Hong Kong University and Kyoto (Japan) University have chosen the 3D MEMS Designer and Analyzer software from Coventor as the computer-aided-engineering (CAE) tool for a MEMS design content. The contest is part of an educational program developed by Dr. Osamu Tabata, professor at Kyoto University and Dr. Man Wong, professor at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. The program provides an introduction to MEMS and microfabrication by creating a virtual classroom where students design, analyze, and test MEMS devices using the software. The software also enables communication between students from Hong Kong and Japan through its documentation and 3D visualization capabilities.
Six teams are competing in the MEMS design contest. Each team consists of one student from Hong Kong University and one student from Kyoto University. Using Coventor's software, team members can simultaneously work on different aspects of the MEMS device without compromising the design. At the end of the program, the six teams will meet at Hong Kong University where the student's best MEMS designs will be fabricated in the university's clean room. The students will be able to conduct additional tests at the facility and assess their design's functionality and performance. Finally, the students and professors will select the best MEMS device based on its performance characteristics.
Professor Osamu Tabata of Kyoto University notes, "The MEMS design competition gives our students the opportunity to learn valuable lessons that translate to the real-world work environment, including MEMS manufacturing sequence processes as well as simulation skills, project management, and schedule management. The Coventor software tools have simplified the MEMS design and development process so that our students can optimize their designs and compare simulation results. We plan on repeating this program next year using Coventor's software."
Coventor (www.coventor.com)