Solid Modeling and Analysis of MEMS Structures
Solid Modeling tools are helping MEMS designers
The Standard in 3D
This guide addresses
the following topics:
• 3D visualization
• Sub-micron feature
definition
• Patterns and creation of
patterns of patterns
• The power of configura-
tion management
• Complex assembly de-
sign support
• Associative photomask
definition
• Finite element analysis
(FEA) of MEMS struc-
tures for thermo-
mechanical, electro-
static, and fluid flow
behavior
• Design Re-Use
• Ease of use
• Collaboration tools
• Tightly integrated com-
plementary applications
• One standard CAD tool
to design everything
As microfabrication tech-
niques extend our grasp into
the realm of microns, as with
this fiber positioner, Solid-
Works guides the way with
sub-micron solid modeling
and analysis.
streamline their design process and leverage the
availability of finite element analysis (FEA) soft-
ware. Associative mask definition gives the
MEMS designer even more power, letting the
designer concentrate on refining micron-scale
structures in 3D and letting the mask follow the
design.
Your choice of solid modeling tools is critical to
achieving results in the MEMS world. Solid-
Works® is easily mastered, even by part-time
designers. SolidWorks allows the designer to
design the MEMS structure, analyze it, generate
the photomasks, and design all the related This micro-
product packaging and assembly equipment. transformer was de-
This guide identifies key issues and explains signed in 3D with
advantages of SolidWorks 3D modeling soft- SolidWorks and fabri-
ware for MEMS designers. cated with MEMGen
Corporation’s EFAB™
technology.
3D Visualization
• 3D visualization provides MEMS designers a first check of design
intent, proper operation, collision avoidance, and package stack-up.
• MEMS designers have created impressive structures, frequently
using layout software that is inherently two-dimensional. These
accomplishments are impressive, but true 3D tools offer MEMS de-
signers better design visualization. This gives designers a clear and
accurate review of parts and assemblies early in the design cycle.
• SolidWorks provides true solid modeling capability, avoiding the
need to acquire extremely expensive high-end specialty design
software marketed strictly for MEMS design and analysis.
• 3D visualization facilitates communication within the organization
and beyond. Not only is the MEMS designer more able to explain
design intent to colleagues, but scholarly presentations, articles and
requests for funding benefit from showing 3D features.
• To shorten time-to-market for your MEMS designs, you need to
identify potential problems early in the design cycle, before com-
mitting to a mask or processing wafers. SolidWorks Office Profes-
sional includes PhotoWorks™, SolidWorks Animator, and 3D Instant
Website software, that enable excellent visualization capabilities by
providing photorealistic rendering, full-motion animation, and web-
based presentation of the finished design.
• Clearance design rules can be particularly important for surface
micromachining to ensure proper etching and separation of parts
during lift-off processes. SolidWorks enables checks for
interferences or specific clearances between components using
Dynamic Assembly Motion and Collision Detection. Any interference
will stop motion between parts that contact and the point of
interference will be highlighted by changing color. Physical Simula-
tion takes motion checking to the next level by presenting meshing
parts, such as meshing gears, and showing their operation in the
assembly.
1

This gear, designed in Solid-
Works, is 10 microns thick
and 120 microns in diameter.
The detail shows a fiducial
which is 0.4 microns wide and
10 microns long, etched to a
depth of 0.5 micron.
Each gear above contains a
pattern of holes and extruded
cuts. A radial pattern of such
gears may be defined as at
left, then a rectangular pat-
tern of such patterns may be
defined, as shown at right.
Defining patterns in this fash-
ion eases photomask creation.
Design tables are Microsoft®
Excel spreadsheets embedded
within the drawing.
Sub-Micron Feature Definition
• SolidWorks solid modeling software provides MEMS designers with
sub-micron feature generation capability. In fact, the user can
choose to work in microns, nanometers, or even angstroms as ap-
propriate.
• Features in most MEMS devices are several microns or tens of mi-
crons. SolidWorks allows designers to work on this scale and still
define sub-micron features in structures (such as die-mounted,
packaged assemblies) with dimensions of tens of millimeters.
• This sub-micron definition capability means that certain types of
optical gratings may be described fully as a solid model, with all
the power that SolidWorks can bring to such entity creations.
