Skip to main content
  • Book
  • © 2021

MEMS Product Development

From Concept to Commercialization

  • How to define a MEMS product and create cost models to inform fundraising or budgeting
  • Implement technical best practices for successful MEMS prototype and product development
  • Prepare for and successfully execute the transfer of a MEMS prototype to a foundry for volume manufacturing

Part of the book series: Microsystems and Nanosystems (MICRONANO)

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 49.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 64.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check for access.

Table of contents (20 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xviii
  2. Context and Overview

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1
    2. The Opportunities and Challenges of MEMS Product Development

      • Alissa M. Fitzgerald, Carolyn D. White, Charles C. Chung
      Pages 3-8
    3. Economics of Semiconductor Device Manufacturing and Impacts on MEMS Product Development

      • Alissa M. Fitzgerald, Carolyn D. White, Charles C. Chung
      Pages 9-16
    4. Stages of MEMS Product Development

      • Alissa M. Fitzgerald, Carolyn D. White, Charles C. Chung
      Pages 17-28
  3. Business Requirements for a Viable Product

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 29-29
    2. What Is the Product? Requirements Analysis

      • Alissa M. Fitzgerald, Carolyn D. White, Charles C. Chung
      Pages 31-45
    3. Is There a Business Opportunity? Product Unit Cost Modeling

      • Alissa M. Fitzgerald, Carolyn D. White, Charles C. Chung
      Pages 47-57
    4. What Is the Budget for Development?

      • Alissa M. Fitzgerald, Carolyn D. White, Charles C. Chung
      Pages 59-70
    5. Leveraging Third-Party Intellectual Property to Accelerate Product Development

      • Alissa M. Fitzgerald, Carolyn D. White, Charles C. Chung
      Pages 71-79
    6. Organization Planning for Successful Development

      • Alissa M. Fitzgerald, Carolyn D. White, Charles C. Chung
      Pages 81-92
  4. Technical Requirements for a Viable Product

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 93-93
    2. The MEMS Product: Functional Partitioning and Integration

      • Alissa M. Fitzgerald, Carolyn D. White, Charles C. Chung
      Pages 95-110
    3. Starting a New MEMS Device Design

      • Alissa M. Fitzgerald, Carolyn D. White, Charles C. Chung
      Pages 111-127
    4. Design for Manufacturing: Process Integration and Photomask Layout

      • Alissa M. Fitzgerald, Carolyn D. White, Charles C. Chung
      Pages 129-148
    5. Design for Back-end-of-Line Processes

      • Alissa M. Fitzgerald, Carolyn D. White, Charles C. Chung
      Pages 149-156
    6. Strategies for Codevelopment of the Electronics and Package

      • Alissa M. Fitzgerald, Carolyn D. White, Charles C. Chung
      Pages 157-166
    7. Planning a Development Test Program

      • Alissa M. Fitzgerald, Carolyn D. White, Charles C. Chung
      Pages 167-183
    8. Risk Mitigation Strategies for Prototype Fabrication

      • Alissa M. Fitzgerald, Carolyn D. White, Charles C. Chung
      Pages 185-195
    9. Documenting MEMS Product Technology for Transfer to Manufacturing

      • Alissa M. Fitzgerald, Carolyn D. White, Charles C. Chung
      Pages 197-211

About this book

Drawing on their experiences in successfully executing hundreds of MEMS development projects, the authors present the first practical guide to navigating the technical and business challenges of MEMS product development, from the initial concept stage all the way to commercialization. The strategies and tactics presented, when practiced diligently, can shorten development timelines, help avoid common pitfalls, and improve the odds of success, especially when resources are limited. MEMS Product Development illuminates what it really takes to develop a novel MEMS product so that innovators, designers, entrepreneurs, product managers, investors, and executives may properly prepare their companies to succeed.

Authors and Affiliations

  • A. M. Fitzgerald & Associates, LLC, Burlingame, USA

    Alissa M. Fitzgerald, Carolyn D. White

  • IBM, Armonk, USA

    Charles C. Chung

About the authors


Alissa M. Fitzgerald, PhD, 
founded A.M. Fitzgerald & Associates, LLC, a MEMS product development firm based in the Bay Area, California, in 2003. She has over 25 years of engineering experience in MEMS design and fabrication and now advises clients on the entire cycle of MEMS product development, from business and IP strategy to supply chain and manufacturing operations. Dr. Fitzgerald received her bachelor's and master's degrees from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and her Ph.D. from Stanford University, all in Aeronautics and Astronautics. She is a member of the SEMI-MSIG standards committee and served as a board director on the MEMS Industry Group (MIG) Governing Council from 2008-2014. In 2013, she was inducted into the MIG Hall of Fame.  

Carolyn D. White, PhD, has a background in mechanics of materials and specializes in the design and fabrication of MEMS devices for a wide range of applications. She has additional experience in technology strategic analysis including of the evaluation of patent portfolios, feasibility studies, and cost/performance analysis. With over 20 years of experience in MEMS, Dr. White is a member of the SEMI MEMS & Sensors Industry Group, previously serving on its Technical Advisory Committee. Dr. White received her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Brown University and MS and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. 

Charles C. Chung, PhD, is the Quantum Industry Consultant for Electronics at IBM. He was at A.M. Fitzgerald & Associates, LLC, for 8 years and has developed MEMS and microsystems products for over 25 years. He is an advisor to the SEMI MEMS and Sensors Industry Group, a member of the University of Pennsylvania’s Singh Center for Nanotechnology’s Industrial Advisory Board, and a recipient of the Gates Grand Challenges Explorations Grant. Dr. Chung has been involved in the development of over 35 MEMS devices and microsystems products, including DNA sequencing chips, tire pressure monitoring systems, implantable biomedical sensors, quantum sensors, Internet of Things (IoT), micromirrors, microphones, gyroscopes, accelerometers, pressure sensors, and more. His roles include business and product development, technology and patent strategy, device design and fabrication, and supply chain establishment and management for volume production. He received his BA in Physics & Environmental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania, his MS n Physics from Duke University, and PhD in Electrical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.


Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: MEMS Product Development

  • Book Subtitle: From Concept to Commercialization

  • Authors: Alissa M. Fitzgerald, Carolyn D. White, Charles C. Chung

  • Series Title: Microsystems and Nanosystems

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-61709-7

  • Publisher: Springer Cham

  • eBook Packages: Engineering, Engineering (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-030-61708-0Published: 17 March 2021

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-030-61711-0Published: 18 March 2022

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-030-61709-7Published: 16 March 2021

  • Series ISSN: 2198-0063

  • Series E-ISSN: 2198-0071

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XVIII, 276

  • Number of Illustrations: 41 b/w illustrations, 10 illustrations in colour

  • Topics: Nanotechnology and Microengineering, Manufacturing, Machines, Tools, Processes, Nanotechnology

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 49.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 64.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access