Micromechanical System for System-on-Chip Connectivity

INTRODUCTION
MEMS technology has enabled us to realize advanced micro
devices by using processes similar to VLSI technology. When MEMS
devices are combined with other technologies new generation of innovative
technology will b created. his will offer outstanding functionality. Such
technologies will have wide scale applications in fields ranging from
automotive! aerodynamics! hydrodynamics! bio"medical and so forth. he
main challenge is to integrate all these potentially non"compatible
technologies into a single wor#ing microsystem that will offer outstanding
functionality.
he use of MEMS technology for permanent! semi permanent or
temporary interconnection of non"compatible technologies li#e $M%S! &'!
(a)s! Si(e! and so forth into a System"on"$hip environment can be
described using an e*ample application. It is a hearing instrument in which
an array of acoustical sensors is used to provide dynamic directional
sensitivity that can minimize bac#ground noise and reverberation thereby
increasing speech intelligibility for the user. he micro array can provide
dynamically variable directional sensitivity by employing suitable beam
forming and trac#ing algorithms while implanted completely inside the ear
canal.
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Micromechanical System for System-on-Chip Connectivity
MEMS ACCOUSTICAL SENSOR ARRAY FOR A
HEARING INSTRUMENT
In this application an array of capaciti! typ! s!nsors ar! "s!#
in a h!arin$ instr"%!nt to proi#! #yna%ic #ir!ctional s!nsitiity an#
sp!a&!r trac&in$ an# can '! co%pl!t!ly i%plant!# in th! !ar canal( Th!
#ir!ctional s!nsitiity is o'tain!# 'y th! %!tho# of '!a% for%in$( Th!
%icrophon! array is #!!lop!# "sin$ MEMS t!chnolo$y an# )hich can
'! "s!# to for% '!a% to proi#! #ir!ctional s!nsitiity(
*EAM FORMING USING MICRO+HONE ARRAY
Th! %icrophon! array consists of nin! capacitor typ!
%icrophon!s arran$!# in a ,-, array an# "tili.!s th! classical phas!#
array t!chni/"! for '!a% for%in$( In this t!chni/"!0 th! r!lati! #!lay
or a#anc! in si$nal r!c!ption is !li%inat!# 'y applyin$ a #!lay or
a#anc! is that th! si$nal o"t p"ts fro% #iff!r!nt %icrophon!s can '!
a##!# to for% a '!a% as sho)n in fi$"r! 1(
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Micromechanical System for System-on-Chip Connectivity

Fi$"r! 1( *!a% patt!rn of a trans#"c!r array2 nor%al '!a%
It is also possible to steer the direction of the beam by providing
additional delay factor that is e+ual to the negative of the relative delay to the
out put of each microphone in the array when a signal arrives from that
direction. Fi$"r! 3. illustrates the beam steering concept.
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Micromechanical System for System-on-Chip Connectivity

Fi$"r! 3( *!a% patt!rn of a trans#"c!r array2 st!!r!# '!a%
Dept. of AEI MESCE Kuttippuram
Micromechanical System for System-on-Chip Connectivity
Similarly! it is possible to form multiple beams out of the single
array employing different delay factors and use such beams to scan the
direction of the potential spea#er. his scanning beam can easily realized by
continuously steering the beam from top to bottom or from left to right by
dynamically changing the steering delay using digital filters. )n algorithm
will detect a speech signal above some threshold level and will steer the
main beam towards that direction. he bloc# diagram for such a system is
shown in fi$"r! ,.
o avoid spatial aliasing at all steering angles the spacing d between the
microphones of the array is re+uired to be
D , -c./
Dept. of AEI MESCE Kuttippuram !
So$
0$I
&us
)rray
$ontrol
Interface
MEMS
)coustical
)rray
Module
MEMS
Soc#et
Interface
$M%S
).1
$onverter
)nalog $M%S
Signal
$onditioning
1igital
&eamforming
2 &eam
Steering
Engine
1igital
Signal
0rocessing
Fi$"r! ,2 *loc& Dia$ra% of H!arin$ Ai# Instr"%!nt
Micromechanical System for System-on-Chip Connectivity
3 -c.4-f
3 5.46
Where 4 is the wavelength of the incident acoustical signal and f is
the fre+uency in 7z. c is the velocity.