Patterns and Patterns of Patterns
• SolidWorks saves designers time and simplifies model construction
by allowing patterns of model features. Bosses and cuts are just
two of the features that may be patterned within a part. Patterns
may be linear, rectangular, or defined by a curve.
• Patterns may also be employed within an assembly. Several com-
ponent parts may be dragged into an assembly, or the designer
can simply define a pattern of components.
• Patterns of patterns may also be defined. Using the gear patterns
at left as an example, the pattern of six gears may be defined as
an element, then patterning the pattern creates a photomask to
produce a large number of such gears.
• Circular patterns of linear patterns are supported, as are linear
patterns of circular patterns. In fact, the pattern definition and
pattern-of-a-pattern definition are independent. Each may be con-
structed from: linear, circular, or curve geometries.
Configuration Management
• Configuration Management is the ability to control design variations
from within a single file or document. This applies to parts and as-
semblies, with the effects propagating to drawings, including pho-
tomask drawings.
• Configuration Management enables the generation of multiple ver-
sions of parts, assemblies, and drawings in a single document with
a minimal amount of time and effort. Configurations make use of
design tables, derived design data, component properties, relation-
ships, viewing states, and other attributes, storing part and assem-
bly information in one area for greater efficiency. SolidWorks offers
multilevel configurations, called nested configurations, to optimize
the power, organization, and efficiencies of configurations.
• SolidWorks Configuration Management gives you maximum
flexibility in creating multiple design variations covering a wide
range of needs. New configurations are easily developed from
2

Two design variations for an
etched silicon well structure.
A design table offers agile fea-
ture re-definition during pre-
liminary design studies. De-
sign tables together with the
Configuration Manager tree
provide defined configurations
that can be called up as
needed.
Assembly level configurations
can pull together etch depth
and film thickness.
A large MEMS array could con-
tain tens of thousands of ele-
ments. The solid model pic-
tured here contains a 10 x 10
array of tiny diving board
structures. Analysis of mod-
els such as this, and signifi-
cantly larger, can be readily
achieved on common desktop
computers or workstations.
previously created designs to further speed development and meet
market needs for data reuse.
• A simple application of this capability would be to create various
versions of MEMS structures that automatically scale both surface
feature size and etch depth as dimensions increase. The various
versions of this MEMS design can be created within a single
SolidWorks model file for simplicity and easy design control. “What
if” scenarios for different design requirements such as film thick-
ness and modulus can be quickly explored by turning on and off
various configurations of a part or assembly. Etched well
dimensions and sizing of cutouts can be tied to design data for
each chip size. As the chip requirements change, the necessary
wafer level dimensions automatically update to reflect the new
design.
• Components involving multistage processing, such as surface mi-
cromachining or LIGA, can easily be documented by using multiple
configurations of a single part. Configuration Management
techniques can generate a discrete version of a part or assembly
as necessary to reflect a separate version or in-process state.
These versions help you compare designs, track expected perform-
ance, and develop process plans.
• Because change and flexibility are keys to effective design, the
importance of configurations to the designer cannot be overstated
and SolidWorks is the only product among powerful, easy-to-use
3D CAD products that offers configurations for both parts and
assemblies.
Complex Assembly Design Support
• The ability to handle assemblies with thousands of parts without
compromising performance is a requirement of 3D CAD solutions
for designing wafers full of MEMS devices such as accelerometers,
orifices, mirrors for Micro-Opto-Electro-Mechanical Systems
(MOEMS), or arrays of Micro-Structure Technology (MST) devices,
such as miniature gears.
• The ability to manage large assemblies easily allows product
designers to take on a broader range of projects and gain greater
flexibility in solving design problems.
• The challenges associated with large-assembly MEMS device design
are often unpredictable and complex. SolidWorks 3D modeling
software, with its Large Assembly Mode, offers unparalleled
performance for applications involving a large number of parts,
allowing product designers to design and assemble tens of thou-
sands of components and evaluate complete assemblies.
• SolidWorks provides built-in tools for evaluating assembly designs,
including motion simulation and visualization (Physical Simulation),
interference checking, collision detection, clearance information,
and creation of envelopes for defining the full range of motion for
an assembly. Clearance design rules can be set for micromachining
operations. These tools help MEMS designers identify necessary
changes in assembly development, which can be easily made using
simple drag-and-drop assembly structure reorder operations.
