A review of recent developments in experimental and theoretical studies of the mechanicalbehavior of polycrystalline silicon structures whose dimensions are comparable to those of typicalmicro electromechanical systems devices is presented. It is concluded that although great strides have been made towards understanding this behavior, there is a need to develop robust standardized experimental techniques, and in turn, material data bases that are required to verify and calibrate predictive models for calculating device reliability.

Simple bending tests of single-crystal silicon microelements fabricated by photoetching were performed. Silicon microelements deform elastically until final catastrophic failure, showing a brittle nature. The fracture strength increases with a decrease in specimen size, and the maximum strength reaches about 8 GPa. A Focused ion beam was used to machine a sub-µm deep notch. Such a small notch decreases the fracture strength of a microelement. Some fatigue tests were conducted in laboratory air and in distilled water: water reduces the strength of microelement under fatigue loading. Fracture surface and sample surface were closely examined with a scanning electron microscope and an atomic force microscope, and the fracture mechanisms are discussed from the nanoscopic points of view.

The development of a high power-density micro-gas turbine engine is currently underway at MIT. The initial goal is to produce the components by deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) single crystal silicon. The capability of the silicon structures to withstand the very high stress levels within the engine limits the performance of the device. This capability is determined by the material strength and by the achievable fillet radii at the root of turbine blades and other etched features rotating at high speeds. These factors are strongly dependent on the DRIE parameters. Etching conditions that yield large fillet radii and good surface quality are desirable from a mechanical standpoint. In order to identify optimal DRIE conditions, a mechanical testing program has been implemented. The designed experiment involves a matrix of 55 silicon wafers with radiused hub flexure specimens etched under different DRIE conditions. The resulting fracture strengths were determined through mechanical testing, while SEM analysis was used to characterize the corresponding fillet radii. The test results will provide the basis for process optimization of micro-turbomachinery fabrication and play an important role in the overall engine redesign.

The residual stress in doped and undoped polysilicon films, before and after rapid thermal annealing (RTA), is investigated using both wafer-curvature and micro-rotating structures techniques. Microstructure characterization has been conducted as well to understand the mechanism of the stress evolution. The results show that the compressive residual stresses in undoped polysilicon films can be reduced or eliminated within a few seconds RTA. Surface nitridation and grain growth are identified as the mechanisms responsible for the stress evolution.

Long and narrow beams of single crystal silicon were made by surrounding them with trenches of different width followed by dry release etch. The beams were coated nonconformally during fabrication. Depending on the asymmetry of the films coated onto the beam sidewalls they tend to bend laterally. This deflection has been analyzed experimentally and by FEM-Simulations.

High-temperature applications of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), especially in new temperature sensor designs, require an accurate knowledge of the temperature-dependent thermophysical properties of the materials. Although the measurement of the mechanical properties of materials at room temperature has been widely conducted, the same techniques often cannot be used for high-temperature property measurements. In this study, a new technique was developed to find the thermal expansion coefficient of thin films at high temperatures. Bilayered cantilever beams undergo thermally induced deflection at high temperatures, which can be measured and correlated to material properties. An imaging system was developed for the experimental measurement of the beam curvature for temperatures up to 1000°C. To find the high-temperature property of thin films, a bilayered beam, consisting of polycrystalline silicon and silicon dioxide, was designed such that the change in the property of SiO2 had little effect on the curvature of the beam. Furthermore, numerical analysis showed that the Young's modulus of Si also had negligible effect on the curvature. Therefore, the analytical model for beam curvature was simplified to be only a function of the thermal expansion coefficient of Si layer. Using this model, the thermal expansion coefficient of polycrystalline Si film was determined for temperature range between room temperature and 1000°C. The method can be easily modified to find the Young's modulus of Si, as well as properties of SiO2.

A new technique of measuring thin film stress with a tunneling sensor is presented. Basic measurement concepts, preliminary results on thin film stress measurement, and fabrication processes for the tunneling stress measurement sensor are described. The feasibility of implementing this technique for in-situ stress monitoring during thin film deposition demonstrated.

