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Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) has existed as a technical field since the early 1980's. Past research has primarily focused on developing new process technologies to support specific applications. As stable process technologies have emerged, many research efforts have shifted towards the design of systems containing hundreds or even thousands of mixed-domain components. As a result, there is a growing need for CAD tools that shorten the design and development time for MEMS-based products. Success in this area depends greatly on new design methodologies that allow complex microsystems of mechanical, electrical, thermal, fluidic, and optical components to be hierarchically represented and simulated. In addition, CAD tools capable of assessing and preventing faulty MEMS behavior are also necessary to ensure the end quality of complex MEMS-based products. One relatively mature design area is the surface-micromachined suspended MEMS, as exemplified by the recent success of commercial microaccelerometers for automotive airbag deployment and digital mirror displays for high-fidelity video. The existence of accumulated design expertise, stable fabrication services, and electromechanical modeling tools has made the suspended-MEMS technology a good candidate for initial development of design and test tools for MEMS. Carnegie Mellon University, most notably the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Robotics Institute, have been intensely investigating the design and test of suspended MEMS. Our MEMS CAD effort has three main thrusts that focus on a schematic environment for MEMS design, MEMS component synthesis and test of this technology.
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Full paper not available from outside CMU
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