3

This positive photomask was
generated associatively from
a solid model. Below is the
corresponding negative pho-
tomask.
Because the drawing dimen-
sions are associative, they
automatically propagate
throughout the model, draw-
ings, and configuration tables.
COSMOSWorks brings high-
end performance to desktop
computer users. This mesh,
which features over 130,000
nodes, was automatically
generated by the standard
COSMOS mesher, utilizing
controls that increased reso-
lution where needed.
• Many organizations accelerate development through concurrent
design approaches where several designers or teams work at the
same time on separate components or subassemblies of a large
assembly. SolidWorks 3D modeling software supports concurrent
design, providing powerful capabilities that enable Configuration
Management, top-down design techniques, and design
collaboration.
Associative Photomask Definition
• For MEMS device design, fully associative assemblies are critical for
effectively using bottom-up and top-down assembly design
techniques. Associativity guarantees that all elements of a model
are electronically associated or connected, including assembly
models, components, and drawings. This means that when a
change is made to any SolidWorks file, that change is
automatically made in all associated files.
• After surveying numerous MEMS designers actively working in the
field, we have received feedback that mask definition should be
associative to model changes. SolidWorks developers have put in
place powerful tools that will streamline mask generation in GDS II
file formats from associative DXF files, which link directly to model
definition changes.
• Bottom-up associative design encompasses the creation of new
components and integration of these with existing components into
assemblies. This is important when components must be designed
based on strict limitations imposed on component properties, then
checked for integration in the context of the overall assembly.
Each of these parts can be edited within the assembly as needed.
• Top-down associative design involves working with an existing
assembly to develop new components for use with that assembly.
Because new components reference existing parts in the assembly,
any changes made to any of the parts are reflected throughout the
design. In the MEMS arena, this means that a component can be
created or modified within the context of the overall device model,
allowing real-time modification for fit and function. Modifications
automatically propagate throughout the assembly and drawings,
maintaining design intent.
• Examples of top-down design include developing a package for a
MEMS device that realizes a certain stack height and footprint,
generating a maximum envelope (length, width, and height) for a
chip within a required finished package size. Configuration Man-
agement enables the new parts to be linked through the assembly
and to the photomask definition drawing file.
Integrated Finite Element Analysis (FEA): Ther-
mal, Mechanical, Electrostatic, and Fluid Flow
• Designers can now run initial stress analysis checks on MEMS de-
signs up-front using COSMOSXpress™ FEA software that is in-
cluded with every license of SolidWorks. Furthermore, COSMOS
products in the COSMOSWorks™ analysis software product line en-
able thermal, stress, deflection, buckling, non-linear, and electro-
magnetic analysis. Partners such as MSC.Software
(MSC.visualNastran FEA for SolidWorks) also provide Certified Gold
4

Thermal analysis of a MEMS
subassembly.
Deflection and stress profiles
are easily computed with COS-
MOSWorks.
COSMOSEMS was used to ana-
lyze performance of this canti-
lever beam under various volt-
ages. (The aqua-colored vol-
ume represents air.)
COSMOSEMS computed the
potential distribution shown
at top. The predicted deflec-
tion is shown in the lower
plot.
COSMOS-
FloWorks
was used
to model
the air flow
through
this circuit
board environment, allowing
the designer to optimize pack-
age characteristics such as
chassis cut-outs or heat ex-
changer configuration.
Product Solution analysis products for use with SolidWorks. COS-
MOSFloWorks™ from COSMOS provides CFD (computational flow
dynamics) analysis for flow and heat transfer applications.
• Reliability is a key factor that differentiates various MEMS device
technologies and designs. Companies that are able to build in reli-
ability from the initial design stage will have an advantage in gain-
ing market acceptance. COSMOSWorks facilitates early-on reliable
design by allowing MEMS designers to perform a range of FEA on
initial designs. From thermal analysis to static analysis, COSMOS
ensures device behavior will be within design limits, avoiding ther-
mal or stress-induced failure.
• Thermal analysis is critically important for MEMS package design.
