Enabling fabrication of micro-devices on large and/or sensitive substrates

Micro Electro Mechanical Systems — MEMS — is a set of technologies that make it possible to mass produce microscopic electromechanical components in much the same way that electronic circuits are produced. At PARC, we believe that MEMS will revolutionize the way people build products in the 21st century by coupling computation to the physical world with an intimacy and a scale that has never before been possible.

PARC's approach
"Stressed Metal" MEMS: Most semiconductor fabrication facilities can adopt established semiconductor techniques. PARC's approach uses sputtering or plating to deposit films with a built-in stress gradient so that when they are patterned and released from their substrate, they curl into a designed radius of curvature. PARC can design these stressed-metal structures to perform a diverse array of functions across many applications domains.

MicroFluidic MEMS: Leveraging decades of expertise in microfluidics, in a multitude of drop ejection technologies (piezo, thermal, acoustic) and dry aerosol (powder + gas) dosing (ballistic aerosol marking), our microfluidic work extends from drop ejectors to include micro-channeled continuous flow devices, such as particle detectors and particle manipulators for bio-agent detection and concentration and lab-on-a-chip medical instrumentation applications.

Other MEMS technologies include printed MEMS and piezo actuators.

Nanowires, Nanotubes, and Nanoparticles
PARC is working with nanowires and nanotubes for a wide range of applications, ranging from engineered surfaces to solar cells.

Silicon nanowire growth & devices: PARC fabricates silicon nanowires in a CVD reactor using a gold catalyst. We are exploring deposition on a range of substrates — including low-temperature growth on flexible substrates — and the solution deposition of nanowire thin-film transistors, as well as the growth of nanowire composite materials.

Printed metal nanoparticle: As part of our work in printed electronics, PARC has developed technology for printing metallic nanoparticles, used as address lines in printed TFT backplanes.

applications

Chip packaging: ClawConnect electrical & mechanical interconnects
Soldered as well as solder-free, our ClawConnect technology enables highly sophisticated chip packaging that excels in spatial density for high-resolution LCD panels in portable devices, mechanical compliance for the memory chip packaging industry, high-frequency performance for high-speed micro connectors and physical thinness chip stacking in slim form-factor consumer devices.

Other potential applications:

• wafer-level semiconductor probing and testing, using ClawConnect micro-spring probe cards
• massively parallel dip pen probes for nano-scale lithography
• high-Q integrated inductors for cell phone and other wireless devices
• electrostatically actuated, movable StressedMetal structures that support beam-steering mirrors for optical telecommunications or other light-steering or scanning applications
• atomic force microscopy (AFM) probes for imaging super-high topography surfaces
  
• massively parallel probe arrays for data storage
• actuated 2D mirror arrays for projection displays

Nanowires and nanotubes
Suitable for applications from transistors and surface modification layers to vertical solar cells, our silicon nanowires are fabricated by CVD. We have developed technology for printing metallic nanoparticles, used as address lines in printed TFT backplanes. PARC also is:

• studying nanowire composites for superhydrophobic surfaces and other applications
• exploring optical effects in nanowire mats, for solar photovoltaic devices
• developing solution-processed nanowire TFTs for printed display applications

Carbon nanotube sensor project
PARC is part of the DARPA RealNose project, aimed at making a chemical sensor based on the human (or canine) nose. PARC is developing the CNT array, which is addressed by poly-silicon TFTs.