The ability to etch deep trenches in silicon while controlling not only the profile of etched features but also the etching rate, uniformity and selectivity enable us to expand the number and scope of MEMS devices. In fact, the increase of MEMS applications in different and varied fields requiring deep silicon etching or high aspect ratio structures (HARS) has even been extended to include microturbomachinery which was recently introduced as a feasible source of power generation. Many projects also place additional demands on surface morphology. Thus, the scalloping observed on vertical walls during time multiplexed deep etching (TMDE), the roughness of horizontal surfaces exposed to the glow discharge and the radius at the bottom of etched features are also relevant. Therefore, it is important to understand not only the plasma processes involved but also the dependence of response variables on operating conditions. For this purpose we have designed, performed and analyzed sets of experiments adequate to fit quadratic models. The data was collected using interferometry, atomic force microscopy (AFM), profilometry and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The exercise involved eight etching variables and it was conducted in an inductively coupled deep reactive ion etcher (DRIE). The mapping of the dependence of response variables on dry processing conditions produced by this systematic approach provide additional insight in the plasma phenomena involved and supply practical tools to locate and optimize robust operating conditions.

In the ongoing enhancement of MEMS applications, the STS Advanced Silicon Etch, (ASETM). process satisfies the demanding requirements of the industry. Typically, highly anisotropic. high aspect ratios profiles with fine CD (critical dimension) control are required. Selectivities to photoresist of 150:1 with Si etch rates of up to 10μm/min are demonstrated. Applications range from shallow etched optical devices to through wafer membrane etches. This paper details some of the fundamental trends of the ASETM process and goes on to discuss how the process has been enhanced to meet product specifications. Parameter ramping is a powerful technique used to achieve the often-conflicting requirements of high etch rate with good profile/CD control. The results are presented in this paper.

The present work demonstrates very high etch selectivity for a novel epitaxial layer in several standard bulk micromachining etchants. High selectivities have previously been achieved using high-concentration boron diffusions, resulting in a wide array of high performance micromechanical sensors. However, doping gradients, precipitates and dislocation arrays generated from the high boron concentrations can have deleterious effects on device performance. In this work, we report on the performance of a novel epitaxial structure composed of a silicon-germanium alloy device layer over a graded buffer layer. Chemical and microstructural analysis of the epitaxial layers reveal high purity and minimal defect densities. The selectivities of this layer and of boron-diffused layers are determined for a variety of etching conditions. High selectivity against low-doped silicon substrates is demonstrated in both ethylenediamine pyrocatechol and potassium hydroxide. Micromachined structures built using the SiGe epitaxial layer show smooth surfaces and precise build dimensions.

High rate of etching of silicon was obtained by non conventional cathodic polarization in alkaline solutions. When the process was carried out at potentials more negative than −10 V it caused electropolishing of the etched surface. Shifting the potential in the cathodic direction increases the etch-rate parabolically and enhances the effect of polishing. The etch-rate increased by more than two orders of magnitude over the potential range from −10 to −40 V, and reached the value of about 250 micron/hour at 60 °C. Additionally, the etch-rate of n-Si was found to be markedly enhanced by illumination.

The benefits of short pulse (femtosecond) laser machining over conventional nanosecond lasers have been well demonstrated: higher aspect ratio features with smaller remelt zones and less recast material. However, shock induced defects can degrade the mechanical, electrical and optical properties of the remaining material, especially in brittle materials. Our focus is to reduce the amount of defects created while maintaining the machining advantages of using ultra-short pulses. Utilizing a chirped pulse amplified Ti:Sapphire laser with a pulse energy of 1 mJ and a pulsewidth of 120 fs we investigated the effects of pulsewidth, laser frequency and pulse energy on the controlled micro-ablation of Kovar and silicon films. Hole morphology and diameter were characterized by SEM. Hole depth was measured by laser profilometry. Hole volumes were determined by a combination of profilometry and SEM to determine the rate of material removal. The ablation thresholds for both Kovar and Si are between 200–300 mJcm−2.

