Name: ID:

VISVESVARAYA NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, NAGPUR

Centre for VLSI and Nanotechnology
M.Tech. (VLSI Design) – II Semester
End Semester Examination (Online) - Apr 2021

Course Code : ENL-522 Course : MEMS and NEMS

Max. Marks : 35 Duration: 1 hour 30 min
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Instructions: 1. Missing data if any can be suitably assumed
2. Numbers in [ ] indicates marks

Q.1 (a) Compare between diffusion and ion-implantation schemes. [2]

(b) Explain proximity effect in electron beam lithography (EBL). What is the minimum write
time required to pattern an area of 50 mm2 using EBL with a dose of 10−3 C/cm2, and a beam
current of 10−7 A. Comment on the result obtained regarding performance of the EBL. [3]

Q.2) (a) Compare and write the steps for the cantilever designing process using bulk and surface
micromachining techniques using Si substrate. [3]

(b) For a particular etchant, consider that the etch rate of a film is around 200 µm/h and the
etch selectivity is 50 as compared to the mask. The same etchant has etch rate of 10 µm/h for
the substrate. Find the etch rate for the mask for the same etchant and the selectivity of the
etchant for the film/substrate interface. Comment on the usefulness of the etchant for patterning
the given system of materials’ layers. [2]

Q.3) (a) Calculate the approximate time required to grow oxide layer of 100nm thickness
through thermal oxidation process using Deal-Grove model. Using the same process and
conditions, the time taken to grow 45 nm of oxide layer was 452.5 min having time taken for
the linear growth in the process is around 2.5 min. [4]
(b) What is the thickness of Si substrate that has been consumed to grow oxide layer of
thickness 150 nm through LOCOS method? [1]
Q.4 (a) Define resolution for the sensors. Consider a sensor having minimum change in the
output possible is 0.1 mV for any change in input. The same sensor produces a change of 0.2
mV in the output for a displacement of about 5 mm. Calculate the resolution for the sensor.
[2]
(b) How much quantitative change in the electrostatic and electromagnetic forces takes place,
if the linear dimension of a device is reduced by 75%? Compare the two results. [3]
Q.5) (a) Compare (i) Spin coating and dip-coating process; (ii) Positive and negative
photoresist. [2]

(b) How does surface micromachining is better as compared to bulk micromachining? What
is stiction for surface micromachining? Discuss some of the methods to overcome stiction.
[3]
Q.6) (a) Define Hooke’s Law? Figure 1 shows a bar of square cross-section. An axial force
of 150μN acts on it. Find the elongation of the bar and the maximum stress and strain if the
total length of the bar is 50 μm. Consider silicon’s Young’s modulus to be 150 GPa. [3]

Force
5 μm 10 μm Figure 1
Applied
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(b) Discuss a strain-stress curve, when it is subjected to load. Define the five different stages
that are included in the curve. What is a term used to define a material that does not get back
to its original position when force is removed? [2]

Q.7) (a) What is the meaning of a coupled electromechanical modelling? [1]

(b) What is the pull-in voltage for a spring-capacitor sensor model? Consider a spring-capacitor
model for a MEMS pressure sensor having spring constant of 10 N/m and a capacitor having
capacitive plates separated by vacuum having plate area of 20 μm2. Calculate the pull-in voltage
for the given arrangement. The movable capacitor plate gets displaced by 2 μm on application
of pull-in voltage that is one-third of the maximum separation between the plates. The
permittivity of free space is 8.854×10-12 F/m. [4]