Michelle Bourke

Michelle Bourke received her B.Sc. degree in Optoelectronics and Laser Engineering from Heriot-Watt University in Scotland, UK. Subsequently she joined the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA), where she worked on advanced processing methods for GaAs/AlGaAs optoelectronic devices. In 1997 she entered the semiconductor capital equipment industry as a technologist and has since accrued more than 20 years of experience in semiconductor technology, strategy, and new product development. She is a specialist in fabrication technologies for MEMS, Power Devices, RF Electronics and Optoelectronics.

Michelle is a frequent presenter at leading industry forums and also serves on many committees and industry councils. In November of 2018, she was inducted into the Semi MEMS and Sensors Industry Group Hall of Fame and in 2020 she was a Silicon Valley YWCA Tribute to Women Honoree. Michelle is currently Chair of the Semi MEMS Manufacturing Working Group, Co-chair of the Semi MEMs Standards Committee and a Director on the Transducers Research Foundation Board where she is the Chair of Fund Raising and Development Committee.

Michelle joined Lam Research in 2015 and is currently a Managing Director of Strategic Marketing in Lam’s Customer Support Business Group.

Evolution of MEMS Manufacturing Processes

Whether it is the increased adoption of consumer electronics in our everyday lives or the realization of fully autonomous vehicles, the growth in system complexity is resulting in a convergence of many semiconductor technologies. This increasing demand for a diverse range of connected and increasingly intelligent, integrated devices poses many new challenges for the fabrication of Specialty Technologies.

For example, sensing devices such as CMOS image sensors and inertial MEMS devices are two application areas that enable key functionality in mobile phones, consumer devices and increasingly autonomous automotive functions, both requiring a precise high-performance silicon. Other devices include MEMS based microphones and RF filters for 5G connectivity both of which are increasingly using new materials such as highly doped AlScN. This diversification is in turn driving the need for high productivity processing of a broad range of materials in high volume manufacturing – whether this is precise, high-performance silicon etch, or the ability to etch piezoelectric materials.

In this presentation, we will discuss how the increased demand for improved performance in silicon etching, or the ability to etch piezoelectric materials creates technical challenges that continue to require hardware enhancements. Through our early involvement in the MEMS industry and capitalizing on our learnings from leading edge CMOS applications, Lam continues to be focused on enabling process solutions that can meet the needs for both 200 mm and 300 mm applications, across a broad range of devices.