It also plays a pivotal role in predicting device operation for certain
technologies, such as thermo-optic planar waveguides and resistor
arrays. Using the SolidWorks solid model as a starting point, COS-
MOS can perform steady-state or transient thermal analysis on
parts or assemblies. After meshing the design, the designer sets
any relevant constraints (for example, the underside of a substrate
may be considered clamped to a certain temperature because it is
intimately bonded to a thermoelectric cooler), then the designer
sets power or heat flux conditions associated with a geometrical
feature of the model. Because component material properties in-
clude thermal conductivity, coefficient of thermal expansion, and
heat capacity, the designer gets a realistic prediction of tempera-
ture distributions under prescribed conditions.
• By coupling the power of FEA studies with Configuration Manage-
ment, the designer can quickly converge on the best-form design
solution over many degrees of freedom. For example, a range of
epoxy bond layer thicknesses may be studied in coordination with
evaluating a broad range of epoxy thermal conductivities.
• COSMOS Static analysis capability is a tool that empowers the
MEMS designer to avoid catastrophic immediate or long-term fail-
ure modes. The diving board analysis at left, for example, showed
that although desirable deflection distances could be achieved with
a shallow (5 micron) etch and a thin (1 micron) diving board, the
resultant stress in the moving element would result in early failure.
After several permutations were analyzed, a balance between risk
and performance was achieved. In some cases, designers will learn
that changing preset variables is insufficient to resolve the trade-
off, then re-design of one or more core elements will be necessary.
COSMOS then guides the way in conjunction with Configuration
Management.
• For most MEMS devices, and particularly those whose performance
depends on electrostatic performance (such as piezoelectrics or
deformable mirrors), electrostatic analysis capability is necessary to
fully predict device performance. The simple cantilever beam
model shown here was solved to model beam deflection under dif-
ferent potentials between the stationary and moving elements. The
results can then be compared to the effects of shock and vibration
to optimize performance under real world conditions.
• Fluid flow analysis is important across a range of MEMS applica-
tions. Whether you’re trying to get heat out of a package, and
therefore need to determine which heat exchanger has the best
properties; or you’re designing a MEMS orifice or pump whose op-
5

Feature Palette speeds up de-
sign by keeping a handy set of
prior design elements at the
user’s disposal. The elements
can be fresh designs, or con-
verted from legacy data.
This model was imported from
an IGES file to SolidWorks.
With FeatureWorks feature
recognition software, im-
ported geometry can easily be
turned into an editable, pa-
rameterized feature-based
solid model.
DXF files and DWG files can
be easily imported and in-
corporated into sketches
and drawings.
erability is directly tied to fluid handling, COSMOSFloWorks™ offers
high-powered computational flow dynamics analysis in a straight-
forward interface.
Design Re-Use
• MEMS designers frequently have a large amount of legacy data
(data created from previous projects or fab runs).
• Legacy data may form a starting point for new designs or can con-
tribute key elements to the development process, including projects
based on collaborator-supplied CAD data. Unfortunately it is often
available in various 2D and 3D formats. The ability to use these
varying formats helps designers leverage legacy data, work side-
by-side with designers who use other CAD systems, speed develop-
ment, respond to market needs, and increase financial
returns.
• SolidWorks 3D CAD software offers the widest number of data
translation formats of any CAD solution. A list of the supported
formats is provided on the SolidWorks datasheet. Designers mi-
grating to SolidWorks from 2D CAD will greatly benefit from new
functionality including view folding, which enables legacy DWG or
DXF™ drawing views to be used more efficiently to create new 3D
models. A new import wizard with an AutoCAD-oriented help sys-
tem also streamlines the migration process.
• After 3D legacy data is imported into SolidWorks, the
FeatureWorks® feature recognition product (a component of
SolidWorks Office Professional) further speeds design work by
searching the incoming file data for features, such as bosses, holes,
ribs, sheetmetal features, and fillets. These features are then con-
verted into native SolidWorks features and inserted in the Solid-
Works FeatureManager® design tree for easy modification, reorder-
ing, and other standard SolidWorks operations.
• Feature Palette is a powerful tool for designers who have already
accumulated a large arsenal of SolidWorks parts or assemblies.
