Impact of radiations on the electromechanical properties of materials and on the piezoresistive and capacitive transduction mechanisms used in microsystems

Laurent A. Francis; Petros Gkotsis; Valeriya Kilchytska; Xiaohui Tang; Sylvain Druart; Jean-Pierre Raskin; Denis Flandre

doi:10.1117/12.2008531

9 March 2013 Impact of radiations on the electromechanical properties of materials and on the piezoresistive and capacitive transduction mechanisms used in microsystems

Laurent A. Francis, Petros Gkotsis, Valeriya Kilchytska, Xiaohui Tang, Sylvain Druart, Jean-Pierre Raskin, Denis Flandre

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Proceedings Volume 8614, Reliability, Packaging, Testing, and Characterization of MOEMS/MEMS and Nanodevices XII; 86140J (2013) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2008531
Event: SPIE MOEMS-MEMS, 2013, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

The impact of different types of radiation on the electromechanical properties of materials used in microfabrication and on the capacitive and piezoresistive transduction mechanisms of MEMS is investigated. MEMS technologies could revolutionize avionics, satellite and space applications provided that the stress conditions which can compromise the reliability of microsystems in these environments are well understood. Initial tests with MEMS revealed a vulnerability of some types of devices to radiation induced dielectric charging, a physical mechanism which also affects microelectronics, however integration of novel functional materials in microfabrication and the current trend to substitute SiO₂ with high-k dielectrics in ICs pose new questions regarding reliability in radiation environments. The performance of MEMS devices with moving parts could also degrade due to radiation induced changes in the mechanical properties of the materials. It is thus necessary to investigate the effects of radiation on the properties of thin films used in microfabrication and here we report on tests with γ, high energy protons and fast neutrons radiation. Prototype SOI based MEMS magnetometers which were developed in UCL are also used as test vehicles to investigate radiation effects on the reliability of magnetically actuated and capacitively coupled MEMS.

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Laurent A. Francis, Petros Gkotsis, Valeriya Kilchytska, Xiaohui Tang, Sylvain Druart, Jean-Pierre Raskin, and Denis Flandre "Impact of radiations on the electromechanical properties of materials and on the piezoresistive and capacitive transduction mechanisms used in microsystems", Proc. SPIE 8614, Reliability, Packaging, Testing, and Characterization of MOEMS/MEMS and Nanodevices XII, 86140J (9 March 2013); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2008531

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KEYWORDS

Capacitors

Microelectromechanical systems

Silicon

Ferroelectric materials

Silica

Magnetometers

Capacitance

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