Workflow for Modeling Electrical Properties of Piezoresistive Silicon MEMS Devices

A workflow has been developed to model the electrical properties of piezoresistive silicon micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) devices, such as silicon pressure sensors and strain gauges. The workflow involves physically-based simulation of the semiconductor processing and the mechanical properties of the structure using finite element methods (FEM). Additionally, the calculation of the mobility of majority charge carriers using physical models is involved. This workflow enables the computation of the electrical characteristics of MEMS devices across a wide range of temperatures (−40 −130°C) in relation to dopant concentration, stress, and temperature, prior to fabrication.