SEMINAR REPORT ON

“ APPLICATIONS OF MEMS SENSORS IN AUTOMOBILE

INDUSTRY ”

Submitted By

Mr. Vivek W Lalsare

Under The Guidance Of

Prof. N.G.Patil
Department of Mechanical Engineering

Marathwada Institute of Technology, Aurangabad.

Academic Year 2022-2023

 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the seminar report entitled

“ APPLICATIONS OF MEMS SENSORS IN AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY ”

Given at

Marathwada Institute of Technology, Aurangabad.

Submitted by

Mr. Vivek W Lalsare

has completed as per the requirements of

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Technological University, Lonere
in partial fulfilment of
Degree of B. Tech. in Mechanical Engineering
For the Academic Year 2022-2023

Prof.Dr.N.G.Patil. Dr.A.J.Keche. Prof.Dr.S.P.Bhosle

GUIDE. H.O.D. DIRECTOR
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the In-plant Training project report entitled

“APPLICATIONS OF MEMS IN AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY ” submitted by
“Vivek W Lalsare” (1921261612155) to Marathwada Institute of
Technology, Aurangabad, in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the
award of the degree of B. Tech in Mechanical Engineering is a record of
Bonafede work carried out by him under my guidance. The project fulfills
the requirements as per the regulations of this institute and in my opinion
meets the necessary standards for submission. The contents of this report
have not been submitted and will not be submitted either in part or in full, for
the award of any other degree or diploma and the same is certified.

Prof.Dr.N.G.Patil. Dr.A.J.Keche. Prof.Dr.S.P.Bhosle

GUIDE. H.O.D. DIRECTOR

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I am extremely grateful to Dr. N.G. Patil, Principal, Marathwada Institute of

Technology, Aurangabad and Dr. A.J.Keche, Head of Department,
Department of Mechanical Engineering for providing all the required
resources for the successful completion of my seminar. My heartfelt
gratitude to my seminar guide Prof. N.G.Patil, for his valuable suggestions
and guidance in the preparation of the seminar report. I express my thanks
to all staff members and friends for all the help and co-ordination extended
in bringing out this seminar successfully in time. I will be failing in duty if I do
not acknowledge with grateful thanks to the authors of the references and
other literatures referred to in this seminar. Last but not the least; I am very
much thankful to my parents who guided me in every step which I took.

Thanking You

Vivek W Lalsare
 CONTENTS
● Abstract

● Introduction

● What is MEMS?

● Definitions and Classifications

● History

● Types Of MEMS Sensors

● Advantages and Disadvantages

● Applications of MEMS in automobile Industry

● Conclusion

● References
 ABSTRACT

This paper is an overview of the primary

automotive sensor devices using MEMS Technology used today
and their related system applications. Considered by most
engineers as cutting-edge or fringe technology, MEMS sensors
have been embraced by the automotive industry in its quest to
improve performance, reduce cost, and enhance the reliability
of the family sedan. In fact, hundreds of millions of MEMS
sensors have been used in automobiles over the past decade.
This paper describes new automotive sensors that measure
position, pressure, torque, exhaust temperature, angular rate,
engine oil quality, flexible fuel composition, long-range
distance, short-range distance, and ambient gas concentrations.
In addition, new features are described for sensors that
measure linear acceleration, exhaust oxygen, comfort/
convenience factors, and night vision. New automotive system
applications are described for sensors that measure
speed/timing, mass air flow, and occupant safety/security.
 INTRODUCTION

