surface micromachining technology (SMT)

The characteristic features of surface micromachining technology (SMT) is characterized by the fabrication of micromechanical structures created from thin films.

In surface micromachining, thin films of polycrystalline silicon, silicon nitride or silicon dioxide are etched out by chemical vapor deposition to build three-dimensional IC structures. This is a process dating back to the 1960s, which has been increasingly used in recent years for the manufacture of micromechanisms and sensors in microsystems technology.

With the SMT process, components with complex structures and high aspect ratios can be realized and manufactured in high volumes, including those with tilting mechanisms, such as capacitors that change their capacitance by tilting the capacitor plates.