Kanchan Jha (BE-1/09)

MEMS
Assignment 2

Q.1) define TCR, thermal conductivity and its significance with respect to MEMS devices.

Ans:- TCR

 TCR stands for temperature coefficient of resistance.

 temperature coefficient of resistance is the measure of a change in electrical resistance of any substance
per degree of temperature change.
 In other words, ideal resistance should be zero but that does not happen practically full stop when heating
comes into picture, the resistance changes in accordance with the heating and does, the change of the
resistance per degree change in the the temperature is called temperature coefficient of resistance.
 for pure metals, it is positive means the resistance increases with temperature whereas for non metals
this coefficient is a negative means the resistance decreases with the increasing temperature.

Why this happens?

 consider example of a pure metals where resistance increases with temperature in this as the
temperature increases number of the collision between charge carriers and atoms and also increases
resulting in increasing resistance.
 Ideally TCR should follow a linear relationship but that does not happen the resistance effects resulting
from the number of collisions is not always constant particularly at low temperature.
 if there is a approximately no change in resistance with temperature, we can consider the value of this
coefficient as 0.the alloy of a constant and and manganin has the temperature coefficient of resistance
nearly zero.

Q.2) write short note on MEMS accelerometer.

Ans:

 Accelerometer are used in airbag sensors.

 The basic configuration of an accelerometer is shown in the following figure.
 It is consist of three components:
1. Inertial mass
2. Suspension
3. Sensing element
 the suspension supports the inertial mass and will deflect under the acceleration.
 sensing elements will transducer the deflection of suspension to an electric signal.
 The transmission can implemented using piezoresistive, piezoelectric or capacitive means.
The relative displacement z can be represented as z =x-y where X and y represent the inertial
mass and the motion of housing system.

 the figure shows micromechanical capacitive structure where device is divided into two parts-
mechanical capacitive sensor and signal detection circuit.
 The mechanical structure is a made up of a polysilicon material about 2um thick.
 a central mass plate with a finger on both sides is suspended over substrate by four thin tethers.
 The Mask plate can be displayed by an inertial force in the surface plate and in perpendicular to
the tethers.
 there to fix trip A and B which are connected to form a stationary electrode the movable
electrode and stationary electrode institute to mechanical capacitor C1 and C2.
 due to acceleration, the plate is displaced the capacitances C1 and C2 will experience that
change.
 The differential capacitance C1-C2 give the acceleration measurements.

 in the airbag sensor the operation takes place as explained in the following points:
o When kar hit something it start to accelerate that is it loses speed very rapidly.
o An accelerometer detects the change in speed.
 o if the acceleration is high enough, then accelerometer triggers the airbag circuit.
o The airbag circuits pass and electric current through a heating element.
o The heating element ignites a chemical explosive.
o as explosive burner, it generates a massive amount of harmless gas, typically nitrogen or
argon that flows into nylon bag past behind the steering wheel.
o As the bag expands, it blow the plastic cover of a steering wheel and inflates in front of
driver.
o The driver moves forward due to impact and pushes against the bag.
o this will deflate the bag, the gas will escape through small holes around its edges.
o When car stops, the bag mein completely deflated.

Pressure sensor:

 micro pressure sensors are used to monitoring and measure gas pressure in environment or
engineering system for example pressure in automobile engine.
 Micro pressure sensors works on the principle of of mechanical bending of thin silicon
diaphragm by the contact on gas pressure.
 the strain associated with the formation of diaphragm are measured by tiny Pizza register which
is placed in strategic location on diaphragm.
 doped silicon is used for fabricating piezoresistors, they work on same principal like wheatstone
bridge for signal transduction
 They have higher sensitivity and resolution.

Q.3) Explain MEMS reliability.

Ans:-

 Reliability is the ability of device or system to perform a required function for a specified
amount of time. The function and level of reliability required of a device obviously application-
specific. A sensor vital to an aircraft flight control system whose failure can be in laws of life is an
example of high reliability application.
 alternatively, a switch in peace of a commercial electronics mein fail and be an analyst but it is
hardly a tragedy.
 The reliability of system may depend upon many things, such as subsystem packing, power
supply. the overall reliability of a system is a complex because the interrelation between
different subsystem can combine in complex ways to cause a system failure. Alternatively, the
system could be designed so that subsisting can compensate for failure in other aspect of the
system example software could be designed to monitor the system and avoidance system
failure by utilising other subsystem to perform a function.
 data to access the reliability of a device are obtained by operating a large number of devices
under normal operating conditions and noting when failure occurs.
  3 items need to be define unambiguously to formulate the reliability experiment properly
1. Method of operation: a detailed definition of method off device operation for example off
switch is a device to be tested for reliability. And application of a voltage to close or open a
switch 100 Hz frequency using a square wave signal.
2. Definition of a failure: definition of what constitutes value of the device full stop this
statement or failure the notes that contacts are fowled.so that adequate continuity when
closed is not present or sufficient isolation is not present when the switch mechanism has
failed so that contact do not open or closed when appropriate signal is applied.
3. Sample size: a large enough sample size utilised in reliability test so that a statistical a
meaningful result can be obtained. Reliability data by their nature non deterministic
because numerous factors can affect outcome of a reliability experiment. The non
deterministic factor include manufacturing variations, material variations and environmental
variation. This variations cannot be predicted, therefore the reliability data must be
considered random and analysed with statistical method. These three items define how to
operate the device what constitutes failure and number of items to test. The number of
cycle that have elapsed when failure occurs defines when the failure occurs, which can have
units of time aur cycles of operation.

Q. 4) Difference between Bulk and Surface Micromachining?

Bulk Micromachining Surface Micromachining

1.In this mechanical elements are 1.In this it is fabricated by building layers
fabricated by etching away the on layers.
unwanted part in silicon wafer
2.This creates structures inside a 2.This creates structures on top of a
substrate substrate
3.Larger structures are made with bulk 3.It is difficult to build larger structures
micromachining

4.Straight forward and well documented 4.Complex masking design and

process production
5.sacrificial layer is not required. 5.Etching of sacrificial layer is required

6. The process is less expensive but 6. The process is expensive but less
material loss is more material loss

Q.5)Write short note on Atomic bonding.

Ans:
An alternative method, which is restricted to certain glases bonded to conductors is called field –
assisted bonding or anodic bonding.
The mechanism responsible for anodic bonding is the mobility of sodium ions in the glass.
e.g. Pyrex 7740 glass having thermal expansion close to that of silicon.
When the silicon wafer is placed on the glass and turns are heated to temp. around 5000 C a positive
voltage (300-700V) applied to the silicon repels sodium ion form the glass surface. Creating a net
negative charge at the glass surface.
The force of attraction between the positively charged silicon wafer and the negatively charged glass
surface brings the two surfaces intimate contact and at high tepm, they can fuse together.
Contact is typically initiated at a single point by applying a load, and as contact is established it spreads
out to cover the rest of the wafer.
Bonding time ranges from seconds to minutes and can be monitored by measuring the current in the
circuit. When bonding is completed this current drops to zero.