TABLE OF CONTENTS J.Harley
This chapter will describe packaging of MEMS devices for use in the life sciences. Applications of MEMS in the life sciences are very broad and growing rapidly. As a consequence of this breadth, this chapter begins with an overview of the range of applications and will then categorise those applications and describe the packaging techniques used therein.
MEMS and microsystems have already seen broad application in the life sciences, and the demand will continue to increase in the years to come. The estimated worldwide market for medical and biochip applications of MEMS was $2.4 billion in 2000, and is estimated to reach $7.4 billion by 2004, and with a CAGR of 32.5%, it is one of the fastest growing sectors in MEMS [1]. For purposes of clarity, applications will be grouped into medical applications and biochip applications. Medical applications range from surgical equipment and medical instruments to sensors and systems that can be used in direct contact and even implanted within the human body. Biochip applications range from microarrays used for proteomic and genomic analysis to lab-on-a-chip systems and other microfluidic chips. While devices in both of these application areas require at least some level of care and attention to material compatibility with biological materials, the medical applications require additional regulatory certifications due to their use in medical settings.
As a result of the breadth of the applications covered, a variety of different materials, fabrication techniques and packaging systems have...
