CMOS-MEMS Inertial Sensors and Their Applications

Hongwei Qu
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Oakland University Rochester, Michigan

Huikai Xie
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering University of Florida Gainesville, Florida

2007 CMOS Emerging Technology Workshop, Whistler, BC Canada, July 12, 2007

Outline
Introduction
MEMS and CMOS-MEMS Technologies Thin-Film CMOS-MEMS DRIE CMOS-MEMS Process Development and Improvement

Integrated CMOS-MEMS Inertial Sensors

MEMS Inertial Sensors: Applications 3-Axis Accelerometer Design, Fabrication and Characterization Integrated Gyroscope Introduction Design and Fabrication

Summary
1

Introduction: MEMS Fabrication

General MEMS Services
MUMPs MEMS Exchange SUMMiT MOSIS 11m

Limitations
Most are for surface MEMS Poly-Si based structures Size limitation Large parasitic Wet release

SACOX2 (0.5m TEOS) MMPoly0 (0.3m) Si3N4 (0.8m) SiO2 (0.63m)

SUMMiT IV technology. Source: Sandia

Other Technologies
SOI Wafer/glass bonding

Non-CMOS compatibility!

Introduction: CMOS-MEMS
CMOS-MEMS Technologies
Full CMOS compatibility Low cost through mainstream CMOS foundries, no assembling High integration, high overall performance Multi-functional devices

Technological Approaches
Pre-CMOS (Sandia) Intra-CMOS (iMEMS, ADI) Post-CMOS (No foundry limit) Additional layers to CMOS Post-CMOS refractory metal/Poly Si deposition (not traditional CMOS process- no metallization ) Post-CMOS SiGe/Ge deposition Post-CMOS etch (Wet or dry)
3 Pre-CMOS Source: Sandia

Post-CMOS MEMS: Prototyping Flow

Post-CMOS Device Design and Fabrication Flow
Tape-out Device Design CMOS Foundry Process

Electrical Design Foundry Selection Technological Requirements Structural and Process Design Post-CMOS Microfabrication Wafer or die level No harm to CMOS Device Package and Characterization

Dry Post-CMOS MEMS

Particular Features
Multiple metal layers Flexibility in wiring and low parasitics Maskless dry process

Previous Approaches
Thin film post-CMOS technology Easy process Curled structure Temperature dependence Size limit (400 m420 m) Release holes needed mass small proof
Wu et al, IEEE Solid-state Circuits, 2004

DRIE post-CMOS technology Bulk MEMS performance with thin-film MEMS footprint

DRIE CMOS MEMS Technology

DRIE Post-CMOS MEMS: Process Flow
Performing thin film undercut and SCS structure etch independently
Thin film Other MEMS CMOS region region structures

Metal 4 is used Si DRIE undercut of isolation beams

Chips from TSMC foundry.

Metal 4 removal by wet etch.

No undesired undercut
Backside etch. 1st SiO2 etch 2nd SiO2 etch Si DRIE for device release
Qu et al, IEEE Sensors, 2004

DRIE CMOS MEMS Technology

Technical Issues Timing controlled etch Overheating of suspended structures Contamination

Isolation trench

DRIE CMOS MEMS Technology

Improved DRIE CMOS-MEMS PR coating Other material Footing effect
Si DRIE undercut of isolation beams

Chips from TSMC foundry.

Metal 4 removal by wet etch.

Backside etch. 1st SiO2 etch

PR ashing for device release

H. Qu, et al, Solid State Sensors Workshop, Hilton Head Island, 2006

Transition
Introduction
CMOS-MEMS Technology Thin-Film CMOS-MEMS DRIE CMOS-MEMS Process Improvement

Integrated CMOS-MEMS Inertial Sensors

MEMS Inertial Sensors: Applications 3-Axis Accelerometer Design, Fabrication and Characterization Integrated Gyroscope Introduction Design and Fabrication

Summary

MEMS Inertial Sensors

Applications: Everywhere in modern life
Vehicle safety Seismetic and Engineering monitoring Health/Athletic monitoring Virtual reality, image stabilization Logistic, transportation Consume electronics (PC, Playstation) Portable electronics (MP3, cell phone, etc.)

Requirements
Smaller size for 3-axis sensing Low power Low-noise (high resolution)

10

Device Design
3-axis DRIE Accelerometer
Z torsional beams X, Y fingers Z fingers X, Y springs Imbalanced Z proof mass

ts Circui

CKT

Lateral proof mass

Z Y X

Si substrate

Simplified 3D model of the device

H. Qu, et al, Solid State Sensors Workshop, Hilton Head Island, 2006

11

Device Design
Sensing Mechanisms
Lateral sensing
C1 dx Stator gap ma = F = k dx C
C1
Stator

Z-axis sensing

C2

Ca C1

Stator

Vm+

gap
Rotor
er ng Fi th ng le

M1
Cb

Vm-

Rotor Fully differential sensing in all three axes?

