MINI PROJECT

MEMS AND NANOTECHNOLOGY

TESTING OF MICROSYSTEM

SUBMITTED BY:
ZEESHAN ALI (16-1-2-107)
CHANDAN KUMAR (16-1-2-094)
TENY M SHAJI (16-1-2-019)
FAILURE IN MEMS AND
MICROSYSTEM
MECHANICAL FAILURE:
The probability of failure due to stresses by mismatch of CTE is high. Some other causes for mechanical mode
of failure are :
• Delamination of thin layers.
• Vibration induced high cycle fatigue failure.
• Improper assembly tolerance.
• Local stress concentration due to surface roughness.
 ELECTRO-MECHANICAL BREAK-DOWN :It is mainly due to collapse of electrodes due to excessive deformation .
The probability of occurrence is high.
 Deterioration of materials : This mode of failure caused by aging and degassing of plastic and polymers, and also by
corrosion and erosion of materials.
 EXCESSIVE INTRINSIC STRESSES : Residual stresses and molecular forces inherent from microfabrication can
cause this type of failure.
 PACKAGING : It is mainly due to improper bonding and sealing ,poor die protection and isolation can cause failure of
microsystem such as by undesired dusts and moisture to delicate core components.
 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS : Environmental conditions like temperature , humidity, dusts and toxic gas can affect the
microsystems.
TESTING FOR RELIABILITY FOR
MICROSYSTEM
MEMS MICROSYSTEM TESTING ISSUUES
• Lack of defect origins and fault models
• Heavily influenced by packaging and environment stress ,temperature, humidity , pressure
• No standards and no knowledge spread by companies.

 There are two types of testing :

• Design for testing
• Performing test
Design for testing:
 It is an important responsibility of design engineers for mems and microsystems.
 The major steps in this testing is :
-Setting the testing strategy which include identifying testing points.
-Establish the range of acceptable device performance where proper pass/fail
limits are given for test results and maintaining a proper balance between quality and
waste.
Performing tests:

 These tests are of many types . Some are given below:

• Parametric testing
• Burn-in testing
• Self testing
• Testing during use
PARAMETRIC TESTING
 This inspection is for key components during and after the fabrication
 This method requires the definition of parameters like film resistance surface stress/strain.
 In this method selection of test points on the workpiece is important.
 Once the test point is selected ,the parametric test structure is attached to the workpiece for the
testing.
 The van der Pauw sheet resistance test structure.
 Using this technique ,following properties of the material can be calculated:
-The resistivity -The doping type
-Mobility of the major carrier -The sheet carrier density of major carrier
EXAMPLE :

 Measure voltage across 1 and 2

 The surface resistance in the area is:

R=V(1,4)/I(2,3)
EXAMPLE

 Parametric test structure for measuring tensile strain.

 The compressive strain responsible for the buckling of the thin beam is:
Parametric test structure for measuring both tensile
and compressive strains:
 Beam electrodes are connected and anchored on the workpiece at shallow angles.
 Associated tensile or compressive strains can be correlated to the measured
capacitances from these beam electrodes
Parametric test structure using resonator for
monitoring surface stresses:

 Change of stiffness of springs due to change of stresses in attached workpiece

leads to change of resonant frequencies.
 Resonant frequency of the resonator can be generated by electrical stimulator.
 Shifting of resonant frequencies
in the resonator can be related to
the surface stresses in the
work-piece.
TESTING DURING ASSEMBLY

DEFINITION:
• In this kind of testing, the process goes on simultaneously with
assembling process.
• It demonstrates that how the modules can interact in a correct,
stable and proper manner as defined by the functional
specifications provided by the client.
PURPOSES:
• To determine which device components are good enough for
further packaging into devices.
• To monitor the yield of the packaging process.
 EXAMPLES:
1. Texas Instrument’s digital micro-mirror device with 0.5 to 1.5 million electrostatically
actuated mirrors at (16 x 16) µm.

• Mirrors offer 0 or 1 signals on its reflected intensities.

• The open centre in the array shows the CMOS beneath that supplies voltage to rotate the mirrors for
reflecting lights.
• Mirrors are tested for reflecting lights at increasing voltage supplies by the CMOS.
• Dies with mirror falls to perform are rejected.
• Further inspection on mirror functions after dies are assembled.
BURN IN TEST FOR MEMS
 These are the tests conducted after all components are assembled into a device.
 Some micro-devices can only be tested after the assembly.
 “Burn-in” tests are necessary b/c many micro-devices can fail to perform due to invasion of unwanted
foreign substances, e.g., air to some packaged infrared detectors, or dust particles and moisture to the
packaged micro-mirrors.
 A typical failure rate history for a product – a “Bath-tub” curve:
Failure Rate

Useful Life

Wear-out

Infant
 The GOAL of “Burn-in” tests is to have the “Infant mortality” failure of the device occurs in
the factory, but not in the field.
REQUIREMENTS
 Requirements for proper design of Burn-in tests:
• Identify possible failure modes of the particular device.
• Identify factors that can accelerate the failure rates of the device.
 Possible factors for accelerating failure rates:
• Mechanical and thermal loading.
• Humidity.
• Shifting of applied threshold voltage.
 Arrhenius model can be used to identify accelerating loading for Burn-in tests.
 This model states: “device failure is dependent of the energy barrier surmounted for failure to occur. “
 This model can relate failure rate of a device at one temperature to the failure rate at another temperature.
 We may thus accelerate the failure of a device at a higher temperature using this model.
SELF TESTING
 The concept of the self testing is to apply an electrostatic force to the mechanical sensing element of
the sensor and simulate the situation as if an external motion or rotation was applied to the device.
 Self testing is important to many electronic devices and computers to ensure proper functioning of
various components in the device before actually using the device.
 For MEMS and microsystems, it involves using electric stimuli that mimics the real input loads.
 Self testing device, e.g. a pair of electrodes can mimic mechanical load to micro pressure sensors.
SELF TESTING
 A self testing device for a thermopile-based infrared detector:

 Stimuli other than electrical means:

• Ambient air for micro pressure sensors.
• Earth gravitation for micro-accelerometers.
TESTING DURING USE

 It is used for calibrations of micro-sensors in the designed life span.

 Testing during use ensures the proper functioning of devices for the intended applications.
 Input for these tests usually involve the natural loads as in self testing.
OPTICAL INSPECTION OF MICROSYSTEM

 Where many conventional testing and inspection techniques fail at the micro-
scale, optical techniques provide a fast, robust, and relatively inexpensive
alternative for investigating the properties and quality of microsystems.
 Some techniques used for optical inspection are image correlation, light
scattering, scanning probe microscopy, confocal microscopy, fringe projection,
grid and moiré techniques, interference microscopy, laser Doppler vibrometry,
holography, speckle metrology, and spectroscopy. 
Links and journal papers

 https://books.google.co.in/books/about/Optical_Inspection_of_Microsystems.html
?id=SlTSDrUC13oC&source=kp_book_description&redir_esc=y
 https://www.ques10.com/p/11427/testing-of-reliability-of-mems-and-microsystem
s-1/
 https://ris.utwente.nl/ws/portalfiles/portal/6135626/Testable_Design_and_Testing
_of_Microsystems_IEEE_Sensors_2005_v2.pdf
 https://www.engr.sjsu.edu/trhsu/ME189_Chapter%2011.pdf
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_der_Pauw_method
THANK YOU