Miniaturization

The miniaturization (English downscaling ) is a process for reduction of structures while maintaining the function and possibly also the form.

Description

In the technology is meant the steady reduction of various components of technical devices. It is a goal of many developments in science and technology for about three decades. As the driving torques are increasing demands for performance and speed is most important, as well as reduction of mass and energy consumption.

In microelectronics, this trend has led to the formulation of Moore's Law: in chip production every two years, double the number of transistors. Characterized on the one hand increase the complexity of the components and the cost of development, and on the other hand, the power and clock frequency. To avoid the increase of interference as the signal transmissions, the continually increasing know -how is required. So as well as the appropriate methods of the key technologies and promoted in many countries through its own research priorities.

Prompted by the development of more sophisticated production methods in electrical engineering, electronics and precision engineering, miniaturization has made inter alia the following development:

Success story

In industry and research miniaturization enabled in recent decades the development of new technologies. Particularly striking is this development in electronics. Both passive electronic components such as resistors and capacitors, and active components such as transistors and diodes have been miniaturized more and more in the past. Particularly strong influence on the development of electronics, the miniaturization of integrated circuits. By reduction of the individual transistors in such circuits, it is possible to place more functionality on the same chip area, which results in a higher packing density and also to reduce costs. In addition, shorter switching times of the transistors are obtained by the smaller structures. The example, leads to noticeable increase in the computing power of microprocessors or an increase in the storage capacity. The latter evolved into computers from just a few thousand bytes of desktop computers in the 1970s, over the 16 to 64 kilobytes of the first IBM PC, up to many gigabytes of storage in today's computers. The miniaturization of integrated circuits, new applications and mass production were possible, such as the PC, the multi-functional mobile phone (cell phone ) and other applications of high frequency technology.

Not only in the electronics takes place a progressive miniaturization. In the fine- machining technology, the accuracy of a few microns ( 1 micron = 0.001 mm) increased to less than 0.1 microns with a simultaneous acceleration of many operations by robotics. But already in the 1930s, there have been successful steps in this direction, and the very compact, innovative Reisetheodolit DKM1 of core Aarau is one of many examples.

In optics, the laser could in turn greatly reduced and lenses or mirrors are made with a higher precision grinding, which has led, for example, to the development of CD technology. Also the much improved performance of today's astronomical telescopes are due to highly refined processing methods and the pixel reduction of the CCD sensors.

The construction of endoscopes and minimally invasive (laser) surgery allowed called microsurgery in medicine.

Establishment of new areas of expertise

The basis of many of these developments and is the production of small circuits and printed circuit boards ( today, for example, wafer technology, dual in-line packages) and the connection of many components and functions to standardized chips.

Microelectronics

This new branch of electronics especially in combination with miniaturization of functional integration in circuits.

Integrated Circuits ( engl. integrated circuit, IC ) combine many transistors, capacitors, inductors and resistors on a single small wafer of layered semiconductors ( usually silicon and doping). The interconnects are made by photolithography. By the miniaturization of the individual components, it is possible that the components of the circuit - and thus the IC's - are increasingly downsized. While previously a computer yet filled several rooms, there are already ICs of several mm ² size with several million transistors.

The microelectronics is based on special methods of production, including on the semiconductor technology and photolithography. The constant reduction of the components requires increasing control of the quality and manufacturing tolerances. Currently, for example, those of miniature resistors ( 20 Ω to some kOhm ) is 10-20 %. It is to be pressed in the future to 100 k Ω to 10 to 5%.

Microsystems Technology

Microsystems technology combines microelectronics, micromechanics and micro-optics to edit structures in the micrometer range. Must be distinguished from nanotechnology, as this involves a paradigm shift not only means scaling down to the nanometer scale. Here is a concrete function is achieved by only by the scaling. One of their typical products are the heads of modern bubble jet printer. Your micron-sized ink nozzles are heated and partly combined with miniature computers. Other popular products include the built-in accelerometer sensors in airbags. The production of micro - surgical instruments, the finest sensors or CCD chip is part of the current standard.

To design and manufacture of microelectronic circuits include the processing of crystalline silicon or other semiconductors, as well as special plastics such as the LIGA ( manufacturing process).

Many states encourage the micro system technology through its own priority programs of research projects. That the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research was established in 1990; there are now in several EU countries also focal points of the so-called nanotechnology.

Mechatronics

She has not directly to do with the miniaturization, but with the close link between mechanics, electronics and computer science. It is offered at several technical universities and colleges as a study.

The development and production of advanced products require the engineer a multidisciplinary thinking - beyond the boundaries of traditional engineering areas beyond. Typical fields of work as communications electronics (cell phones, satellite ), automotive control systems with ABS and electronic diagnostics, environmental and medical technology. Thus, it was established in 1995 by FH Esslingen am Göppingen the Mechatronics Department.

Confines

Natural boundaries in the ongoing reduction are given by those quantities that have to do with the function of the devices, the electronics and the human-machine communication. For example, individual keys of a keyboard must have a certain minimum size to ensure a comfortable operation. In many cases - such as mobile phones - this limit is almost exceeded. Possible solutions are collapsible or foldable keyboard (on some laptops, digital cameras, etc. ), the operation of miniaturized keys with a pen and multiple use of keys. Another example of the limits of miniaturization are screens or displays: for working longer a diagonal screen size of at least 10-12 inches is required. Among them there is extreme eye strain, or neck muscles. Meanwhile, the trend about in notebooks has partially reversed - it will come back bigger (but flatter ) formats on the market. When display of digital cameras should be the minimum about 5 cm. Some manufacturers have the miniaturization driven so far that the back of the camera is mostly occupied by the display, or is it unfold. A natural boundary is the approach to the dimension of the atomic or molecular processes. So can be produced, for example, no transistors are made of less than one atom.