Course Objective

The objective of this course is to present the existing know-how on reliability issues in MEMS, NEMS and their 0-level package, and to describe future challenges.

Course Details

After a general introduction on reliability, failure analysis and FMEA, this course will address a number of examples of failure mechanisms. Many examples are taken from RF-MEMS switches and resonators, but they are not limited to this, as examples from MOEMS, pressure sensors, accelerometers, specific test structures, etc. will be shown as well. Issues such as stiction (capillary, charging induced, microwelding), deformation (T-effects, creep), fatigue, fracture, delamination, environmental effects (pressure, particles, humidity, gasses…), electromigration, self-actuation, electrical breakdown etc. are introduced using examples and their failure mechanism, failure defect, failure mode and failure cause will be explained. Dedicated instrumentation for reliability testing (optical monitoring, vacuum chambers, etc.) and for failure analysis (opening of a package, FIB, IR, LIVA, profilometry, etc.) will also be described.

Who Should Attend

Because the course gives both a general introduction on reliability and its specific challenges for MEMS/NEMS and goes into detail on a large number of specific failure mechanisms, it is addressing a broad public, from researchers to MEMS reliability engineers.

Instructor

Ingrid De Wolf received her MS degree in Physics and her PhD in Sciences, Physics, both from the "Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium.” In September 1989, she joined the Reliability group of the Interuniversity MicroElectronics Center (IMEC). She worked in the field of reliability physics of semiconductor devices, with special attention on mechanical stress aspects and failure analysis. Since 1999, she has headed the group REMO (Reliability and Modelling), where research is focused on Reliability and Modeling of MEMS (with focus on RF-MEMS), MEMS-packaging and IC-packaging.

Microfabrication technologies, Professor Hans Zappe, Laboratory for Micro-optics, Department of Microsystems Engineering – IMTEK, University of Freiburg, Germany

Course Objective

Microfabrication techniques, well established for decades in the realm of microelectronics, have now developed to the point where micro-mechanical, micro-optical, micro-fluidic ormicro-pneumatic structures may easily be manufactured; micrometer-scale features and nanometer-scale accuracy have become routine. Essential for evaluating the relevance ofmicrofabrication techniques when applied to new applications is understanding thecapabilities of the technology itself, as well as its limitations. In this short course, we will provide an overview of microfabrication technology for researchers and engineers new to thefield. Beginning with a brief summary of photolithography, wet and dry etching, thin filmdeposition and metallization, we will also discuss specialized processes such as epitaxy, replication by hot embossing or injection molding and micro-contact printing. The mostimportant microsystems materials, including silicon, polymers and ceramics, will bepresented and their relative merits outlined. We will conclude with a few process examples, particularly from the realm of optical MEMS, and present a few of the foundry optionsavailable for prospective users without access to their own fabrication line.