If the sensor array is to be inserted inside the ear canal! the spacing between
the microphones will be much smaller than the re+uired. his constraint can
be overcome by introducing additional delay factor to compensate for the
difference in delay due to the re+uired spacing d and the delay due to
physical microphone spacing.
MEMS MICRO+AC5AGING SOLUTION
he MEMS technology can be used to create necessary structures
for die level integration of MEMS devices or components and $M%S or
non"$M%S! li#e &'! (a)s! and Silicon"germanium devices. he basic
structure of the proposed mechanism is a soc#et submodule 8fi$"r! 69 that
holds a die or device. he re+uired no of submodules can be stac#ed
vertically or horizontally to realize a completely system in a micropac#age.
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Micromechanical System for System-on-Chip Connectivity
:igure ;a. <1 model of soc#et submodule
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Micromechanical System for System-on-Chip Connectivity
Fi$"r! 6'( top i!) of soc&!t s"'%o#"l!
$onnectivity between submodules is achieved by means of
microbus card 8fi$"r! 7.9 constructed with heat deformed! gold coated
polysilicon cantilever microspring contacts and platinum coated microrails
fabricated inside an interconnection channel that is presented in each soc#et
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Micromechanical System for System-on-Chip Connectivity
submodule. )n illustration of the micropac#aging system is shown in fi$"r!
8.

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Micromechanical System for System-on-Chip Connectivity
Fi$"r! 8a( Top i!) of MEMS %icropac&a$!
Dept. of AEI MESCE Kuttippuram 1&
Micromechanical System for System-on-Chip Connectivity
Fi$"r! 8a( MEMS %icropac&a$in$ syst!%2 cross s!ction thro"$h AA9
Microorganisms and moisture inside the ear canal may contaminate
the microsensor array. his can be helped by the submodule type sensor
array! which can be removed easily for cleaning or replacement.
he submodules are connected by means of a MEMS microbus
with gold coated polysilicon cantilever microspring contacts and platinum
coated microrails fabricated inside an interconnection channel that is
presented in each soc#et submodule. Fi$"r! 7 shows the <1 model of
microbus
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Micromechanical System for System-on-Chip Connectivity
Fi$"r! 7( ,D %o#!l of MEMS %icro'"s car#
DIE TESTING CONFIGURATION
he concept of soc#et submodules and connectivity can also be
used in a die testing platform. he establishment of temporary connectivity
for testing a die without e*posing the die to otherwise harmful energy
sources or contaminations during the test cycles is a ma=or technological
challenge. he MEMS submodule can be reconfigured to establish
temporary connectivity for die testing with out e*posing the die to any
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Micromechanical System for System-on-Chip Connectivity
contamination while carrying out necessary test procedures. Fi$"r! :
illustrates the die testing configuration using MEMS soc#et type structures.
Fi$"r! :( MEMS #i! t!stin$ confi$"ration
In this set up! two different type of MEMS soc#ets are used> a fi*ed
one connected permanently to a ester"on"$hip 8o$9!which is a die testing
So$ using an enabling gold?to"gold thermo sonic bonding technology and
a removable soc#et that acts a die specific carrier. he contact springs on
both sides of the removable soc#et undergo deformation due to a
compression mass on the top of the die and generate the necessary contact
force. he removable MEMS soc#et can be redesigned to connect a die that
is larger than the o$. his ma#es the system a fle*ible one. he ma=or
Dept. of AEI MESCE Kuttippuram 13
Micromechanical System for System-on-Chip Connectivity
design ob=ectives of contact spring mechanism is to develop a proper
?contact force! low"contact resistance! small area! and short contact path
while having the ability to tolerate some torsional misalignment. )nother
important re+uirement is to maintain the contact surface that will remain
reasonably flat even under torsional deformation to realize a higher contact
area. &ased on these constraints designs two of contact springs are given in
fi$"r! ;(
Fi$"r! ;( T)o typ!s of %icro sprin$ contacts
AD<ANTAGES AND DISAD<ANTAGES
AD<ANTAGES
7igh efficiency
$ost effective
:le*ible
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Micromechanical System for System-on-Chip Connectivity
7igh accuracy precision
DIS AD<ANTAGES
$omple* design
$omple* fabrication procedures
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Micromechanical System for System-on-Chip Connectivity
CONCLUSION
MEMS technology offers wide range application in fields li#e
biomedical! aerodynamics! thermodynamics and telecommunication and so
forth. MEMS technology can be used to fabricate both application specific
devices and the associated micropac#aging system that will allow for the
integration of devices or circuits! made with non compatible technologies!
