Hilton Head 2026 will kick off on Sunday, 31 May, with multiple parallel workshops.
Workshop 1: DIGITAL TWINS FOR MEMS MANUFACTURING
Duration: Full Day Workshop
Time: 10:00 - 15:00 (lunch provided)
Cost for Workshop: $100
Workshop Organizers:
Dr. Benyamin Davaji, Northeastern University, USA
Dr. Gary Fedder, Carnegie Mellon University, USA
Recent interest in semiconductor digital twins is driven by the expectation of accelerating process development, enabling device - technology design co-optimization, and supporting agile manufacturing workflows. This participatory workshop examines digital twins for MEMS from a manufacturing-centered perspective, emphasizing how they differ from traditional modeling and simulation. Topics include an introduction to digital twin concepts with examples from MEMS-relevant processes, automated CD extraction and process characterization, virtual metrology using equipment data, and the challenges of extending these approaches across complete process flows. The workshop will also introduce the role of digital twins in enabling AI methods relevant to MEMS workflows, including agentic approaches for process and design iteration. Commercial tools and current capabilities will be reviewed, followed by a discussion of gaps in data infrastructure, interoperability, and standards. A panel with industry participants will highlight unmet needs and opportunities for research and collaboration in MEMS digital twins.
Speakers:
- Dr. Benjamin Davaji, Northeastern University, USA
- Dr. Garry Fedder, Carnegie Mellon University, USA
- Dr. Duane S. Boning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA
- Dr. Michael Cullinan, University of Texas, Austin, USA
- Dr. Jason J. Gorman, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), USA
- Dr. Gordon Shao, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), USA
Industry Panel Discussion:
Workshop 2: IMPLANTABLE MEMS SENSORS FOR MANAGEMENT OF HEART FAILURE
Duration: Half Day - Morning Session
Time: 10:00 - 12:00
Cost for Workshop: $50
Workshop Organizer:
Angad Singh, Edwards Lifesciences, USA
Implantable hemodynamic monitoring is rapidly transforming the management of chronic heart failure by enabling proactive, physiology-based therapeutic adjustment. This workshop will explore the emerging class of implantable MEMS pressure-sensing technologies designed to provide continuous, actionable insights into cardiac performance. We will focus on two leading approaches currently advancing clinical practice: Endotronix's implantable pulmonary artery pressure sensor platform and Vectorious Medical's left-atrial pressure monitoring system leveraging novel MEMS-based digital sensing. Through an examination of device architectures, sensing principles, wireless communication strategies, and data-driven clinical workflows, participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of how these systems achieve long-term stability, biocompatibility, and high-fidelity pressure measurements in vivo. The session will also highlight recent clinical evidence, implementation considerations, and future opportunities for integrating implantable MEMS sensors into heart failure disease management pathways. Attendees will leave with a deeper appreciation of the engineering challenges, translational hurdles, and therapeutic potential of next-generation implantable cardiovascular sensors.
Speakers:
- CORDELLA PLATFORM
Angad Singh, Edwards Lifesciences, USA
- V-LAP PLATFORM
Adi Baram, Vectorious Medical, ISRAEL
Workshop 3: PERSPECTIVES ON SUSTAINABILITY IN MEMS ENGINEERING
Duration: Half Day - Morning Session
Time: 10:00 - 12:00
Cost for Workshop: $50
Organizers:
Dr. Julia Körner, Leibniz IFW Dresden, GERMANY
Dr. Christopher Reiche, Jade University of Applied Sciences, GERMANY
As MEMS technologies have become omnipresent, understanding and addressing the environmental and societal implications of their design, materials, and fabrication is becoming ever more important. This interactive workshop invites the entire MEMS community - from senior researchers to PhD students, industry to academia - to discuss and explore what sustainable MEMS engineering can and should entail. After a lightning talk introducing key concepts and controversial aspects, participants will join focus groups addressing (1) MEMS design and fabrication, (2) materials considerations, and (3) the role of AI-based tools. Each group will collaboratively identify challenges, trade-offs, and opportunities, followed by a moderated round-table discussion to refine and synthesize actionable insights. Attendees will contribute their expertise, perspectives, and experiences to collectively define essential guidelines for future sustainable MEMS development. The outcome will be a concise summary of key sustainability aspects, shared with participants as a resource to guide research and innovation in the field.
Speakers:
Workshop 4: USE OF LASER DOPPLER VIBROMETRY FOR DYNAMIC CHARACTERIZATION OF MEMS
Duration: Half Day - Afternoon Session
Time: 13:00 - 16:00
Cost for Workshop: $50
Organizer:
Eric Lawrence, Polytec Inc., USA
Laser Doppler Vibrometry (LDV) has been used by the research community for MEMS dynamic characterization for more than three decades. This non-contact measurement technology enables real-time vibration and dynamic behavior analysis with exceptional performance, offering sub-picometer displacement resolution and frequency bandwidths up to 8 GHz.
In this workshop, we will feature talks from invited speakers with extensive knowledge of LDV systems. Two speakers from the MEMS research community will share their insights on how laser Doppler vibrometry was used for MEMS development. Also, Polytec engineers will be available throughout the session to engage with attendees and discuss potential applications of LDV technology for their specific projects.
This workshop concludes with a Happy Hour (15:00 - 16:00) hosted by Polytec that includes a live demonstration of the Scanning Laser Vibrometer.
Speakers:
- INTRODUCTION TO LASER VIBROMETRY FOR DYNAMIC CHARACTERIZATION OF MEMS
Eric Lawrence, Polytec
- DYNAMIC INTERROGATION OF DLP MICRO MIRROR ARRAY USING LASER DOPPLER VIBROMETRY
Rick Oden, Texas Instruments, USA
- LASER VIBROMETER VALIDATION OF GROUNDED-RING SPURIOUS-MODE SUPPRESSION IN LITHIUM NIOBATE BAW RESONATORS FOR PIEZOELECTRIC POWER CONVERSION
Vakhtang Chulukhadze, University of Texas, Austin, USA
- USE OF LASER VIBROMETRY FOR DYNAMIC CHARACTERIZATION OF PROGRAMMABLE HZO-BASED FERRONEMS FOR IN-MEMORY COMPUTING
Shubham Jadhav, Cornell University, USA
Sunday Workshop Chairs
