A web-enabled open database system for design and manufacturing of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS)

This paper presents the development of a web-enabled database system for MEMS design and manufacturing which can provide the networked design and manufacturing services over the Internet. Specifically, the data obtained from various sources for MEMS manufacturing processes/materials are organised as databases by using the relational database management systems (RDBMS), Microsoft Access and MySQL. The database system can be accessed from a Java application as well as an applet. The stand-alone Java application is created using JFC Swing, JDBC and SQL, and the Java applet is subsequently created to enable web functionality. The underlying database is open, extensible through a set of administrator tools or via the web, which gives commercial design and manufacturing facilities the ability to update their own materials, processes and rules. This plays a crucial role in the system for advisory MEMS manufacturing service and concurrent collaborative MEMS design and simulation. The developed database system, e-MEMS Designer @Database, which contains extensive manufacturing or fabrication processes and materials databases for MEMS and microelectronics, is easily incorporated as a sub-system into both the standalone system and the web-enabled MEMS design system, MEMS Designer, which is being developed. The database system can also be updated to create a comprehensive data warehouse and an advisory system for MEMS manufacturing processes/materials selection.