A NEW CAD SOFTWARE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF MICROELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEMS

The aim of the proposed multi-phase program is to develop and commercialize MEMCAD, a family of computer-aided design (CAD) tools to assist in the design and manufacture of microelectromechanical (MEM) structures. MEMCAD tools should drastically reduce the development time and cost for MEM devices, resulting in more devices being available at lower prices. Developers of MEM devices such as microsensors and microactuators rely on trial-and-error methods in laboratories to develop new devices. This significant cost of prototype development is now reflected in the high prices which the Navy and others must pay for these devices. MEMCAD integrates simulators, databases, and solid modeling tools into a system which mimics the fabrication and performance of microstructures, allowing a desinger to conceptualize, simulate, and iterate the micromachining fabrication process on a workstation, thus making MEM devices more affordable. The first prototype of the MEMCAD family of tools, referred to as MEMCAD_p (MEMCAD for pressure sensors), is expected to provide the core technology for the development of additional MEMCAD tools for other sensors and microstructures, including eventually integrated circuits.