A research and development program is underway to develop technology for a MEMS-based microgas turbine engine. The thermodynamic requirements of power-generating turbomachinery drive the design towards high rotational speeds and high temperatures. To achieve the specified performance requires materials with high specific strength and creep resistance at elevated temperatures. The thermal and mechanical properties of silicon carbide make it an attractive candidate for such an application. Silicon carbide as well as silicon-silicon carbide hybrid structures are being designed and fabricated utilizing chemical vapor deposition of relatively thick silicon carbide layers (10–100 μm) over time multiplexed deep etched silicon molds. The silicon can be selectively dissolved away to yield high aspect ratio silicon carbide structures with features that are hundreds of microns tall.

Research has been performed to characterize the capabilities of this process. Specimens obtained to date show very good conformality and step coverage with a fine (≈0.1 μm dia.) columnar microstructure. Surface roughness (Rq) of the films is on the order of 100 nm, becoming rougher with thicker deposition. Residual stress limits the achievable thickness, as the strain energy contained within the compressive film increases its susceptibility to cracking. Room temperature biaxial mechanical testing of CVD silicon carbide exhibits a reference strength of 724 MPa with a Weibull modulus, m =16.0.

In this work related to high temperature pressure sensors, a study was undertaken on the characterisation of β-SiC thin films through X-Ray Diffraction, AFM and stress measurements. 3C-SiC films were grown on (100) Si substrate in a vertical reactor by atmospheric-pressure chemical vapour deposition (APCVD). Silane and propane were used as precursor gas and hydrogen as carrier gas. Prior to the growth, Si surfaces were annealed at 1000°C for 5 minutes and carbonized with C3H8 at 1150°C during 10 minutes. At 1350°C, SiH4, C3H8 and H2 were introduced for the SiC deposition. The atomic ratio of Si/C in the gas phase was 0.3 and the growth rate was 3 μm/h. Only the process time was varying to obtain different SiC layer thicknesses varying from 3 to 9 μm as measured by FT-IR spectrometry. Stress measurements of thin β-SiC layers deposited on thick Si substrates were performed at room temperature using the bending plate method and the Stoney's equation. The stress for a 3 μm thick SiC layer is evaluated to be in the range of 400 MPa in tension. When increasing the SiC film thickness, this stress decreases due to the relaxation of the structure with bending. SiC/Si membranes were obtained by KOH etching and studied as a function of pressure in the [0-50 mbar] range. A residual stress in the membrane was deduced from the load-deflection measurement technique reaching 105 MPa in tension.

The optimization of microelectronic devices and Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) technology depends on the knowledge of the mechanical and thermophysical properties of the thin film materials used to fabricate them. The thickness, stoichiometry, structure and thermal history can affect the properties of thin films causing their mechanical and thermophysical properties to diverge from bulk values. Moreover, it is known that the mechanical and thermophysical properties of thin films vary considerably at different temperatures. Bulk properties of semiconductors have been characterized over a wide range of temperatures; however there is limited information on thin film properties of silicon-based compounds such as silicon nitride, specially at high temperatures. In our work, MEMS devices designed to record the localized maximum temperature during high temperature thermal processes, which we call Breaking T-MEMS, will be presented as a way to determine some of the mechanical properties (Young's modulus and fracture strength) and thermophysical properties (coefficient of thermal expansion) of silicon-rich nitride thin films at high temperatures.

The Breaking T-MEMS device consists of a thin film bridge suspended over a substrate. During testing, the devices are thermally loaded in tension by heating the sample. The low coefficient of thermal expansion of the film relative to that of the substrate causes the thin film bridge to break at a specific temperature. Through a combination of indirect experimental measurements, analytical expressions, numerical and statistical analysis, and if the experiments are conducted using at least two different substrates of known temperaturedependent coefficients of thermal expansion, some of the material properties of the film can be calculated from the breaking temperatures of various devices. The two candidate materials for the substrate are silicon and aluminum oxide (sapphire).

