In the present work, we report a new fabrication process to integrate the “c-axis oriented” ZnO films with bulk-micromachined silicon diaphragms. ZnO films are very sensitive to the chemicals used in the micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) fabrication process which include acids, bases and etchants of different material layers (e.g. SiO2, chromium, gold etc.). A Si3N4 layer is incorporated to protect the ZnO film from the etchants of chromium and gold used for patterning the electrodes. A mechanical jig is used for protecting the front side (ZnO film side) of the wafer from ethylenediamine pyrocatechol water (EPW) during the anisotropic etching of silicon. The resistivity measurement performed on the ZnO film integrated with micro-diaphragm shows the reliability of the fabrication process proposed in this work.

The tactile sensors for human support robots which can detect both normal stress and shear stress and have human-friendly surface have been proposed. Micro-cantilevers adequately inclined by Cr deflection control layer were fabricated by the surface micromachining on SOI wafer. The cantilevers were covered with the PDMS elastomer for human-friendly surface. When the stress is added to the surface of elastomer, the deformation of cantilevers along with elastomer is detected as piezoresistive layer in the cantilevers. The piezoresistive response of the cantilever is analyzed by FEM calculation. The response of the fabricated tactile sensor to normal stress and shear stress was measured by output from this resistance. The tactile sensor with PDMS elastomer can detect both normal stress and shear stress. On the other hand, it hardly has sensitivity to shear stress of orthogonal direction to the cantilever. It means that the tactile sensor can distinguish the direction of shear stress. The sensitivity of tactile sensor vary widely with cantilever pattern and relation between direction of cantilever and crystallite orientation of Si. It is suggested that the sensitivity of tactile sensor can be improved by using FEM estimation and selective ion implantation.

Large out-of-plane displacements can be achieved when compliant mechanisms are utilized in MEMS. While mathematical and macroscopic modeling is helpful in building original designs, the actual MEMS device motion needs to be characterized in terms of the forces and displacements. A nanoindentation apparatus equipped with Berkovich diamond tip was used in an attempt to actuate and characterize the motion of the Bistable Spherical Compliant Micromechanism with a nonlinear (approximately cubic) mechanical response. Based on the obtained lateral force-displacement data it was concluded that the Berkovich diamond tip was too sharp, thus cutting through the polysilicon material of the MEMS device.

The mechanical properties of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) were characterized by using uniaxial compression, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and nanoindentation tests as well as finite element simulation methods. A five-parameter linear solid model was used to emulate the behavior of PDMS. The study results indicated that the effect of viscoelasticity affected the PDMS pillar arrays significantly. The traditional approach for calculating the cell force basing on the linear elastic mechanics could result in considerable errors.

We have developed a miniature silicon condenser microphone improved with a spring supported hinge diaphragm and a large back volume, which is designed in order to increase sensitivity of microphones. MEMS Technology has been successfully applied to miniature silicon capacitive microphones, and we fabricated the smallest condenser silicon microphone in the presented reports. We used the finite-element analysis (FEA) to evaluate mechanical and acoustic performances of the condenser microphone with a flexure hinge diaphragm. From the simulation results, we confirmed that the sensitivity of a flexure hinge diaphragm can be improved about 285 times higher than a flat diaphragm. The first and second modes occurred at 15,637Hz and 24,387Hz, respectively. The areas of the miniature condenser microphones with a hinge diaphragm are 1.5 mm × 1.5 mm. We measured the impedance characteristics and sensitivities of the fabricated condenser microphones. The sensitivities of microphones are around 12.87 μV/Pa (-60 dB ref. 12.5 mV/Pa) at 1 kHz under a low bias voltage of 1 V, and the frequency response is flat up to 13 kHz.

Most current micro/nanoelectromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS) are based on silicon. However, silicon exhibits relatively poor mechanical/tribological properties, compromising applications to some devices. Diamond films with superior mechanical/tribological properties provide an excellent alternative platform material. Ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD®) in film form with 2-5 nm grains exhibits excellent mechanical and tribological properties for high-performance MEMS/NEMS devices. Concurrently, piezoelectric Pb(ZrxTi1-x)O3 (PZT) films provide high sensitivity/low electrical noise for sensing/high-force actuation at relatively low voltages. Therefore, integration of PZT and UNCD films provides a high-performance platform for advanced MEMS/NEMS devices. This paper describes the bases of such integration and demonstration of low voltage piezoactuated hybrid PZT/UNCD cantilevers.

This paper outlines a simple method to fabricate a bilayer membrane consisting of a thin nanoporous gold layer infused with uncured polydimethylsiloxane. The fabrication technique offers excellent adhesion due to mechanical interlocking between porous layer and elastomer, and excellent electrical conductivity up to 25% strain, despite a very low effective elastic modulus (∼1.35 MPa) due to cracks in the embedded gold layer. Initially freestanding circular membranes displayed significant out of plane buckling, and created difficulties in extraction of membrane mechanical properties. The underlying mechanisms of compressive stress accumulation that lead to membrane buckling and remedies to prevent it are discussed.