● This report deals with the emerging field of

micro-electromechanical systems, or MEMS. MEMS is a process
technology used to create tiny integrated devices or systems that
combine mechanical and electrical components. They are
fabricated using integrated circuit (IC) batch processing
techniques and can range in size from a few micrometers to
millimetres. These devices (or systems) have the ability to sense,
control and actuate on the micro scale, and generate effects on
the macro scale. The interdisciplinary nature of MEMS utilizes
design, engineering and manufacturing expertise from a wide and
diverse range of technical areas including integrated circuit
fabrication technology, mechanical engineering, materials
science, electrical engineering, chemistry and chemical
engineering, as well as fluid engineering, optics, instrumentation
and packaging. The complexity of MEMS is also shown in the
extensive range of markets and applications that incorporate
MEMS devices. MEMS can be found in systems ranging across
automotive, medical, electronic, communication and defence
applications. Current MEMS devices include accelerometers for
airbag sensors, inkjet printer heads, computer disk drive
read/write heads, projection display chips, blood pressure
sensors, optical switches, microvalves, biosensors and many
other products that are all manufactured and shipped in high
commercial volumes. MEMS has been identified as one of the
most promising technologies for the 21st Century and has the
potential to revolutionize both industrial and consumer products
by combining silicon-based microelectronics with micromachining
technology. Its techniques and microsystem-based devices have
the potential to dramatically affect of all of our lives and the way
we live. If semiconductor microfabrication was seen to be the first
micromanufacturing revolution, MEMS is the second revolution.
This report introduces the field of MEMS and is divided into four
main sections. In the first section, the reader is introduced to
MEMS, its definitions, history, current and potential applications,
as well as the state of the MEMS market and issues concerning
miniaturization. The second section deals with the fundamental
fabrication methods of MEMS including photolithography, bulk
micromachining, surface micromachining and high-aspect-ratio
micromachining; assembly, system integration and packaging of
MEMS devices is also described here. The third section reviews
the range of MEMS sensors and actuators, the phenomena that
can be sensed or acted upon with MEMS devices, and a brief
description of the basic sensing and actuation mechanisms. The
final section illustrates the challenges facing the MEMS industry
for the commercialisation and success of MEMS.
WHAT IS MEMS?
Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) is a process
technology used to create tiny integrated devices or systems that
combine mechanical and electrical components. They are
fabricated using integrated circuit (IC) batch processing
techniques and can range in size from a few micrometers to
millimetres. These devices (or systems) have the ability to sense,
control and actuate on the micro scale, and generate effects on
the macro scale.MEMS, an acronym that originated in the United
States, is also referred to as Microsystems Technology (MST) in
Europe and Micro machines in Japan. Regardless of terminology,
the uniting factor of a MEMS device is in the way it is made. While
the device electronics are fabricated using 'computer chip' IC
technology, the micromechanical components are fabricated by
sophisticated manipulations of silicon and other substrates using
micromachining processes. Processes such as bulk and surface
micromachining, as well as high-aspect-ratio micromachining
(HARM) selectively remove parts of the silicon or add additional
structural layers to form the mechanical and electromechanical
components. While integrated circuits are designed to exploit the
electrical properties of silicon, MEMS takes advantage of either
silicon's mechanical properties or both its electrical and
mechanical properties. In the most general form, MEMS consist of
mechanical microstructures, microsensors, microactuators and
microelectronics, all integrated onto the same silicon chip. This is
shown schematically in Figure 1. Microsensors detect changes in
the system's environment by measuring mechanical, thermal,
magnetic, chemical or electromagnetic information or
phenomena.
Microelectronics process this information and signal the micro actuators to
react and create some form of changes to the environment.MEMS devices
are very small; their components are usually microscopic. Levers, gears,
pistons, as well as motors and even steam engines have all been fabricated by
MEMS (Figure2).

Figure 2. (a) A MEMS silicon motor together with a strand of human

hair, and (b) the legs of a spider mite standing on gears from a
micro-engine
However, MEMS is not just about the miniaturization of mechanical
components ormaking things out of silicon (in fact, the term MEMS is
actually misleading as many micromachined devices are not mechanical
in any sense). MEMS is a manufacturing technology; a paradigm for
designing and creating complex mechanical devices and systems as well
as their integrated electronics using batch fabrication techniques. Figure
1. Schematic illustration of MEMS components. Figure 2. (a) A MEMS
silicon motor together with a strand of human hair, and (b) the legs of a
spider mite standing on gears from a micro-engine.From a very early
vision in the early 1950’s, MEMS has gradually made its way out of
research laboratories and into everyday products. In the mid-1990’s,
MEMS components began appearing in numerous commercial products
and applications including accelerometers used to control airbag
deployment in vehicles, pressure sensors for medical applications, and
inkjet printer heads. Today, MEMS devices are also found in projection
displays and for micropositioners in data storage systems. However, the
greatest potential for MEMS devices lies in new applications within
telecommunications (optical and wireless), biomedical and process
control areas. MEMS has several distinct advantages as a manufacturing
technology. In the first place, the interdisciplinary nature of MEMS
technology and its micromachining techniques, as well as its diversity of
applications has resulted in an unprecedented range of devices and
synergies across previously unrelated fields (for example biology and
microelectronics). Secondly, MEMS with its batch fabrication techniques
enables components and devices to be manufactured with increased
performance and reliability, combined with the obvious advantages of
reduced physical size, volume, weight and cost. Thirdly, MEMS provides
the basis for the manufacture of products that cannot be made by other
methods. These factors make MEMS potentially a far more pervasive
technology than integrated circuit microchips. However, there are many
challenges and technological obstacles associated with miniaturization
that need to be addressed and overcome before MEMS can realize its
overwhelming potential.
 DEFINITIONS AND CLASSIFICATIONS

