Quasi-static analysis and modeling for micro ohmic contacts in MEMS switches

• Main Author: See, Raymond Seng Hong.
• Other Authors: Wang Hong
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Electrical and electronic engineering::Microelectromechanical systems
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/45856
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) have been developed since the 1970s for pressure and temperature sensors, accelerometers, gas chromatographs and other sensor devices. In the recent versions of Nintendo’s Wii, MEMS plays an important part to allow the Wii controller to respond to changes in direction, speed and acceleration. MEMS switches have also been demonstrated in the early 1980s but remained a laboratory curiosity for a long time. RF MEMS switches offer a high-performance, low power, low-cost alternative to traditional diode switches. RF MEMS technology is now at a turning point and reliability issues are currently been addressed. Contact analysis and modeling of ohmic MEMS switches is one of most crucial reliability studies to be performed. Objective of this project is to study quasi-static measurements and observe the phenomenon of transition behavior for gold to gold contact. During the process, different range of voltage is applied to the device under test. I shall record the details of resistance information of fresh contacts and stress contact and from these data we shall use Matlab to analyze the result. The result obtain shall further enhance our understanding for MEMS technology in future development.