The Feature Palette, shown at left, operates as an “always on top”
window holding frequently used SolidWorks file. The designer can
save time by simply dragging required components for a new as-
sembly directly from the Feature Palette and dropping them into
the new design.
Ease of Use
• MEMS designers need and want powerful functionality from their 3D
CAD software, but it must be easy to learn and use since they are
not using it all the time. If the software is powerful yet easy to use
then the designer can be productive even with only occasional use.
• SolidWorks is gaining favor with MEMS designers worldwide as they
come to appreciate the fit between SolidWorks capabilities and
their requirements.
6

eDrawings allow the MEMS
designer to communicate de-
signs, such as this variable
capacitor, readily to col-
leagues, customers, or ven-
dors. A micrograph of the
capacitor appears below.
3D Instant Website enables
design communication world-
wide. You can publish to a
hosted web site instantly.
SEM photo of the RF filter, also
featured above in the 3D In-
stant Website.
A scanning micro-mirror. A
A scanning
broad rangemicro-mirror.
of fabrication A
broad rangebenefit
techniques of fabrication
from solid
techniques benefit
modeling with from solid
SolidWorks.
modeling with SolidWorks.
Collaboration Tools
• Design collaboration has become an increasingly important part of
the development process, enabling designers to share designs eas-
ily with anyone, anywhere.
• Collaboration tools offer new ways for product designers to work
more effectively with other members of the development team.
The ability to share design resources over the Internet can benefits
MEMS designers, from independent consultants to engineers in
large multinational corporations.
• SolidWorks collaboration tools enable the MEMS designer to convey
2D and 3D product design information to colleagues, customers,
funding agencies, and suppliers easily and efficiently.
eDrawings Professional is the first email-enabled communication
tool that dramatically eases the review of 2D and 3D design infor-
mation across your extended product development teams. With
eDrawings Professional you can generate accurate representations
of 2D and 3D models that anyone can view, mark up, and measure
without having to purchase their own markup tools. eDrawings
files provide an effective means of communicating 2D and 3D de-
sign information to customers, vendors, collaborators, production
personnel, and everyone else involved in the product development
process. www.solidworks.com/edrawings/
3D Instant Website provides the capability to publish product
design data to a live web site of interactive 3D design content.
A few simple mouse clicks from within SolidWorks allow a designer
to publish a SolidWorks model to a web site and communicate the
design to the entire work team, including other designers, manu-
facturing staff, marketing management, purchasing agents, suppli-
ers, and customers. Visitors to the site can easily view, rotate,
zoom, and evaluate the design as well as offer comments.
www.solidworks.com/3dinstantwebsite/
Integrated Solution Partner Products
• Available best-in-class partner solutions are fully integrated into the
core SolidWorks 3D modeling software to offer a complete, single-
window approach to medical product design.
• SolidWorks software development focuses solely on 3D design tools
to ensure continuous innovation. CAD companies that build strong
ties to Solution Partners for best-in-class, extended solutions —
such as finite element analysis (FEA), computer-aided
manufacturing (CAM), product data management (PDM), and
kinematics — make sure that development is done by the
companies best suited for the job. The results are more complete
product design and development solutions.
• SolidWorks provides an unmatched selection of Solution Partner
products plus the highest level of add-on product integration in the
industry. Certified Gold Products offer the look-and-feel of
SolidWorks software, simplifying learning and use and extending
best-in-class functionality. All Certified Gold Products offer single-
window integration with SolidWorks, are fully associative, and un-
dergo a rigorous testing and certification process by SolidWorks to
ensure compatibility with every release of SolidWorks.
7
 • Several SolidWorks partners have demonstrated efficient use of
Elsyca models electrochemical
wafer deposition and etching
• Elsyca NV markets software for modeling electrochemical reactions.
processes.
• Another SolidWorks partner, MEMGen Corporation, uses SolidWorks
MEMGen Corporation uses
EFAB™ technology to produce
MEMS devices defined with
SolidWorks.
• SolidWorks offers a unique degree of integration with add-on solu-
• SolidWorks Office Professional combines the full functionality of
CircuitWorks allows realistic
PC board layout visualization,
as in this packaged MEMS de-
vice mounted onto a board
populated with other ICs, SMT
capacitors, and resistors.
