ENME489F-808K, Elisabeth Smela, Professor, Mechanical Engineering, University of Maryland

SYLLABUS, Abbreviated
ENME 489G/808L, Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS), Part 2

Lecturer

Dr. Elisabeth Smela
office: 2182 Glenn L. Martin Hall
phone: x55265
email: smela@umd.edu
office hours: 2:30-3:30 pm Mondays and Wednesdays

Teaching Assistant

none

Prerequisites

ENME 489F/808K

Textbook

G. T. A. Kovacs, “Micromachined Transducers Sourcebook”, WCB/McGraw-Hill, Boston, 1998. ISBN 0-07-290722-3

Class Web Site

Communication between instructor and students outside the classroom will be primarily through Blackboard (https://bb.eng.umd.edu).

Course Description

This is the second part of a 2-semester course. MEMS 2 will be interactive and will encompass fabrication, reading, and reports. Various MEMS devices will be covered in some depth, and students fabricate the device they designed in the first semester. In addition to any necessary review of topics covered in MEMS 1, other topics covered will be selected by the class from the list below.

Mechanical Transducers
Optical Transducers
Ionizing Radiation Transducers
Thermal Transducers
Electromagnetic Transducers
Chemical and Biological Transducers
Microfluidics

Course Objectives

The goals of the course are for students to:

gain a more in-depth understanding of various MEMS devices and technologies
learn how to submit a transparency mask design for printing
learn to schedule laboratory tasks
become comfortable with independent laboratory work
demonstrate proficiency in MEMS fabrication steps and fabricate a MEMS device
test a MEMS device
keep a good laboratory notebook
become comfortable in independent learning and know the literature relevant to their device
write a report in the format of a journal article
prepare a scientific poster

Laboratory Component

Device Fabrication
Using the process sequence and masks developed in the first semester, the students will fabricate an actual MEMS device of their own design in the various available clean rooms. Laboratory notebooks will be graded.
Device Testing and Analysis
After fabrication, the devices will be tested. Simple analysis of expected performance will be completed and compared with experimental results.
Poster Presentation
Students will prepare a poster on their device for presentation at the MEMS Alliance, a local conference held every spring.
Final Report
The report on this project will be approximately in the style of a journal article. Interim reports and oral presentations will be due throughout the semester.

Grading

Grading will be based on the following assignments.

Project Assignments	50%
Final Report	15%
Lab Notebooks	10%
Poster	5%
Conference Participation	5%
Research Report	15%
TOTAL	100%

Project

The project will include laboratory work, maintenance of a good laboratory notebook, written reports, and oral presentations. Detailed instructions for each assignment will be made available throughout the semester. Presentations on your work have several goals:

to enable you to get feedback on your fabrication approach if you hit difficulties
to allow you to share successful strategies
to give you practice in giving oral presentations
to keep you making steady progress

Written reports also have a number of goals:

enhancing your ability to communicate in writing
reviewing your approach and results
giving a record of what you achieved

Poster and Conference

Students will prepare a poster on their project (design and fabrication) and present it at the MEMS Alliance, an annual local conference on microsystems and nanotechnology. This allows students to hear about cutting-edge research at the conference, as well as to obtain feedback on their devices and approaches through the poster session.

Reading Assignments

Students are expected to have done the assigned reading for each lecture and should be prepared to discuss it in class.

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