NONTRADITIONAL TECHNOLOGIES FOR MICROFABRICATION

Although silicon planar technology has generated the field of micromec hanics, it has been realized that this technology has intrinsic limita tions for the fabrication of truly 3D micromechanisms. A number of alt ernative technologies based either on silicon or on different material s are presently investigated in order to overcome the limitations of p lanar silicon technology. This paper outlines the motivations for deve loping new microfabrication technologies, especially those that are co nsidered as 'non-traditional' in the microelectronics domain, and the perspectives offered by this approach for fabricating miniature, micro and nanodevices. Four representative 'non-traditional' technologies a re considered. LIGA process, micro electro-discharge machining (EDM), micro stereo lithography, and the combination of biological and artifi cial microfabricated structures ('hybrid' technologies).