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Fully Differential Configuration

Lateral Sensing
Vout+ Voutdriving comb fingers

mechanical spring
C1a

Vm+
C4b C3a C1b C2a C4a C2b

C3b

C1a

C4a

sensing comb fingers

VmC1b C2a C2b C4b C3a C3b

Vm+
C1 Vout+ C2 C3 VoutC4

Vm+ Vm-

Vm13

4 groups of sensing comb fingers with common-centroid wiring for CM rejection

Z-Axis Sensing
Torsional beams and anchors

C3a, C3b C1a, C1b

z y x

C2a, C2b C4a, C4b L L Stators

Vm+

Offset cancellation Fully differential sensing

Vm+

C1a M3

Vs Vm-

C2a

C1b C1a
Vm-

C2a C1
Vs1

C1 C2 VmC3
Vs

C2b C2
Vm+

Vs1

M2 M1 C1b

Vm+

C1 C2b C2
Vm-

C4

Two groups on each end for offset cancellation swapped connections for a common-centroid configuration

C1 = C1b+C2a = C2= C1a+C2b C3 = C3b+C4a = C4= C3a+C4b (at original displacement)

14

Device Design: Interface Circuit

Low-power, low-noise dual-chopper amplifier
V an = am 2 + ae 2 = am 2 + ( e )2 S

Low-power: 1mW AA battery: 1000 hours Low noise: 16 nV/Hz Total gain: 44dB Dual chopper: 1 MHz and 20 kHz Offset cancellation
15

D. Fang et al, VLSI Symposium 2006

3-axis DRIE Accelerometer Design: Summary

Device size Thickness of the structure Length of x_y fingers Length of z finger Finger gap Total capacitance Sensitivity in X Sensitivity in Y Sensitivity in Z Brownian Noise floor Power dissipation 1000*1000m2 50 m Silicon+6 m CMOS 90 m (overlap 85 m) 40 m 2.1m 440 fF in lateral 86 fF in Z 1.5~2.3 mV/g 1.6~2.5 mV/g 4.5 mV/g 1~ 10 g/Hz 1 mW / axis

X-CKT

CKT for Y

CKT for 1-axis accl

3-axis

Z-CKT

Test CKT

Cadence layout of the devices

16

3-axis Accelerometer: Fabricated Devices

Packaged Devices

3 mm y-axis circuit

3 mm

PLCC-52 package

z-axis circuit Photo of a bonded die.

17

x-axis circuit

3-axis Accelerometer: Microstructures

1mm

700 m
( a )

300 m

90m

Isolation trenches

1mm

18

3-axis Accelerometer: Characterization

Test Setups
Hand-held shaker

Rotary table

Spectrum analyzer

DUT

shaker Reference accelerometer Kistler 8638B5

19

3-axis Accelerometer: Characterization

Static Response and Noise Test
0.05g Pk

12 g/Hz

0.5g Pk

110g/Hz

Static test results of the 3-axis accelerometer

Noise spectrum of the lateral and z-axis accelerometer

20

Summary of the 3-Axis Accelerometer

Parameter (Unit)
Chip size (mmmm) Power consumption (mW) Lateral-axis mechanical sensitivity (mV/g) Z-axis mechanical sensitivity Lateral-axis sensitivity (mV/g) Z-axis overall sensitivity (mV/g) Lateral-axis noise floor (g/Hz) Z-axis noise floor (g/Hz) No-linearity (%) Bandwidth (kHz) Dynamic range (dB) (BW=100Hz) TCS (%/C) TCO (mg/C) Inter-axis coupling (%) -

Designed
33 1 4.5 2.4 450 240 7.97 1.5 (lateral) /0.5 (z)

Tested
1 3.54 2.02 460 320 12.0 110.0 0.35 (L) 2.11/4.71 (z) 1.5 87.9(L)/73.4(z) -0.307 7.03 2.26~2.38(L) 2.11~4.71 (z)

ADXL330
44 (with package) 0.6 ~ 1.15 270~330 270~330 280 350 0.3 1.6 (lateral)/0.6 (z) 0.01 1 1 21

Integrated CMOS-MEMS Gyroscope

Rotational Sensing Principle: Coriolis Acceleration Device Design and Fabrication Lateral driving, lateral sensing DRIE CMOS-MEMS

r r r ac = 2v
Driving mechanical spring

Sensing comb fingers

Proof mass

Driving comb fingers Sensing spring

Fabricated Integrated gyroscope

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Summary
CMOS-MEMS
Monolithic Integration High performance, low Cost

CMOS-MEMS Inertial Sensors

Bulk silicon microstructures with footprint of surface devices High resolution

Emerging Applications
Portable electronics Security Wireless sensor networks
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Acknowledgements

NASA UF/UCF Space Research Initiative MOSIS Educational Program

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Z-Axis Sensing: Mechanisms

13 12 11 Capacitance (fF) 10 9 8 7 6 -200 Maximum displacement in z direction (um)

10

2 Maximum rotaional angle (degree)

-5

-1

-150

-100 -50 0 50 100 Acceleration in z direction (g)

150

200

-10 -200

-150

-100 -50 0 50 100 Acceleration in z direction (g)

150

-2 200

Coventor simulation of Z capacitance change and displacement versus Z acceleration (using 3 swapped fingers)
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Z-Axis Sensing: Mechanisms

9 8 7 Capacitance (fF) 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 -1 -50

C1 C2 C1b C1a
C1 C2 C1 + C2

y = 0.0024*x - 2.1e-018

0 Acceleration in z direction (g)

50

Coventor simulation of Z capacitance change.

26

DR by S/N
Dynamic Range by S/N Ratio

Y-axis of R5 THD=5% DR=103.6-20.90=82.7 dB

27