a short coupon run before committing wafers.
- 04FabricationLithography, etching, deposition and bonding run in the agreed order with metrology at the agreed points.
- 05Release, dicing and inspectionStructure release, singulation and the inspection deliverables in the quotation (optical, SEM, profilometry, electrical as agreed).
- 06Repeat lotsThe flow is kept on file; later lots need only quantity, date and any change note.
For a feasibility answer
| Item | What helps |
|---|---|
| Device drawing or process flow | Cross-section sketch with layer thicknesses; GDS if you have it; which dimensions are critical |
| Substrate | Material, diameter, thickness, SOI device and BOX thickness, who supplies it |
| Critical steps | The one or two steps you consider risky (deep etch depth, bond hermeticity, release stiction) |
| Quantity and stage | Feasibility coupons, prototype wafers, pilot lot; target date |
| Constraints | Maximum process temperature, restricted materials, existing devices on the wafer |
Questions engineers ask before ordering
What is the minimum order?
One wafer. Feasibility coupons are also possible when a single step needs proving first.
Can you run my existing process flow?
Yes. Send the flow with layer thicknesses and critical dimensions; we check each step against our ranges and return the open questions within one business day.
Do you make the masks?
Yes, on our 150 mm template or to your mask specification.
Processes usually combined with this work
Start your project.
Initial response within one business day.
Share your process requirements, substrate, and production volume. A Nanosystems JP Inc. engineer gives an initial response, typically within one business day. A written quotation typically follows within 7-10 business days after we receive the required information and complete any prerequisite NDA.