**3. MEMS technology**

Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) technology integrate sensors, actuators, mechanical elements, and electronics on the same silicon substrate using microfabrication technology. MEMS modules replace connectorized devices, actuators, sensors, and antennas with micron scale similar devices that can be produced in mass production by a production process using integrated circuits and photolithography technology. MEMS devices reduce size, cost, weight, and power consumption while improving properties, production cost and yield, volume, and functionality significantly. The dimensions of MEMS modules may vary from several millimeters to around one micron. MEMS modules may vary from very simple structures to structures with moving elements. There are complex MEMS electromechanical systems with several moving elements controlled by integrated microelectronics. During the last thirty years MEMS designers, developers and researchers have produced an extremely large number of MEMS sensors for several sensing applications. For example, pressure sensing, heartbeat, temperature sensing, inertial forces, chemical species, magnetic fields, radiation detection and movement detection. Usually, these MEMS sensors have better performances exceeding those of conventional sensors and devices. The electronics components are produced using IC process. The micromechanical components are produced by using compatible "micromachining" processes. These processes, by using masks, etch away parts of the silicon wafer or add new structural layers to form the electromechanical and mechanical modules.

**11**

**Figure 8.**

*Introductory Chapter: Ultra-Wideband Technologies DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.97675*

**3.1 MEMS technology features and advantages**

• High Linearity compared to conventional devices

• High power handling compared to conventional devices

• Low power consumption compared to conventional devices

• Low-cost and high-volume production compared to conventional devices

by using etching masks. Bulk micro-machined module is shown in **Figure 8**.

**Bulk micromachining** produces mechanical structures in the silicon substrate

**Surface Micromachining** produce mechanical structures above the substrate surface by using sacrificial layer. Surface micro-machined module is presented in **Figure 9**. In Bulk micromachining technology silicon is machined using etching processes. Surface micromachining uses layers deposition on the substrate to

• High Q compared to conventional devices

• Insertion loss lower than <0.1 dB

• Isolation lower than -50 dB

• Low volume and compact

**3.2 MEMS technology process**

produce a structural layer.

*MEMS bulk micromachining technology.*

electromechanical devices.

The real potential of MEMS may be fulfilled when these miniaturized sensors, actuators, and other components can all be merged onto a common silicon substrate along with integrated circuits, microelectronic ICs. The electronic components are fabricated using integrated circuit (IC) process sequences (such as CMOS, Bipolar, or BICMOS processes). The micromechanical components are fabricated using compatible "micromachining" processes that selectively etch away parts of the silicon wafer or add new structural layers to form the mechanical and

*Introductory Chapter: Ultra-Wideband Technologies DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.97675*

The real potential of MEMS may be fulfilled when these miniaturized sensors, actuators, and other components can all be merged onto a common silicon substrate along with integrated circuits, microelectronic ICs. The electronic components are fabricated using integrated circuit (IC) process sequences (such as CMOS, Bipolar, or BICMOS processes). The micromechanical components are fabricated using compatible "micromachining" processes that selectively etch away parts of the silicon wafer or add new structural layers to form the mechanical and electromechanical devices.