This paper reports a transition in the fracture behavior of micron-sized single-crystal-silicon (SCS) film in an MEMS structure for various film thicknesses and ambient temperatures. The mean fracture toughness of 4-µm-thick SCS films was 1.28 MPa at room temperature (RT), and the value increased as the film thickness decreased, reaching 2.91 MPa for submicron-thick films. The fracture toughness of 4-µm-thick film did not change for ambient temperatures ranging from RT to 60ºC. However, it drastically increased at 70ºC and reached 2.60 MPa at 150ºC. Enhanced dislocation activity in the SCS crystal near the fracture surface was observed on 1-µm-thick film at RT and 4-µm-thick film at 80ºC by high-voltage electron microscopy. This change in dislocation activity seemed to correlated with the transition in fracture behavior.

Adhesive bend testing for micro-sized photoresist components has been performed to clarify the effects of supercritical CO2 (ScCO2) treatment. Multiple microsized cylindrical specimens were fabricated on a silicon substrate using epoxy-type photoresist. The specimens were ScCO2 treated at a temperature of 323K at a pressure of 15MPa for 30 min, and then, decompressed to atmospheric pressure at two different rates. Double refraction appeared in the SU-8 specimens near by the interface between the SU-8 specimens and a substrate after ScCO2 treatment. Adhesive bend strength of ScCO2 treated specimen with slow decompression process is approximately 60% higher than that of non- ScCO2 treated specimens, however, the strength of the microsized photoresist was slightly degraded by ScCO2 treatment with quick decompression process. All the results suggest that ScCO2 treatment improves the adhesive strength between microsized photoresist components and a silicon substrate by control of the decompression process.

For MEMS technology, reliability is of major concern. The implementation of a protection and passivation layer, that may easily enhance reliability of capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers (cMUTs) must be done without degrading device performance. In this work, realization, simulation and characterization of passivated cMUT are presented. Two materials, SiNx and Parylene C, were selected with regard to their mechanical and physical properties as well as their compatibility with device processing. Particular attention was paid on layer deposition temperature to avoid a structural modification of the top aluminium electrode and, hence, a membrane bulge. The characterization results are in good agreement with the simulations. The SiN passivation layer clearly impact device performance while Parylene C effectiveness is clearly pointed out even through ageing characterizations. If SiNx layer can be used for passivation with particular precautions, Parylene is definitely an interesting material for cMUT passivation and protection.

This paper reports a novel fabrication process enabling the integration of mechanical MEMS devices with thick amorphous soft magnetic field concentrators. The integration process combines silicon on insulator technology for the MEMS device fabrication and epoxy-resin-based attachment of 18-µm-thick amorphous soft magnetic ribbons followed by a wet chemical structuring process. The fabrication process is reported on the basis of a field-concentrator-based resonant magnetic sensor combining an electrostatically driven micromechanical resonator and a planar magnetic field concentrator with two narrow gaps. For realization of the concentrator gaps, the integration process is extended by micro-patterning of the soft magnetic ribbons via UV-laser ablation using an excimer laser system. The characterization of the fabricated resonant magnetic sensor using a stroboscopic video microscope for in-plane motion measurement shows a high sensitivity of 390 kHz/T at a magnetic flux density of 158 µT.

This work presents the result of mechanical characterization of the fracture toughness and interfacial strength of PECVD silicon nitride films deposited on silicon subjected to rapid thermal annealing (RTA) processing between 200 and 800 °C. Both micro- and nano-indentation techniques are employed to perform the experiments. In conjunction with the model proposed by Marshall and Lawn for data reduction, the fracture toughness of un-heat treated nitride is obtained as 2.2 MPa√m based on a series of Vickers micro-indentation tests and this value is essentially unchanged if the RTA temperatures are below 400°C. Further increase in RTA temperature would significantly enhance the fracture toughness. On the other hand, using nanoindentation testing in conjunction with the model proposed by Marshall and Evans, the interfacial strength between the nitride and silicon is determined as 17.2 J/m2 for un-heat treatment nitrides and it could also be significantly enhanced by RTA processes with temperatures exceeding 400°C. These results should be useful for related MEMS or IC structure fabrication for the concerns of maintaining the structural integrity and improve fabrication performance in related applications.

This paper reports production of 4.5 μm-diameter monodisperse water drops using a micro electro-mechanical system (MEMS)-based 1 MHz 3-Fourier horn ultrasonic nozzle. The required electrical drive voltage for atomization was 6.5 V at 964±1 kHz that is in good agreements with the values obtained by impedance measurement and by the three-dimensional (3-D) simulation using a commercial finite element analysis program. Such small diameter drops with geometrical standard deviation (GSD) as small as 1.2 and 90% inhale-able fine particle fraction (<5.8 μm-diameter) were achieved in ultrasonic atomization for the first time. Therefore, the MEMS-based MHz ultrasonic nozzles should have potential application to targeted delivery of reproducible doses of medicine to the respiratory system.