This section defines some of the key terminology and classifications

associated with MEMS. It is intended to help the reader and newcomers
to the field of micromachining become familiar with some of the more
common terms. A moredetailed glossary of terms has been included in
Appendix A.Figure 3 illustrates the classifications of microsystems
technology (MST). Although MEMS is also referred to as MST, strictly
speaking, MEMS is a process technology used to create these tiny
mechanical devices or systems, and as a result, it is a subset of MST.
Figure 3. Classifications of microsystems technology [3].
Micro-optoelectromechanical systems (MOEMS) is also a subset of MST
and together with MEMS forms the specialized technology fields using
miniaturized combinations of optics, electronics and mechanics. Both
their microsystems incorporate the use of microelectronics batch
processing techniques for their design and fabrication. There are
considerable overlaps between fields in terms of their integrating
technology and their applications and hence it is extremely difficult to
categorise MEMS devices in terms of sensing domain and/or their
subset of MST. The real difference between MEMS and MST is that
MEMS tends to use semiconductor processes to create a mechanical
part. In contrast, the deposition of a material on silicon for example,
does not constitute MEMS but is an application of MST.

TRANSDUCER

A transducer is a device that transforms one form of signal or energy

into another form. The term transducer can therefore be used to
include both sensors and actuators and is the most generic and widely
used term in MEMS.

SENSOR

A sensor is a device that measures information from a surrounding

environment and provides an electrical output signal in response to the
parameter it measured. Over the years, this information (or
phenomenon) has been categorized in terms of the type of energy
domains but MEMS devices generally overlap several domains or do not
even belong in any one category.

These energy domains include:

● Mechanical - force, pressure, velocity, acceleration, position

● Thermal - temperature, entropy, heat, heat flow
● Chemical - concentration, composition, reaction rate
● Radiant - electromagnetic wave intensity, phase, wavelength,
polarization reflectance, refractive index, transmittance
● Magnetic-field intensity, flux density, magnetic moment,
permeability
● Electrical - voltage, current, charge, resistance, capacitance,
polarization.

ACTUATOR

An actuator is a device that converts an electrical signal into an action.

It can create a force to manipulate itself, other mechanical devices, or
the surrounding environment to perform some useful function.
HISTORY

The history of MEMS is useful to illustrate its diversity, challenges and

applications. The following list summarizes some of the key MEMS
milestones.

1950's

1958 Silicon strain gauges commercially available

1959 There's plenty of Room at the Bottom" Richard Feynman gives a

milestone Presentation at California Institute of Technology. He issues a
public challenge by offering $1000 to the first person to create an
electrical motor smaller than 1/64 of an inch.

1960's

1961 First silicon pressure sensor demonstrated

1967 Invention of surface micromachining. Westinghouse creates the

Resonant gate Field Effect Transistor, (RGT). Description of use of
sacrificial material free micromechanical devices from the silicon
substrate.

1970's

1970 First silicon accelerometer demonstrated

1979 First micromachined inkjet nozzle

1980's

Early 1980's: First experiments in surface micromachined silicon.

Late 1980's Micromachining leverages microelectronics industry and
widespread experimentation and documentation increases public
interest.

1982 Disposable blood pressure transducer

1982 "Silicon as a Mechanical Material" [9]. Instrumental paper to

entice the scientific community-reference for material properties and
etcing data for silicon.

1982 LIGA Process

1988 First MEMS conference

1990's Methods of micromachining aimed towards improving sensors.

MCNC starts the Multi-User MEMS Process (MUMPS) sponsored by

1992 Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)

1992 First micromachined hinge

1993 First surface micromachined accelerometer sold (Analog

Devices,ADXL50)

1994 Deep Reactive Ion Etching is patented

1995 BioMEMS rapidly develops

2000 MEMS optical-networking components become big business

TYPES OF MEMS SENSOR :-
MEMS ACCELEROMETERS:

These are used to measure the static or dynamic force of acceleration.The

major categories of accelerometers include silicon capacitive, piezo-resistive
and thermal accelerometers. In case of piezo-electric effect, a voltage
generated corresponds to the accelerative forces which are acting on
microscopic crystal structures on the sensor ▸ Capacitive sensors are
designed to operate by generating the electrostatic field and detecting the
changes in the field caused when the object or target approaching the
sensing area. In case of thermal MEMS sensors a large number of tiny
thermocouples are connected in series.

