A versatile multi-user polyimide surface micromachinning process for MEMS applications

This paper reports a versatile multi-user micro-fabrication process for MEMS devices, the “Polyimide MEMS Multi-User Process” (PiMMPs). The reported process uses polyimide as the structural material and three separate metallization layers that can be interconnected depending on the desired application. This process enables for the first time the development of out-of-plane compliant mechanisms that can be designed using six different physical principles for actuation and sensing on a wafer from a single fabrication run. These principles are electrostatic motion, thermal bimorph actuation, capacitive sensing, magnetic sensing, thermocouple-based sensing and radio frequency transmission and reception.