The present paper describes a novel approach to interconnecting and assembling components of MEMS at room temperature. The main drawback of the conventional bonding methods is their rather high process temperatures. The new method, which is referred as the surface activated bonding (SAB), utilizes the phenomena of the adhesion between two atomically clean solid surfaces to enable the bonding at lower temperature or even at room temperature. In the bonding procedure, the surfaces to be bonded are merely brought into contact after sputter-cleaning by Ar fast atom in ultrahigh vacuum conditions. TEM observations of the bonded interfaces show that a direct bonding in atomic scale is achieved in the interface between the micro-components. Based on the concept of this new bonding technology, a micro-assembly system was developed. The micro-assembly system is operated by means of a virtual manipulation system in which 3D model of the micro-components are manipulated virtually in a computer graphics constructed in the world wide web (WWW) scheme. The micro-assembly system will provide a new design tool of three dimensional MEMS by combining the possibility of the flexible assembly and the intuitive operations.

Low-temperature bonding methods of optoelectronic chips, such as laser diodes (LD) and photodiode (PD) chips, have been the focus of much interest to develop highly functional and compact optoelectronic devices, such as microsensors and communication modules. In this paper, room-temperature bonding of the optoelectronic chips with Au thin film to coined Au stud bumps with smooth surfaces (Ra: 1.3nm) using argon and hydrogen gas mixture atmospheric-pressure plasma was demonstrated in ambient air. The die-shear strength was high enough to exceed the strength requirement of MIL-STD-883F, method 2019 (×2). The measured results of the light-current-voltage characteristics of the LD chips and the dark current-voltage characteristics of the PD chips indicated no degradation after bonding.

We have developed and operated a newly conceived multiprobe scanning force microscope (SFM) using microfabricated piezoelectric cantilevers. An array of piezoelectric microcantilevers with a piezoelectric ZnO layer on an SiO2 film makes it possible to build a multiprobe SFM system. Multiprobe SFMs are required for the application of SFM to the probe lithography and high density data storage. Each cantilever probe of multiprobe system should have a detector for sensing of its own deflection and an actuator for positioning of its tip. The piezoelectric cantilever can detect its own vibration amplitude by measuring the piezoelectric current, and it can also drive its tip by applying a voltage to the piezoelectric layer. Therefore, the piezoelectric cantilever is suitable for each cantilever of the array in the multiprobe SFM. We have verified the applicability of the piezoelectric cantilever to each lever of the array by characterizing the sensitivities of the deflection sensing and actuation. The ZnO piezoelectric cantilever with the length of 125 µm works as the z scanner with the sensitivity of 20 nm/V. We have also fabricated an experimental piezoelectric microcantilever array with ten cantilevers. We have constructed parallel operation SFM system with two cantilevers of the fabricated array and successfully obtained parallel images of 1 µm pitch grating in constant height mode.

Wafers with smooth Au thin films (rms surface roughness: < 0.5nm, thickness: < 50nm) were successfully bonded in ambient air at room temperature after an Ar radio frequency plasma activation process. The room temperature bonded glass wafers without any heat treatment showed a sufficiently high die-shear strength of 47-70MPa. Transmission electron microscopy observations showed that direct bonding on the atomic scale was achieved. This surface-activated bonding method is expected to be a useful technique for future heterogeneous photonic integration.

This paper reports on a new dynamic scanning force microscope (SFM), in which the piezoelectric microcantilever is utilized for the lever excitation and displacement sensing. Piezoelectric cantilevers can detect their deflection without external sensing elements and be vibrated with no oscillator outside. The cantilever integrated with the deflection detector and the oscillator changes the conventional construction of a dynamic SFM and expands its range of applicability. The microcantilever used consists of a ZnO layer sandwiched with Au electrodes deposited on a thin beam of thermally grown SiO2. The length, width and thickness of the lever are 125 µm, 50 µm and 3.5 µm, respectively. We have characterized this cantilever by measuring the charge spectrum and the frequency dependence of the admittance. From the charge spectrum the mechanical quality factor measured 300 in free vibration. Typical piezoelectric constant of the ZnO film was estimated approximately as 80% of single-crystal's value. The piezoelectric cantilever can be vibrated by applying the voltage with the frequency near the resonance to the piezoelectric layer. The excited amplitude per unit voltage at the resonance frequency was calculated as about 5 µm/V. The cantilever amplitude can be detected by measuring the current between electrodes, since the admittance depends on the quality factor. We have constructed a dynamic SFM without external oscillator and detector, and successfully obtained the surface images of a sol-gel derived PZT film in the cyclic contact operation mode. The longitudinal resolution of the SFM system was 0.3 nm at a 125 Hz bandwidth.

An AuSn reflow process using hydrogen radicals as a way to avert the cleaning of flux residues was investigated for its application to solder bumping. AuSn particles (manufactured by a gas atomizer) smaller than 5 µm, which are difficult to reflow by conventional methods that use rosin mildly activated (RMA) flux, were used for the experiments. In this process, the reduction effect by the hydrogen radicals removes the surface oxides of the AuSn particles. Excellent wetting between 1-µm-diameter AuSn particles and Ni metallization occurred in hydrogen plasma. Using hydrogen radicals, 100 µm-diameter AuSn bumps without voids were successfully formed at a peak temperature of 300. The average bump shear strength was approximately 73 gf/bump. Bump inspection after shear testing showed that a fracture had occurred between the Au/Ni/Cr under bump metallurgy (UBM) and Si substrate, suggesting sufficient wetting between the AuSn bump and the UBM.

A lithium niobate (LiNbO3)/silicon (Si) hybrid structure has been developed by the surface-activated bonding of LiNbO3 chips with gold (Au) thin film to Si substrates with patterned Au film. After organic contaminants on the Au surfaces were removed using argon radio-frequency plasma, Au-to-Au bonding was carried out in ambient air. Strong bonding at significantly low temperatures below 100 without generating cracks has been demonstrated.

This paper focuses on optical integration technology and its application in optical microsensors used in biomedical fields. The integration is based on the hybrid integration approach, achieving high performance, small size and weight, and lower cost. First, we describe the key technologies used in hybrid integration, namely passive alignment technology, low temperature bonding technology, and packaging technology for realizing advanced microsensors. Then, we describe an integrated laser Doppler flowmeter that can monitor blood flow in human skin.