Integrated micromechanical sensors and actuators in silicon

Abstract The integrated silicon microsensor and microactuator field is a rapidly developing branch of the microelectronic technology research. The vast potential of these sensors lies in the compatibility with conventional microelectronic circuits in silicon. Special efforts are often required to maintain this fundamental material compatibility, while enabling the fabrication of versatile sensors and actuators. Sensors in silicon are possible for the measurement of many different non-electrical quantities. This overview is focussed on micromechanical sensors and actuators. The basic technologies used for the fabrication of micromechanical structures in silicon are presented with a special emphasis on their compatibility with integrated electronic readout circuits. The performance and the limitations are outlined using several successfully-fabricated integrated sensor and actuator structures.

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