Ruth Carranza is a filmmaker who has found her niche—specifically, her micro niche. Her most recent project, “MEMS: Making Micro Machines,” premiered July 15 at SEMICON West, the annual microelectronic semiconductor trade show held in San Francisco.
Silicon Run crewmembers work on a film (left to right): Ruth Carranza, Andy Olson, lighting technician, and Wah Ho Chan, cinematographer. All photos courtesy Silicon Run Productions.
The film provides an overview of the manufacture of microelectromechanical systems, including the fabrication, testing, packaging and design of some common MEMS devices.
“Educators have been asking for a film that explores the MEMS manufacturing process,” said Carranza, principal of Silicon Run Productions, Mountain View, Calif. “For their MEMS classes, they were using our Silicon Run series [about producing semiconductors], but they felt it was time for something specifically related to MEMS. For the longest time, MEMS was something just for graduate students. Now it is becoming more mainstream, and undergraduate colleges are trying to expand on it.”
“MEMS: Making Micro Machines” (M:MMM) features the fabrication of Hewlett-Packard’s thermal inkjet printheads; the testing and packaging of Texas Instrument’s digital micromirror devices; and
Freescale Semiconductor Inc.’s sensors. These companies agreed to participate in the film because they saw value in helping to educate the current—and prospective—industrial workforce, according to Carranza.
The main challenge Carranza and her crew faced during the project was filming at production facilities. “With my other films, we filmed at the manufacturer’s research area,” she said. “In this case, it was their production facilities, so we had to try to shoot as quickly as we could. Also, we had less access to the equipment in some cases. There was product in there, so we couldn’t ask them to override the safety aspects so we could look inside the equipment.”
Carranza retains complete creative control over the films, but the participating manufacturers have complete control over what she can film. The participants must have full review because of the nature of the proprietary information. Still, “there is lot that is basic manufacturing, and it is wonderful for education,” she added.
While filming, Carranza positions her camera as close to the action as possible. She also utilizes equipment that manufacturers rely on to produce their devices. For example, at one facility she visited, images visible through microscopes positioned along the assembly line were projected onto monitors. She captured these images for the film.
Also, wherever possible, Carranza relies on animation to provide audiences with a look at processes they otherwise would not see. “We incorporate a good blend of [filmed] manufacturing processes and animation so that the viewer can understand what is occurring inside the machine,” she said.
Making micro movies
M:MMM was made possible through a grant awarded to Silicon Run Productions by the National Science Foundation’s Technology Education Program and in collaboration with the trade association MEMS Industry Group.
Karen Lightman, managing director of MIG, described the premiere of M:MMM at SEMICON West as “standing-room only. What was truly amazing is that people remained standing to watch the entire 42-minute film!” Lightman said the film was shown two more times during the show and attendance was “great.” Clearly, she said, the “film has found a loyal audience.”
Carranza founded Silicon Run Productions in 1986. The Silicon Run film series includes seven videos on semiconductor and computer manufacturing, the first of which was Carranza’s master’s thesis.
“MEMS: Making Micro Machines” includes footage of how a Hewlett-Packard thermal inkjet print head is produced.
Filmmaker Ruth Carranza has been filming microscale manufacturing processes for 23 years.
After obtaining a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from the University of California at Davis, Carranza began working as a research technician at Stanford University’s Center for Materials Research. “Every 4 hours, I would check my experiments and draw pictures to show what was happening,” she said. “I thought, ‘This is ridiculous. We should put a camera up here and get accurate data.’ ”
That led to a summer program at Stanford, where she learned about film equipment. Afterward, she applied to the graduate program and received a master’s degree in communication/film production. “I loved the whole filmmaking process, and I loved science so this was a wonderful way for me to play with both,” she said.
To prepare for a film, Carranza reads and learns about the subject. “But where I ultimately learn is when I go on location,” she explained. “I do my interviews there and get into the details. Even when I feel like I know it, though, once they open up those machines and I look inside, I am lost again. So I have to get acquainted with the machines.”
Carranza writes and produces the films, but she cannot complete them alone. She hires an editor, animator, film crew and professional narrator to help.
“Ruth decides on a cutting-edge scientific subject and then goes after it with a passion,” said Pam Walton, editor and production manager for Silicon Run Productions. “She has an amazing ability to focus and work hard until she has the information she needs. It’s rare, if not impossible, to gain entry into semiconductor and MEMS manufacturing sites, but Ruth manages to do it.”
Carranza has encountered various challenges in her 23 years of filmmaking. Her first movies were captured on film, as opposed to video tape, and the sound was recorded separately. Then sound and film were combined. The editing process required a good deal of cutting and splicing.
“With video, it has become easier … it is not so hands-on,” she said. “We edit on the computer. But every few years, I have to get a new computer. One of the hardest parts is things keep changing, but at the same time that is the wonderful part.”
The grant Carranza received for M:MMM includes money to make two films about nanotechnology. After that, she intends to produce a movie about 300mm wafer technology. She is also looking into updating some of the early Silicon Run films.
Building bridges
Carranza sees her films as bridges between education and manufacturing. Because it is generally difficult to tour industrial sites, her films can serve as an in-depth tours for students. And companies can use them as training tools for new-hires and salespeople.
Carranza sums it up this way: “When I started this whole thing, I felt as though the students were at school studying but they didn’t have any actual experience being in industry. Those in the industry had the manufacturing experience but not the formal education. So this is one way to get the information to those at the manufacturing sites as well as to the academics.” µ
“MEMS: Making Micro Machines” is available for $295. For more information about the movie, including a clip, visit the Silicon Solutions Web site (www.siliconrun.com). —Ed.
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About the author: Susan Woods is a regular contributor to MICROmanufacturing and Cutting Tool Engineering magazines. E-mail: susanw@jwr.com.
FAB Update: Lights, camera ... micro action!
