Experimental apparatus and software design for dynamic long-term reliability testing of a spring-mass MEMS device

Phillip L. Reu; Danelle M. Tanner; David S. Epp; Ted B. Parson; Brad L. Boyce

doi:10.1117/12.648488

5 January 2006 Experimental apparatus and software design for dynamic long-term reliability testing of a spring-mass MEMS device

Phillip L. Reu, Danelle M. Tanner, David S. Epp, Ted B. Parson, Brad L. Boyce

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 6111, Reliability, Packaging, Testing, and Characterization of MEMS/MOEMS V; 61110J (2006) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.648488
Event: MOEMS-MEMS 2006 Micro and Nanofabrication, 2006, San Jose, California, United States

Abstract

Long-term reliability testing of Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) is important to the acceptance of these devices for critical and high-impact applications. In order to make predictions on aging mechanisms, these validation experiments must be performed in controlled environments. Additionally, because the aging acceleration factors are not understood, the experiments can last for months. This paper describes the design and implementation of a long-term MEMS reliability test bed for accelerated life testing. The system is comprised of a small environmental chamber mounted on an electrodynamic shaker with a laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV) and digital camera for data collection. The humidity and temperature controlled chamber has capacity for 16 MEMS components in a 4x4 array. The shaker is used to dynamically excite the devices using broadband noise, chirp or any other programmed signal via the control software. Driving amplitudes can be varied to maintain the actuation of the test units at the desired level. The actuation is monitored optically via the LDV which can report the displacement or velocity information of the surface. A springmass accelerated aging experiment was started using a controlled environment of 5000 ppmv humidity (roughly 13% at room temperature), temperature of 29 °C, and ±80μm maximum displacement of the mass. During the first phase of the experiment, the resonant frequency was measured every 2 hours. From 114.5 to 450 hours under stress, measurements were taken every 12 hours and after that every 24 hours. Resonant frequency tracking indicates no changes in the structures for 4200 hours of testing.

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Phillip L. Reu, Danelle M. Tanner, David S. Epp, Ted B. Parson, and Brad L. Boyce "Experimental apparatus and software design for dynamic long-term reliability testing of a spring-mass MEMS device", Proc. SPIE 6111, Reliability, Packaging, Testing, and Characterization of MEMS/MOEMS V, 61110J (5 January 2006); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.648488

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KEYWORDS

Laser Doppler velocimetry

Microelectromechanical systems

Humidity

Reliability

Control systems

Microscopes

Mirrors

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