A Rapid Thermal Annealing (RTA) system was used to anneal sputtered and MOVPE-grown Aluminum Nitride (AlN) thin films at temperatures up to 1000°C in ambient and controlled environments. According to Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDAX), the films annealed in an ambient environment rapidly oxidize after five minutes at 1000°C. Below 1000°C the films oxidized linearly as a function of annealing temperature which is consistent with what has been reported in literature [1]. Laser Doppler Vibrometry (LDV) was used to measure the piezoelectric coefficient, d33, of these films. Films annealed in an ambient environment had a weak piezoelectric response indicating that oxidation on the surface of the film reduces the value of d33. A high temperature furnace has been built that is capable of taking in-situ measurements of the piezoelectric response of AlN films. In-situ d33 measurements are recorded up to 300°C for both sputtered and MOVPE-grown AlN thin films. The measured piezoelectric response appears to increase with temperature up to 300°C possibly due to stress in the film.

A specific experimental setup combining nanoindentation and electrical inputs has been developed in order to determine the reliability and the performances of Micro-ElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) which include thin free-standing elements like micro-switches applications. The evolution of the electrical resistance with respect to a mechanical solicitation applied on the contact, are henceforth available. The description of the set-up goes with a brief overview of the tests performed on a gold ohmic switch. A discussion is developed considering the mechanisms involved in the contact response. This is based on a confrontation among the experimental results, the analytical modeling and also finite-element analysis.

Modeling predictions and experimental measurements were obtained to characterize the electro-mechanical response of radio frequency (RF) microelectromechanical (MEM) switches due to variations in surface roughness and finite asperity deformations. A Weierstrass-Mandelbrot fractal representation was used to generate three-dimensional surface roughness profiles. Contact asperity deformations due to applied contact pressures, were then obtained by a creep constitutive formulation. The contact pressure is derived from the interrelated effects of roughness characteristics, material hardening and softening, temperature increases due to Joule heating, and contact forces. The numerical predictions were qualitatively consistent with the experimental measurements and observations of how contact resistance evolves as a function of deformation time history. This study provides a framework that is based on an integrated modeling and experimental measurements, which can be used in design of reliable RF MEMS devices with extended life cycles.

The failure strength of polycrystalline silicon is discussed in terms of activation of critical flaws, as well as the material microstructure and inhomogeneity. The Weibull probability density function parameters were obtained to deduce the scaling of material and component strength and to identify critical flaw populations, especially when two or more flaw sets are concurrently active. It was shown that scaling of strength changes for small feature sizes, which limits the applicability of strength data from large MEMS components to self-similar small MEMS components. On the other hand, the probability of failure of small components is described by a larger Weibull material stress parameter, which makes uniaxial strength data a conservative design approach. Furthermore, according to mode I and mixed mode I/II fracture studies for polysilicon, it is concluded that microstructural inhomogeneity alone accounts for 50% scatter in strength (with reference to the minimum recorded value). Thus, the conditions for applicability of the Weibull probability density function are rather weak in polycrystalline silicon, because flaws of the same length that are subjected to the same macroscopic stresses are not always critical.

A novel optical-MEMS sensor based on the AlGaAs material system is designed and fabricated. The device consists of micro-beam waveguides butt-coupled with their ends separated by approximately 2 to 4 µm. The device works on the principle that when acoustically driven by an external source, the waveguides misalign, leading to coupling loss. The device design parameters were determined using FEM (Finite Element Method) modeling. The dielectric waveguide beams were designed for single mode propagation at 785 nm and longer wavelengths. A combination of dry and wet etching process followed by precision laser cutting was used to fabricate the suspended beams. Beams ranging from 100 µm to 400 µm with fundamental frequencies of 50 KHz to 200 KHz were successfully fabricated. Initial uncut waveguide test results will be discussed along with the plan for characterizing the devices using an acoustically coupled piezoelectric driver. These devices may be utilized for vibration sensing, or optical intensity modulation.

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are being used in many critical applications that require very high stress levels. To properly design MEMS components, mechanical properties should be characterized testing relevant sized samples that are fabricated with the same procedures as the final structure. In this paper we use atomic force microscopy (AFM) experiments to study the fracture strength statistics of polycrystalline SiC and SiN nanobeams, and compare their mechanical performance with the performance of previously tested Si nanostructures. Using the same AFM method and similar sample shape and sizes, allows a direct comparison to be made, which will be useful in determining the best material for different mechanical applications and also to validate the theoretical limits.

This study has successfully demonstrated a novel tensile testing approach to mount the thin film test specimen onto the MEMS instrument using microfabrication process. The MEMS instrument consists of thermal actuator, differential capacitance sensor, supporting spring. The thermal actuator applies tensile load on the test specimen to characterize the Young's modulus and the residual stress of thin films. As compare with the existing approaches, the problems and difficulties resulting from the alignment and assembly of thin film test specimens with the testing instrument can be prevented. Furthermore, the parylene passivation technique of MEMS fabrication process allows the changing of testing film materials easily. In application, the present approach has been employed to determine the Young's modulus and the residual stress of Al films.