with a So$ environment. he MEMS technology allows permanent! semi
permanent and temporary connectivity. he integration of MEMS to present
technology will give way to cutting edge technology that will give
outstanding functionality and far reaching efficiency regarding space!
accuracy precision! cost! and will wide range applications. 1escribing typical
application of MEMS in a hearing instrument application the fle*ibility and
design challenges and various innovative features of MEMS technology is
made to understand. In the hearing aid instrument microphone arrays are
used to produce directional sensitivity and improve speech intelligibility. he
various components and necessary signal conditioning algorithms are
implemented in a custom micropac#aging that can be implanted inside the
ear canal is described.
Dept. of AEI MESCE Kuttippuram 1"
Micromechanical System for System-on-Chip Connectivity
REFERENCES
@. Sazzadur $houdhury!M. )hmadi! and W.$. Miller ! Micromechanical
system for System"on"$hip $onnectivity?! IEEE $ircuits and
Sytems! September 4AA4
4. Bew battery may =ump"start MEMS usage! IS) Inech )pril 4AA4
*I*LIOGRA+HY
@. www.darpa.mil
4. www.sanyo.co.=p
Dept. of AEI MESCE Kuttippuram 1#
Micromechanical System for System-on-Chip Connectivity
A*STRACT
Micromechanical systems can be combined with microelectronics!
photonics or wireless capabilities new generation of Microsystems can be
developed which will offer far reaching efficiency regarding space! accuracy!
precision and so forth. Micromechanical systems 8MEMS9 technology can be
used fabricate both application specific devices and the associated micro
pac#aging systems that will allow for the integration of devices or circuits!
made with non"compatible technologies! with a System"on"$hip
environment. he MEMS technology can be used for permanent! semi
permanent or temporary interconnection of sub modules in a System"on"
$hip implementation. he interconnection of devices using MEMS
technology is described with the help of a hearing instrument application and
related micropac#aging.
Dept. of AEI MESCE Kuttippuram 1$
Micromechanical System for System-on-Chip Connectivity
CONTENTS
@. IBC%1D$I%B @
4. MEMS ACCOUSTICAL SENSOR ARRAY FOR A HEARING
INSTRUMENT 3
*EAM FORMING USING MICRO+HONE ARRAY 3
<. MEMS MICRO+AC5AGING SOLUTION
7
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Dept. of AEI MESCE Kuttippuram 1%
Micromechanical System for System-on-Chip Connectivity
AC5NO=LEDGEMENT
I !>t!n# %y sinc!r! $ratit"#! to)ar#s +rof ( +(S"&"%aran H!a#
of D!part%!nt for $iin$ "s his inal"a'l! &no)l!#$! an# )on#!rf"l
t!chnical $"i#anc!
I !>pr!ss %y than&s to Mr( M"ha%%!# &"tty o"r $ro"p t"tor
an# also to o"r staff a#isor Ms( *i?i +a"l for th!ir &in# co@op!ration
an# $"i#anc! for pr!parin$ an# pr!s!ntin$ this s!%inar(
I also than& all th! oth!r fac"lty %!%'!rs of AEI #!part%!nt
an# %y fri!n#s for th!ir h!lp an# s"pport(
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