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RF-MEMS Cluster Meeting
Date: 30 June - 1 July 2003
Location: Toulouse, France
In the "Description of Work" of most IST projects funded by the European Commission a request has been formulated to organise clustering activities with a view to bringing together various projects in related or similar fields. In the technical domain "Microsystems" of the IST Programme a rather large number of projects is concerned with developing technologies, materials, devices or undertaking related activities for microsystems or MEMS for RF and IF applications.
A meeting clustering several projects in this domain was organised by representatives of the European Commission at the premises of LAAS-CNRS in Toulouse, France. The cluster meeting preceded the 4th MEMSWAVE Workshop 2003 held from July 2 to 4. Therefore, LAAS-CNRS hosted a full week, probably the most important event dedicated to RF-MEMS that has been held in Europe so far. The major objectives of the cluster meeting were to:
- bring together major players in the fields of RF and related domains to exchange knowledge and experience gathered in the projects
- highlight the major developments, progress and state of the art in the field
- indicate and make an inventory of available technologies, materials, processes, design and test techniques and tools, and packaging approaches
- search for and define common approaches and technologies, overlaps and gaps to be covered
- initiate and encourage adaptation or upgrading of work plans of projects as a result of the outcome of other projects
- exchange information and people in the domain of RF microsystems
Organisation
More than a hundred persons participated in the meeting, among whom there were also co-ordinators and partners of the various projects as reviewers of those projects. Of the participants in the RF-MEMS cluster meeting, about 50% also participated in the MEMSWAVE Workshop, in which about one quarter of the papers was concerned with work performed under one or more of the projects presented in the RF-MEMS cluster meeting. The oral presentations were of an impressively high level, and were mostly given by the project co-ordinators directly or by well-qualified project participants. The value of the meeting appeared clearly in the intense and in-depth going discussions following each of the presentations. The presence of key specialists and experts of the emerging technologies discussed and the excellent "catalytic effect" the chairman, Prof. Hans Hartnagel from Darmstadt University, had on the meeting were very likely the main reasons for the liveliness and fruitfulness of the debates.
Technical content
Many topics were covered in various ways but no unnecessary or undesired duplications or overlapping could be identified. At a later stage, as part of a possible follow-up to the meeting, action will be taken to co-ordinate research and investigations of major items common to different projects or devices.
Despite the worldwide efforts on MEMS, there are still several crucial issues to be solved. This applies, among other things, to packaging, hermeticity and reliability and to high-power operation (especially when switching under RF power).
The debates and panel discussion revealed on several occasions that the project participants are very much at ease concerning their respective technical tasks and activities. The important question as to how the project results can be applied and implemented for exploitation and/or mass production was not answered as clearly as were all technically motivated questions.
The cluster meeting is probably not the place from where the question of industrial implementation can be fully answered. It did, however, reveal a very important point that should be followed by appropriate action with the Commission's involvement. The packaging issue, which is a key condition for putting RF-MEMS functionalities to use and bringing them on the market, was addressed by all the projects. In some of the projects it is even one of the main work-packages, in others it is addressed rather late in the project or in a rather superficial way. Packaging (and to a lesser degree reliability) is definitely mentioned as one of the major issues that should receive further follow-up and attention.
Conclusion
The clustering meeting had a major impact on creating links between projects and project participants. Although a lot of information is or will soon be available electronically in e-mails, reports and on the web sites, a face-to-face meeting of experts planned in good time will be hard to replace. A corresponding budget for such meetings (if they continue to be well prepared and well run) should continue to be given a place in the respective project planning. Many participants experienced the meeting as very satisfactory and expressed their positive feelings and wish to repeat this event on a regular basis.
A more detailed report, including major conclusions and possible actions for follow-up, will soon be published here.
Acknowledgements
It is largely owing to the organisation and preparations by CNRS-LAAS in Toulouse that the event has been a success.
Contact
- Marcel Hugen
- European Commission, Bu 29 3/6
- Phone: +32 2 2968033
- email: Marcel Hugen
Note: This article presents the view of the author and does not commit the European Commission in any way.