The University of British Columbia

3 Credits

ELEC 544

Project-based modeling techniques applied to microsystems; multi-physics at microscale; physical limitations in MEMS; interface with electronics; behavioural modeling languages for mixed analog-digital system design.

Course Outline

The course will introduce the students to MEMS-based microsystems, with an emphasis on an integrated perspective and systematic methods for the design and analysis of interdisciplinary systems at microscale. A structured top-down design methodology encompassing several levels (symbolic computation based on analytical modeling, reduced order macromodeling, finite element analysis and layout design) will be applied to design projects and case studies in the field of MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems). Available design and analysis tools (matlab/Simulink, MEMS Pro and Comsol Multiphysics) will be used during the project assignments.  The course will also introduce standard behavioral modeling languages (VHDL-AMS, Modelica) used in current simulators.

Course Topics

• Electrical microsystems
• Magnetic microsystems
• Mechanical microsystems
• Radiative microsystems
• Thermal microsystems
• Chemical microsystems

Course Objectives

On the successful completion of this course, the students will be able to:

• think in a unified way about interdisciplinary microsystems
• understand the operation of a wide range of sensors and actuators appropriate for microscale systems encompassing different energy domains
• represent microsystems as generalized networks (in terms of across-through variables), suitable for  design, analysis and simulation
• master techniques for combining a structured top-down system design approach with bottom-up constraints propagation
• design and simulate microsystems using behavioral modeling languages and finite element analysis