MEMS Product Development: From Concept to Commercialization (Microsystems and Nanosystems)

Drawing on their experiences in successfully executing hundreds of MEMS development projects, the authors present the first practical guide to navigating the technical and business challenges of MEMS product development, from the initial concept stage all the way to commercialization. The strategies and tactics presented, when practiced diligently, can shorten development timelines, help avoid common pitfalls, and improve the odds of success, especially when resources are limited. MEMS Product Development illuminates what it really takes to develop a novel MEMS product so that innovators, designers, entrepreneurs, product managers, investors, and executives may properly prepare their companies to succeed.

Alissa M. Fitzgerald, PhD,  founded A.M. Fitzgerald & Associates, LLC, a MEMS product development firm based in the Bay Area, California, in 2003. She has over 25 years of engineering experience in MEMS design and fabrication and now advises clients on the entire cycle of MEMS product development, from business and IP strategy to supply chain and manufacturing operations. Dr. Fitzgerald received her bachelor's and master's degrees from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and her Ph.D. from Stanford University, all in Aeronautics and Astronautics. She is a member of the SEMI-MSIG standards committee and served as a board director on the MEMS Industry Group (MIG) Governing Council from 2008-2014. In 2013, she was inducted into the MIG Hall of Fame.  

Carolyn D. White, PhD, has a background in mechanics of materials and specializes in the design and fabrication of MEMS devices for a wide range of applications. She has additional experience in technology strategic analysis including of the evaluation of patent portfolios, feasibility studies, and cost/performance analysis. With over 20 years of experience in MEMS, Dr. White is a member of the SEMI MEMS & Sensors Industry Group, previously serving on its Technical Advisory Committee. Dr. White received her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Brown University and MS and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. 

Charles C. Chung, PhD, is the Quantum Industry Consultant for Electronics at IBM. He was at A.M. Fitzgerald & Associates, LLC, for 8 years and has developed MEMS and microsystems products for over 25 years. He is an advisor to the SEMI MEMS and Sensors Industry Group, a member of the University of Pennsylvania’s Singh Center for Nanotechnology’s Industrial Advisory Board, and a recipient of the Gates Grand Challenges Explorations Grant. Dr. Chung has been involved in the development of over 35 MEMS devices and microsystems products, including DNA sequencing chips, tire pressure monitoring systems, implantable biomedical sensors, quantum sensors, Internet of Things (IoT), micromirrors, microphones, gyroscopes, accelerometers, pressure sensors, and more. His roles include business and product development, technology and patent strategy, device design and fabrication, and supply chain establishment and management for volume production. He received his BA in Physics & Environmental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania, his MS n Physics from Duke University, and PhD in Electrical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.