This chapter begins with an introduction to the testing methodology based on digital image correlation. Digitized photographs or video sequences, as well as images from optical microscopy, scanning, electron, laser scanning, or scanning probe microscopy, are suitable for the application of digital image correlation. Tiny defects or cracks present in microsystems components can lead to severe crack propagation and complete failure if devices are stressed. Residual stresses introduced in microsystems during manufacture severely determine their reliability. Images of the object are obtained at the reference load state and at a second load state. Both images are compared with each other using a special cross-correlation algorithm. The result of a single two-dimensional discrete cross correlation and subsequent subpixel analysis in the surrounding region of a measuring point gives the two components of the displacement vector. Analysis of the thermo-mechanical reliability of whole microsystem devices is required to concentrate on weak spots, where failure behavior is initiated.

The 2016 edition of the symposium on Design, Test, Integration and Packaging of MEMS and MOEMS (DTIP), the premier MEMS scientific annual event in Europe, was held in Budapest, Hungary, May 30–June 2, 2016. DTIP’2016, organized by Prof. Marta Rencz and her team from Budapest University of Technology and Economics was the 18th edition and has been extremely appreciated by an hundred of attendees for the quality of both scientific and social programs. Oral and poster presentations were carefully selected by the Program Committee to insure a high scientific level. This symposium brought together participants interested in manufacturing of microstructures and/or in design tools and methods to facilitate the design of these microstructures. This special issue is composed of 24 extended versions of the best papers presented at the symposium. Extended papers have been refereed, along the usual refereeing process in force at Microsystem Technologies. Selected papers, out of 33 proposals, cover a broad range of topics including CAD tools, design methods, multi-physics modelling, thermal evaluation and optimization; test, reliability and failure analysis; sensors and actuators; advances in micro-fabrication, integration and packaging; new materials; advanced characterization techniques. We hope that you will enjoy these contributions as much as we did and if you want to join the DTIP community don’t hesitate to attend our next event or to visit our website.

The 2015 edition of the Symposium on Design, Test, Integration and Packaging of MEMS and MOEMS (DTIP) was held in Montpellier, France, 27–30 April 2015. Established in 1999 by our colleague Dr Bernard Courtois, DTIP is definitively the premier MEMS scientific event in Europe. DTIP’2015 was the 17th edition and has been extremely appreciated by an hundred of attendees for the quality of both scientific and social programs. Oral and poster presentations were carefully selected by the Program Committee to insure a high scientific level and awesome plenary speakers have been invited. This Symposium brought together participants interested in manufacturing of microstructures and participants interested in design tools to facilitate the design of these microstructures. This special issue is composed of 20 extended versions of the best papers presented at the Symposium. Extended papers have been refereed, along the usual refereeing process in force at Microsystem Technologies. Selected papers cover a broad range of topics including compact thermal modelling, thermal testing, electrostatic and thermal actuation, simulation, accelerometers, electronic front-end for sensors, magnetic nanoparticles and materials, RF MEMS, Quantum dots, piezoelectric films, Micro-transducers, magnetometers, microfluidic devices, resonant sensors, micro-fabrication, wafer bonding, Packaging, flexible interconnects and MEMS reliability. We hope that you will enjoy these contributions as much as we did and if you want to join the DTIP community do not hesitate to attend our next event or to visit our website.

and characterization, RF MEMS, MOEMS, sensors and actuators, in-vitro diagnostic device,

The strength of poly-silicon membranes was investigated by experimental tests and numerical simulations. A new fracture test has been developed that replicates the loading situation under real service conditions well but with higher stress level. A set of 45 membranes was tested at each of the three positions on the wafer in order to assure statistical accuracy and to evaluate the strength distribution across the wafer. Using finite element simulation, fracture stresses were calculated and analyzed by means of a two-parametric Weibull distribution subsequently. High values were found for the characteristic fracture stresses. They are in the range of 5,400 - 6,000 MPa.

One of the present trends in microelectronic is the embedding of electronic devices directly into structural components. This integration of smart systems into hybrid and light weight structures also is a main objective of MERGE, the research cluster of excellence on Technologies for Multifunctional Lightweight Structures. The integrated silicon sensor system, also called stress monitor chip system (SMC), that allows health monitoring and failure detection in the hybrid structures is one of the MERGE demonstrators. It is capable of determining the magnitudes and the distribution of the mechanical load induced into electronics and sensor dies during embedding processes like encapsulation and moulding as well as afterwards in the service of the structural hybrid component. In the past years, the SMC system has already been shown to be highly accurate in stress monitoring during mechanical and thermal cyclic tests, in moisture swelling assessments and also during fabrication processes like transfer molding of Chip-on-Board (CoB) samples and epoxy underfilling of flip chip samples [1,2]. This paper investigates the individual process steps from the bare sensor chip up to the completion of the sensor integration in the lightweight structure regarding the induced mechanical stresses by using the SMC system.

in microsystems, and microflow visualization. Two special sessions have been devoted to industrial applications of microfluidics and to nanofluidics. This special issue of Microsystem Technologies focuses the attention of the readers on a selection of nine works representative of the research advances in microfluidics presented during the Conference. Carrier et al. experimentally analyzed the mechanism of satellite droplets formation in the wake of the main droplet generated in a flow-focusing junction, with Newtonian or non-Newtonian liquids. By confocal laser scanning microscopy, Ben Hassan et al. experimentally observed the fouling of a filter due to the accumulation of microparticles on a membrane surface, and developed a numerical model able to predict the cake growth during the filtration. The paper of Kong and Nguyen reports a technique for the fabrication of three-dimensional multilayer liquid-metal microcoils by lamination of dry adhesive films; these microcoils can be used for magnetic resonance relaxometry (MRR) measurement in a lab-ona-chip platform. Samouda et al. developed a new setup for the experimental investigation of gaseous microflows by molecular tagging velocimetry—MTV—and discussed its possible use to obtain a direct measurement of velocity slip at the walls in rarefied regimes. Cao et al. designed different tools for microfluidic droplet processing, including an automated “gradient take-up tool” for the generation of segment sequences with gradually changing composition of the individual droplets. Wibel et al. studied a novel microstructured evaporator geometry consisting of curved, instead of straight, microchannels and demonstrated that strong centrifugal forces led to an enhancement of the evaporation efficiency. Calaon et al. evaluated the capability of producing with high volume lab-on-chip devices through injection molding. The Third European Conference on Microfluidics (μFlu’12) was held in Heidelberg, Germany, in December 8–10, 2012, under the sponsorship of the Hydrotechnic Society of France (SHF), the Alma Mater Studiorum Universita di Bologna, the University of Toulouse and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. This event has gathered 252 participants from 33 countries. During three days, 174 communications have been presented in 16 thematic sessions including liquid microflows, gas microflows, microsensors and in-situ analytics, fluidic microactuators and micromixing, microfabrication techniques for microfluidic systems, convective micro heat transfer, micro chemical engineering, lab-on-a-chip, electrokinetic microflows, microdroplets management, microflows in biological systems and bioengineering, multi-phase flows

From 24 revised papers submitted to this special issue, 14 papers have been finally selected. They cover a broad range of topics. They appear successively in 9 categories. There are: 1 paper on Assembly and Packaging, 1 on Characterization, 1 on Modeling and Characterization,1 on RF MEMS, 1 on Sensors and 1 on In-Vitro Diagnostic Device, 2 papers on MEMS Accelerometers, 2 on Reliability Criteriain Mems/Nems Design, Manufacturing and Test, and finally 3 papers on Materials and Manufacturing. We hope that you enjoy these contributions as much as we did.