We report a new method to measure the temperature-dependent coefficient of thermal expansion α(T) of thin films. The method exploits the temperature dependent buckling of clamped square plates. This buckling was investigated numerically using an energy minimization method and finite element simulations. Both approaches show excellent agreement even far away from simple critical buckling. The numerical results were used to extract Cα(T) = α0+α1(T−T0 ) of PECVD silicon nitride between 20° and 140°C with α0 = (1.803±0.006)×10−6°C−1, α1 = (7.5±0.5)×10−9 °C−2, and T0 = 25°C.

To date most of the MEMS devices are been based on Silicon. This is due to the technological know-how accumulated on manipulating, machining, manufacturing of Silicon. However, only very few devices involve moving parts. This is because of the rapid wear arising from high friction in these Silicon based systems. Recent tribometric experiments carried out by Gardos on Silicon and polycrystalline diamond show that this rapid wear is caused by a variety of factors, related both to surface chemistry and cohesive energy density of these likely MEMS bearing materials. Therefore, theoretical and tribological characterization of Si and PCD surfaces is essential prior to device fabrication to assure reliable MEMS operation unded various atmospheric environments, especially at elevated temperatures.

In this paper, we summarize tribological experiments and theoretical studies of friction and wear processes on diamond surfaces. We studied the atomic friction of diamond (100)-surface employing an extended bond-order-dependent potential for hydrocarbon systems in MD simulations.

Stiction and friction are of concern for the reliable, long-term application of Ni-alloy micromachines. We have found that the application of a 30 - 70 nm hard carbon coating produces a significant reduction in the friction coefficient and wear rate of electroformed Ni substrates in reciprocating sliding contact under simulated MEMS operating conditions. To evaluate the performance of coated components, a series of 70-μm-thick microgears ranging in diameter from 0.2 to 2.2 mm were fabricated from electroformed Ni via standard LIGA processes and fixtured on posts in preparation for the coating procedure. A pulsed vacuumarc deposition process was used to deposit a carbon coating on the gears with the plasma incident at a shallow angle to the gears' top surface. A sample bias of −2 keV was used in order to produce a coating with relatively low stress and good adhesion while maintaining high hardness. This coating process is known to be somewhat comformal to the component surfaces. The coating uniformity, particularly in the high-aspect-ratio areas between the gear teeth, was evaluated with micro-Raman spectroscopy. It is shown that the coating can be applied uniformly on the top gear surface. Between the gear teeth the coating was the same thickness as on top of the gear down to a point 50 μm below the top surface. Below that point (i.e. between 50 and 70 μm), the coating thickness is somewhat thinner, but is still present. These results demonstrate that it is possible to a deposit hard carbon coating on microgears to reduce friction and wear in micromachines.

LIGA fabricated materials and components exhibit several processing issues affecting their metallurgical and mechanical properties, potentially limiting their usefulness for MEMS applications. For example, LIGA processing by metal electrodeposition is very sensitive to deposition conditions which causes significant processing lot variations of mechanical and metallurgical properties. Furthermore, the process produces a material with a highly textured lenticular microstructural morphology suggesting an anisotropic material response. Understanding and controlling out-of-plane anisotropy is desirable for LIGA components designed for out-of-plane flexures. Previous work by the current authors [6] focussed on results from a miniature servo-hydraulic mechanical test frame constructed for characterizing LIGA materials. Those results demonstrated microstructural and mechanical properties dependencies with plating bath current density in LIGA fabricated nickel (LIGA Ni). This presentation builds on that work and fosters a methodology for controlling the properties of LIGA fabricated materials through processing. New results include measurement of mechanical properties of LIGA fabricated copper (LIGA Cu), out-of-planeand localized mechanical property measurements using compression testing and nanoindentation of LIGA Ni and LIGA Cu.

A test technique has been devised which is suitable for the testing of the bond strength of batch diffusion bonded LIGA or DXRL defined structures. The method uses a torsion tester constructed with the aid of LIGA fabrication and distributed torsion specimens which also make use of the high aspect ratio nature of DXRL based processing. Measurements reveal achieved bond stengths of 130 MPa between electroplated nickel with a bond temperature of 450°C at 7 ksi pressure which is a sufficiently low temperature to avoid mechanical strength degradation.