MEMS GYROSCOPES:
Gyroscopes are used to detect and measure the angular rate of an object.
These are works on the principle of vibrating objects undergoing rotation.
These are very tiny sensors in which a small resonating mass is shifted as the
angular velocity changes when the gyro is rotated Further, this movement is
converted into low current signals. Similar to the accelerometers these
sensors also work on different sensing principles like silicon capacitive,
piezo-resistive, etc. Some of the types of MEMS gyroscopes include tuning
fork, resonant solids, vibrating wheels, vibrating plate gyroscopes

MEMS PRESSURE SENSOR:

MEMS pressure sensors measure the pressure difference across a silicon
diaphragm. Three types of pressure measurements like gauge, absolute and
differential pressure are possible with these sensors.In this sensor
design,diaphragm is etched from silicon using micro machining process and
the measurement techniques include piezo-resistive and capacitive
technologies. This sensor is integrated with diaphragm and a set of resistors
on integrated chips so that a pressure is detected as a change in resistance
when the membrane flexes.

MEMS MAGNETIC FIELD SENSOR:

MEMS based magnetic sensor detects the magnetic field vector by measuring
the amplitude of a mechanical Lorenz force. This MEMS device consists of a
current loop on an 502 plate and the amplitude of force is detected with a
polysilicon piezoresistor Wheatstone bridge Magnetic field sensors widely
used to measure the magnetic fields and applications of such sensors include
position sensing, current detection, speed detection, vehicle detection,
geophysical prospecting space exploration, etc. A new class of magnetic
sensors is developed by MEMS technology [1, 2, 3].
 ADVANTAGES OF MEMS
● Highly scalable in manufacturing, resulting in very low unit costs when
mass-produced
● MEMS sensors possess extremely high sensitivity
● MEMS switches and actuators can attain very high frequencies
● MEMS devices require very low power consumption
● MEMS can be readily integrated with microelectronics to achieve
embedded mechatronic systems – For example Microphones
● Scaling effects at microscopic levels can be leveraged to achieve designs
and dynamic mechanisms otherwise not possible at macro-scales.

DISADVANTAGES OF MEMS
● Very expensive during the research and development stage for any new
MEMS design or devices
● Very expensive upfront setup cost for fabrication cleanrooms and
foundry facilities
● Fabrication and assembly unit costs can be very high for low quantities.
Therefore, MEMS are not suitable for niche applications unless cost is
not an issue.
● Testing equipment to characterise the quality and performance can also
be expensive.
APPLICATIONS OF MEMS SENSOR IN
AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY

1. Accelerometer for crash detection and airbag control: Crash sensing for
airbag control represents the largest automotive use of inertial MEMS
sensors in this application, an accelerometer continuously measures the
acceleration of the car. When this parameter goes beyond a predetermined
threshold, a microcontroller
computes the integral of the
acceleration (Le, the area under the
curve) to determine if a large net
change in velocity has occurred if it
has the air bag is fired.
The decision to fire front air bags
has to be made in dozens of
millisecond the decision to fire side
air bags must be made even more
quickly because the car door is
closer to the occupant than the steering wheel or dashboard: MEMS
accelerometers can perform robust self- testing, allowing the air bag module
processor to determine if the sensor's data are reliable or if the air bag
module must be serviced.
2, Side Impact Sensor.
It is a type of pressure
sensor used to detect
the side impact or
crash. The side impact
MEMS sensor
measures the quick
increase of pressure
within the cavities of
passenger car door to
determine the airbag deployment.

3. Front Impact Sensor:

The front impact sensor
measures acceleration
data for impact detection
using MEMS technology.
This feature enables
passenger safety from
crash impact
4. Brake Vacuum Sensor. It is used
to measure pressure of brake
booster in start/stop systems
using MEMS sensor technology.
The operating voltage is 5V
(4.5-5.5 V) and operating
temperature is between -40 t
+150° C. It operates in pressure
range of ± 1.05 bar
(programmable for each
customer) with burst pressure of 5 Bar. It has accuracy over lifetime about
1.5%.

