This unique book describes the science and technology of silicon carbide (SiC) microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), from the creation of SiC material to the formation of final system, through various expert contributions by several leading key figures in the field. The book contains high-quality up-to-date scientific information concerning SiC MEMS for harsh environments summarized concisely for students, academics, engineers and researchers in the field of SiC MEMS. This is the only book that addresses in a comprehensive manner the main advantages of SiC as a MEMS material for applications in high temperature and harsh environments, as well as approaches to the relevant technologies, with a view progressing towards the final product. Sample Chapter(s). Chapter 1: Introduction to Silicon Carbide (SIC) Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) (800 KB). Contents: Introduction to Silicon Carbide (SiC) Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) (R Cheung); Deposition Techniques for SiC MEMS (C A Zorman et al.); Review of Issues Pertaining to the Development of Contacts to Silicon Carbide: 1996OCo2002 (L M Porter & F A Mohammad); Dry Etching of SiC (S J Pearton); Design, Performance and Applications of SiC MEMS (S Zappe). Readership: Academic researchers in MEMS and industrial engineers engaged in SiC MEMS research."

This unique book describes the science and technology of silicon carbide (SiC) microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), from the creation of SiC material to the formation of final system, through various expert contributions by several leading key figures in the field. The book contains high-quality up-to-date scientific information concerning SiC MEMS for harsh environments summarized concisely for students, academics, engineers and researchers in the field of SiC MEMS.This is the only book that addresses in a comprehensive manner the main advantages of SiC as a MEMS material for applications in high temperature and harsh environments, as well as approaches to the relevant technologies, with a view progressing towards the final product./a

Silicon Carbide Microsystems for Harsh Environments reviews state-of-the-art Silicon Carbide (SiC) technologies that, when combined, create microsystems capable of surviving in harsh environments, technological readiness of the system components, key issues when integrating these components into systems, and other hurdles in harsh environment operation. The authors use the SiC technology platform suite the model platform for developing harsh environment microsystems and then detail the current status of the specific individual technologies (electronics, MEMS, packaging). Additionally, methods towards system level integration of components and key challenges are evaluated and discussed based on the current state of SiC materials processing and device technology. Issues such as temperature mismatch, process compatibility and temperature stability of individual components and how these issues manifest when building the system receive thorough investigation. The material covered not only reviews the state-of-the-art MEMS devices, provides a framework for the joining of electronics and MEMS along with packaging into usable harsh-environment-ready sensor modules.

This document is the final technical report for the SiC MEMS for Harsh Environments in-house research program jointly coordinated between AFRL/MNMF and AFRL/MLPS, and addresses the benefits of silicon carbide (SiC) as a material of choice for harsh environment applications, specifically at the scale of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). The results from this program provide clear evidence of the benefit of SiC as a harsh environment (specifically high temperature) material for both structural and electronic devices. Although shock testing of SiC MEMS devices under this program was not accomplished, subsequent work allowed for this testing to occur, with positive results. Furthermore, one of the key concerns with respect to SiC electronics was the need for good contact metallization for ohmic contacts. Rhenium was found to be an excellent material for providing ohmic contact metallization on SiC. These results provide a good foundation for the benefits of SiC for harsh environment (high temperature and high shock) applications.

MEMs Materials and Processes Handbook" is a comprehensive reference for researchers searching for new materials, properties of known materials, or specific processes available for MEMS fabrication. The content is separated into distinct sections on "Materials" and "Processes". The extensive Material Selection Guide" and a "Material Database" guides the reader through the selection of appropriate materials for the required task at hand. The "Processes" section of the book is organized as a catalog of various microfabrication processes, each with a brief introduction to the technology, as well as examples of common uses in MEMs.

This book addresses the piezoresistance in p-type 3C-SiC, which it investigates using experimental characterization and theoretical analysis. The gauge factor, the piezoresistive coefficients in two-terminal and four-terminal resistors, the comparison between single crystalline and nanocrystalline SiC, along with the temperature dependence of the piezoresistive effect in p-type 3C-SiC are also discussed. Silicon carbide (SiC) is an excellent material for electronic devices operating at high temperatures, thanks to its large energy band gap, superior mechanical properties and extreme chemical inertness. Among the numerous polytypes of SiC, the cubic single crystal, which is also well known as 3C-SiC, is the most promising platform for microelectromechanical (MEMS) applications, as it can be epitaxially grown on an Si substrate with diameters of up to several hundred millimeters. This feature makes 3C-SiC compatible with the conventional Si-based micro/nano processing and also cuts down the cost of SiC wafers. The investigation into the piezoresistive effect in 3C-SiC is of significant interest for the development of mechanical transducers such as pressure sensors and strain sensors used for controlling combustion and deep well drilling. Although a number of studies have focused on the piezoresistive effect in n-type 3C-SiC, 4H-SiC and 6H-SiC, comparatively little attention has been paid to piezoresistance in p-type 3C-SiC. In addition, the book investigates the piezoresistive effect of top-down fabricated SiC nanowires, revealing a high degree of sensitivity in nanowires employing an innovative nano strain-amplifier. The large gauge factors of the p-type 3C-SiC at both room temperature and high temperatures found here indicate that this polytype could be suitable for the development of mechanical sensing devices operating in harsh environments with high temperatures.