SolidWorks in conjunction with COSMOSWorks for the design,
analysis, and fabrication of MEMS structures and MEMS-related ma-
terials.
Elsyca has supplied the electronics industry with custom electro-
chemical deposition analysis tools that model reaction cell behavior
during deposition processes on silicon wafers. One of their electro-
chemical cell design evaluations, with deposition current spatial
characteristics appears at left.
to design MEMS devices, which they fabricate for customers in a
captive fab facility using their exclusive license to EFAB™ technol-
ogy. The photos at left illustrate the accurate predictive nature of
the SolidWorks model for this technology.
Electronic-oriented tools: CircuitWorks from Zeal Solutions offers a
SolidWorks Certified Gold Product solution that enables the merging
of 2D IDF format PCB data and component 3D data to build com-
plete 3D models of PCB assemblies. These exact models result in
optimized packaging designs with minimum envelope sizes.
Kinematics tools: Kinematics analysis is helpful for developing
products requiring complex motion including many MEMS devices.
COSMOS (COSMOSMotion™) and Certified Gold Product Solution
Partner Solid Dynamics (MotionWorks) offer these type of analysis
tools.
For a complete listing of SolidWorks Solution Partner products,
please refer to the “Partner” section of the SolidWorks web site at
www.solidworks.com.
tions, supplying valuable functionality beyond that found in the core
CAD product. These solutions operate from within SolidWorks and
can be added at any time to meet new or existing needs.
SolidWorks CAD software with the following design communication,
CAD productivity tools, and data management tools:
SolidWorks Office Professional Design Communication Tools
Demonstrate more effectively how products look and perform with
SolidWorks design communication tools:
SolidWorks Animator— animation software for creating com-
pelling AVI files from SolidWorks parts and assemblies.
PhotoWorks— rendering software for creating photorealistic
images.
3D Instant Website— an easy-to-use tool for publishing live
web sites with 3D interactive content.
eDrawings Professional— tools necessary to visualize, inter-
pret, measure, mark up, and expedite the review of 2D and 3D
product designs across your extended design team.
8

This automated packaging
cell was designed with Solid-
Works. Design the MEMS
device with SolidWorks, then
output the mask, design the
packaging, and even the
automation to put it all to-
gether. Solid modeling
across several dimensional
decades ensures everything
fits, everything works.
SolidWorks is a registered trademark,
FeatureManager is a jointly owned registered
trademark, and PhotoWorks and PDMWorks
are trademarks of SolidWorks Corporation.
FeatureWorks is a registered trademark of
Geometric Software Solutions Co. All other
company and product names are trademarks
or registered trademarks of their respective
owners.
 2001-2002 SolidWorks Corporation. All
rights reserved. This information is subject to
change without notice.
MKMWPENG1002 2
One Tool for all Design Needs
• As organizations increasingly struggle to run leaner and increase
productivity, solutions that optimize their existing capital and hu-
man resource investments become more imperative. This para-
digm applies to research organizations and for-profit corporations
alike. Fortunately, SolidWorks is an investment that has broad ap-
plication for MEMS design.
• SolidWorks handles design at the sub-micron level, assembles
thousands of components in assemblies, provides native FEA that
can be easily enhanced with tightly integrated analysis products,
and designs structures measuring many tens of meters, including
packaging automation equipment.
Making the Decision
• When weighing information to decide between high-end, special-
ized design software specifically targeting MEMS design vs. Solid-
Works, which is an effective single tool for myriad applications, a
number of features should be considered. Features that recom-
mend SolidWorks include:
→ Ease of use, so even part-time users can maintain productivity
→ Ease of learning, allowing new users to quickly contribute to
collaborative design efforts
→ Associativity, from assembly through component parts to mask
definition
→ Efficient Power, FEA of complex assemblies running easily on
standard desktop computers
→ Agility, SolidWorks can be used both to design sub-micron
MEMS features and packaging line equipment measuring tens
of meters
For additional information about SolidWorks and its products, checkout
the online SolidWorks Express newsletter at:
http://www.solidworks.com/swexpress/index.html.
SolidWorks Corporation
300 Baker Avenue
Concord, MA 01742 USA
Toll Free: +1-800-693-9000
Outside the U.S.: +1-978-371-5011
www.solidworks.com
info@solidworks.com
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