Introduction to Semiconductor and MEMS Fabrication

This course provides an introduction to some additional process techniques critical to the microfabrication process flow. Learners will be able to explain how the electroplating process produces coatings on devices, including some specific considerations for magnetic materials. Device packaging, testing, and other back-end-of-line (BEOL) processes will be introduced and discussed. This course is part of the Semiconductor and MEMS Fabrication Specialization. It is recommended that learners take the previous courses of the Specialization prior to this course. Please disregard module numbers because the content has been reorganized to improve comprehension and flow of the specialization.

MEMS devices leverage the same equipment and processes used for semiconductor devices to create microscale sensors and actuators that drive innovation across a wide range of technologies in modern society. Through this course, learners will be able to demonstrate how these processes are specifically used for MEMS fabrication and highlight some differences from semiconductor fabrication. Key applications in consumer, industrial, aerospace, and medical applications are highlighted and described in more detail. This course is part of the Semiconductor and MEMS Fabrication Specialization. It is recommended that learners take the previous courses of the Specialization prior to this course. Please disregard module numbers because the content has been reorganized to improve comprehension and flow of the specialization.

In this introductory course, the field of microfabrication and how it is used to create semiconductor and MEMS devices is presented. Learners will develop a high-level understanding of the basic principles of physics and material properties that power the functionality of these technologies. A foundational overview provides learners with a greater appreciation of the varied and interconnected driving forces that influence device design, fabrication, and testing through the lenses of the fabrication process flow, commercial market, and value chain. Introduction to the cleanroom as a critical component of device success familiarizes learners to the microfabrication environment. This course is part of the Semiconductor and MEMS Fabrication Specialization. It is recommended that learners take the previous courses of the Specialization prior to this course. Please disregard module numbers because the content has been reorganized to improve comprehension and flow of the specialization.

Thin-film deposition, lithography, and etching form the most fundamental processes used in microfabrication to create devices. This course introduces these processes, providing learners with an understanding of the techniques, physical phenomena, and material properties that inform fabrication decisions. This course is part of the Semiconductor and MEMS Fabrication Specialization. It is recommended that learners take the previous courses of the Specialization prior to this course. Please disregard module numbers because the content has been reorganized to improve comprehension and flow of the specialization.