MAGNETFAB

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are tiny electronic devices that combine electrical and mechanical components, found in everyday items like smartphones, cars, and medical equipment. They offer benefits like miniaturization and cost reduction. Using powerful rare-earth magnets could allow building higher-performing and more robust MEMS, but current techniques can't produce small enough magnets with the required properties for integration.

Magnetfab’s innovative solution relies on thin-film deposition by means of high-rate sputtering to fabricate thousands of integrated micromagnets on a single substrate, in an equivalent fashion as integrated circuits and MEMS, and is thereby ideally suited for mass production.

These micromagnets are made from a rare-earth alloy with magnetic properties matching the strongest bulk permanent magnets, like those used in most electric car engines. Their sizes and magnetic properties are perfect for MEMS, with highly customizable shapes controlled with micron precision. Variations in magnetic properties between magnets are below 1%. Additionally, this manufacturing method is far more resource-efficient than traditional magnet fabrication techniques.

Up to 50 µm thick micromagnets can readily be fabricated on 100 mm silicon wafers. The potential of the micromagnets in MEMS applications has been demonstrated in several proof of concepts, including in a MEMS actuator, a MEMS energy harvester, and in mechanical watch mouvements.

Miniature loudspeakers, magnetic field sensors, tactile sensors, quantum computer chips, and many more.