Objective
DEMAC intends to provide SME system designers with a design and fabrication methodology for application specific integrated sensor systems (ASIS) comprising sensors as well as on-chip signal processing.
ASIS have a broad market potential, but access for SMEs is still limited through non-industrial technological steps and a lack of standardised design and fabrication procedures. Similar to the semi-custom approach for integrated circuits (ICs), DEMAC will allow the ASIS designer to work on behavioural and electrical levels, where specific manufacturing requirements are hidden. The DEMAC process technology, on the other hand, will lead to lower system size and production cost, at increased functionality and reliability compared to conventional solutions.
The DEMAC approach is characterised by the following elements:
- A library of sensor and interface cells which is integrated in a commercial design environment. Some sensor types like pH-ISFET chemical sensors can be fabricated in a standard CMOS process. Others (eg gas flow sensors and radiation sensors based on thermopiles) need simple post-processing without photo lithography, while a third class (eg pressure and acceleration sensors) requires full post-processing including double-sided photo lithography. Sensor cells will be parametrised when possible. Interface cells will be provided when necessary to transform the sensor output signal into a signal for standard CMOS functions.
- A manufacturing technology based on a standard CMOS process followed by post processing steps for the sensors. The post processing must be compatible with the preceding CMOS process.
- A design and fabrication structure which makes the postprocessing transparent to the end user.
Microsystems packaging depends strongly on the final application and is outside the scope of the project. Packaging solutions based on available technologies, however, will be demonstrated for each sensor type.
Fields of science
Topic(s)
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08193 BELLATERRA
Spain