Mumbai University > Electronics Engineering > Sem 8 > MEMS Technology

Marks: 5M

These routine tests are performed before the products are shipped to the customers.

Thermal Shock Tests

Thermal Cycling Tests

Burn-in-Tests

Products are placed in autoclaves at specified temperatures and humidity for hundreds of hours for endurance tests

Reliability of MEMS and Microsystems

Reliability of ICs and microelectronics are more structure – related.

Reliability of MEMS and microsystems have all the issues as in ICs and microelectronics + many more issues related to their performances both upon shipping and in the subsequent in – service in the designed life span.

Failure mechanisms for microsystems are much more complicated than those in microelectronics for the following reasons: - Microsystem components are designed to interact with various substances (e.g. optical, chemical and biological fluids) at various environmental conditions (temperatures and pressures) - Microsystem components are hermatically sealed and are expected to perform in immediatre and long – terms. - Example of the damage of stiction of delicate components in sealed plastic package by slow release of moisture (de-gassing) of plastic encapsulating materials – impossible to predict and prevent.

Unlike IC and microelectronics, NO standard is available for reliability testing for MEMS & microsystems:

New testing procedures and criteria need to be developed for every new product.