On the Road to Reliable MEMS

Dielectric charging, mechanical creep and fatigue of materials, stresses in thin films, sensitivity to mechanical vibrations and shock is but a partial list of issues that may arise on the road to reliable MEMS. Major electrical and mechanical phenomenon that may limit the lifetime or functionality of MEMS devices will be discussed along with the design rules, materials choices and reliability vs. functionality tradeoffs that are required for designing MEMS for high performance and reliability.