A New, Topology Driven Method for Automatic Mask Generation from Three-Dimensional Models

摘要

Given a three-dimensional model of an object, the algorithm presented in this work derives the two-dimensional mask set required to manufacture the object in a surface micromachining process. Currently, designing a surface micromachined MEMS device requires the creation of a process dependent mask set describing how various layers of material are used to construct the device. This work describes an algorithm that infers from the horizontal, cross-sectional topology of a three-dimensional model, the masks required to fabricate the device. Such inferred masks are general in nature and are fitted to a specific production process if data describing the process's mask requirements are available; data for Sandia's SUMMiT V process is used in the current work. This work allows a MEMS designer to focus on creation of a three-dimensional model of their device rather than the masks required by different production processes.