Microsystems Design and Modelling

Microsystems are miniaturized systems that integrate mechanical, electrical, and other physical domains' components on a chip. The different parts on a microsystem function cohesively to perform a specific task, for instance sensing a physical magnitude. These systems, foundational in fields like sensor technology, biotechnology, and telecommunications, exemplify how multidisciplinary integration can lead to groundbreaking advancements.

In this course, the most important theories governing microsystem components are introduced, including the most important behaviour-describing equations. Techniques for multi-domain modelling are introduced and applied to the modelling of electro-mechanical microsystems. Then, different transduction mechanisms, that allow for the conversion of signals between different physical domains, are introduced. The dynamics of microsystems governed by 2nd order differential equations are analyzed. Besides these analytical techniques, finite elements method (FEM) is exploited to simulate the behaviour of systems with complex geometries, not easy to be captured by analytical expressions. To apply the FEM method, the software package Comsol is introduced and used in several tutorials. The course includes theory (lectures with slides), Comsol tutorials, and tutorials for the realization of a final project, in which a microsystem is designed for a given application.