PiezoMEMS at VTT: R&D and manufacturing services

VTT is an R&D institute with a staff of researchers and engineers developing new sensors and their fabrication processes across a wide range of platforms, from MEMS to photonics and detectors up to data analytics and digital services. Currently at the head of MEMS development, piezoelectric actuation drives resonators for timing, gyroscopes, and even mirrors for automotive LIDAR. Coupled with our new developments in highly-doped silicon, including CSOI substrates, we again see the possibilities of MEMS entering some long-promised territories. The development work for MEMS products in particular still occurs on many levels, sometimes requiring customization of existing processes, and sometimes the creation of entirely new processes. Formerly these processes, like the CSOI processes developed here previously, were transferred to distant foundries for production. Now, with our new partner VTT MEMSFAB, the scope of our development efforts, whenever realistic, has expanded to include manufacturing with the goal being to enable direct production of high-value components with achievable volumes and eliminate the costs associated with transferring to another production foundry.