ADVANCED SENSORS AND MICROSYSTEMS ON SOI

In the recent decade microsystem technologies (MST) have become a very important field. A lot of miniaturized sensors and microsystems based on silicon technologies have been developed and are in production now. Airbag control for example is mostly based on silicon acceleration sensors. Besides the existing products new products are emerging like drug delivery systems, labs on chip for DNA-analysis or electronic noses. Using SOI new sensor and actuator concepts have become possible. Dielectric insulation offers new possibilities concerning mechanical, thermal or electrical behavior. Microsensors for high temperature application including CMOS electronics are under development. This paper concentrates on SOI with silicon dioxide as insulating material. It will give examples of sensing and actuating devices based on SIMOX and on bonded wafer technology. In addition an example of a more complex microsystem, a retina implant system, will be given.