Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) is a relatively new and rapidly growing field of research. Several advances to the MEMS and microsystem state of the art were achieved through the design and characterization of novel MEMS devices and packaging, which are compatible with CMOS microelectronics. Empirical and theoretical models of polysilicon thermal actuators were developed to understand and simulate the behavior of thermal actuators. These models can be implemented in microelectronic circuit simulators such as SPICE and allow the simultaneous simulation of thermally actuated MEMS and microelectronics. The most extensive investigation of the Multi-User MEMS Processes (MUMPs) polysilicon resistivity was also performed. The first published value for the thermal coefficient of resistivity (TCR) of the MUMPs Poly 1 layer was determined as 1.25 x 10-3 K-1. In addition, the sheet resistance of all the MUMPs polysilicon layers was found to be dependent on the linewidth due to the presence or absence of lateral phosphorus diffusion. | Development And Packaging Of Microsystems Using Foundry Services by Jeffrey T Butler, Paperback | Indigo Chapters