5.Vehicle Dynamic
Control: Vehicle
dynamic control
(VDC) systems help
the driver regain
control of the
automobile when it
starts to skid. If the
VDC works properly,
the driver may not
even be aware that
the system intervened. A VDC system consists of a gyroscope, a low-g
accelerometer, and wheel-speed sensors at each wheel (the wheel-speed
sensors may also be used by the ABS).

6.Rollover Detection: This system is useful for SUV, LUV, vans, pickup trucks,
and sport utility vehicles, which are more likely to roll over because of their
higher centre of grvity. The roll over detection system consists of a gyroscope
to read the roll rate. The roll rate is integrated to determine the roll angle of
the vehicle, but roll rate data alone are not enough to predict if a vehicle is
(or will be) rolling over
An accelerometer reading for vertical acceleration (Z axis) is also required
because large roll
angles can be
encountered in banked
curves with no
possibility of rollover
roll angle and roll rate
of the vehicle to
determine if it is
tipping over. If it is, the
system fires the side
curtain air bags to
protect the occupants.
7.Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems: Correct tire pressure and temperature
are essential for obtaining optimal product performance. TPMS has played
important role in safely driving now a days. The inflated tyre or heating issue
can be monitor using this system. Power consumption of this sensors is low
and accuracy is great and reliable. These pressure monitoring systems are
connected with main computer of vehicle with wireless data transfer.

8.Position sensor: The position of specific point of interest can be calculated

by bending detection of cantilevers or more complex MEMS flexures via
different techniques: optical, capacitive, piezoelectric, etc.

9.Speed Sensor: The wheel speed sensors are useful for ABS (antilock brake
system) control the braking mechanism of vehicle. This is one of the most
common safety feature in almost all supplied vehicles. Now these sensors are
manufactures using MEMS sensor technology.

10.Crankshaft speed sensor: The optimum engine control is based on

ongoing, exact information from the drive train provided by sensors. The
electronic engine management system measures the speed, position and,
optionally, the rotational direction of the crankshaft via the crankshaft speed
sensor. It is used to determine the speed at which crankshaft is rotating. The
sensor required here is to achieve the matching timing between the valves
and pistons. It is useful in fuel injection mechanism in vehicle engine.
11.Camshaft position sensor: The engine control unit uses the camshaft
position sensor to record the exact position of the camshaft. This increases
power and supports emissions reduction at the same time. This gives the
driver optimal engine control. The crank sensor can be used in combination
with a similar camshaft position sensor to monitor the relationship between
the pistons and valves in the engine, which is particularly important in
engines with variable valve timing. This method is also used to “synchronise”
a four stroke engine upon starting, allowing the management system to know
when to inject the fuel. It is also commonly used as the primary source for
the measurement of engine speed in revolutions per minute.
CONCLUSION
The inertial MEMS content of cars is substantial and growing. As the
capabilities of these sensors grow, designers are finding more uses for them
to improve the safety and reliability of automobiles. Today, manufacturers
primarily use inertial MEMS sensors to implement safety features (e.g., air
bag control), but performance and convenience applications are quickly
becoming a major market. Due to yearly advancement in MEMS technology
the applications requirement will not be limited to only inertial MEMS
sensors. Future will come with some new applications of such MEMS
technology as the autopilot systems are becoming common in automotive
industry.
References
[1] Amir Piltan, Khaje Nasir Toosi University of Technology,
Reza Ghodsi, Central Connecticut State University. “MEMS
Technology in Automotive Industry: Trends and
Applications”.
[2] David S. Eddy and Douglas R. Sparks, Application of MEMS
Technology in Automotive Sensors and Actuator.
[3] T. Fujimori et al., “Tiny (0.72 mm2
) Pressure Sensor
Integrating MEMS and CMOS LSI with Back-End-Of-Line
MEMS Platform,” the 15th International Conference on Solid
State Sensors, Actuators & Microsystems Transducers 2009,
June 21-25, pp.1924-1927 (2009).
[4] H.Ishikawa et al., “The Latest Trend in Sensors for
Automobiles,” CMC Publishing Co., Ltd. (2008) in Japanese.
[5] M. Madou, Y. Zhang, C. Wang, and S. Akbar, “MEMS
chemical sensors for automotive applications,” in Proc. Sensor
Expo Detroit,1997, pp. 329–335.
[6] C. Spangler and C. Kemp, “A smart automotive accelerometer
with on-chip airbag deployment circuits,” in Tech. Dig. IEEE
Solid-State Sensor and Actuator Workshop, Hilton Head
Island, SC, 1996, pp. 211–214