One MEMS Design Tool with Maximal Six Design Flows

This paper presents one MEMS design tool with total six design flows, which makes it possible that the MEMS designers are able to choose the most suitable design flow for their specific devices. The design tool is divided into three levels and interconnected by six interfaces. The three levels are lumped-element model based system level, finite element analysis based device level and process level, which covers nearly all modeling and simulation functions for MEMS design. The six interfaces are proposed to automatically transmit the design data between every two levels, thus the maximal six design flows could be realized. The interfaces take the netlist, solid model and layout as the data inlet and outlet for the system, device and process level respectively. The realization of these interfaces are presented and verified by design examples, which also proves that the enough flexibility in the design flow can really increase the design efficiency.Comment: Submitted on behalf of EDA Publishing Association (http://irevues.inist.fr/EDA-Publishing

Automatic Transfer of Parametric FEM Models into CAD-Layout Formats for Top-Down Design of Microsystems

A tool for the transfer of solid models used for FEM simulations into different layout formats used by CAD environments is presented. All necessary layers for the fabrication of microcomponents and-systems in a given extended commercial CMOS process are generated automatically by this tool. Starting with an acceleration sensor the use of this translator for an application in the top-down design of microsystems with parametric components is described. 1 Introduction The design of microelectromechanical systems today is characterized by the lack of powerful design environments which can support the system designer as well as the component designer. Such tools are known in the microelectronic world for a long time and therefore, they are a good starting point for the development of new tools or interfaces with features which are important for the microsystem design. For microsystems which have very specific functions or which are difficult to fabricate - perhaps only on special non-stan..