Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-p566r Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-29T05:47:14.754Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Electromechanical properties of amorphous and microcrystalline silicon micromachined structures

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 March 2011

J. Gaspar
Affiliation:
INESC, Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores (INESC), Rua Alves Redol 9, 1000-029 Lisbon, Portugal Department of Materials Engineering, Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal
M. Boucinha
Affiliation:
INESC, Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores (INESC), Rua Alves Redol 9, 1000-029 Lisbon, Portugal
V. Chu
Affiliation:
INESC, Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores (INESC), Rua Alves Redol 9, 1000-029 Lisbon, Portugal
J.P. Conde
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Engineering, Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal
Get access

Abstract

Electrostatic actuation of bridge and cantilever structures is studied. The structures are composed of bilayers of amorphous or microcrystalline silicon and aluminum fabricated using surface micromachining on glass substrates. The structures are actuated by applying the sum of a DC and a low-frequencyAC voltage. The resulting AC deflection is detected optically. The dependence of this deflection upon theapplied voltages and the bridge length is studied and compared with the predictions of an electromechanical model. The deflection amplitude can be electrostatically controlled and detected with a precision estimated to be better than a nanometer.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2001

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1See for example, Malouf, N., An Introduction to Microelectromechanical Systems Engineering (Artech House, Boston, MA, 2000).Google Scholar
2 Boucinha, M., Chu, V., Conde, J.P., Appl. Phys. Lett. 73, 502 (1998).Google Scholar
3 Boucinha, M., Brogueira, P., Chu, V., J.P. Conde, Appl. Phys. Lett. 77, 907 (2000).Google Scholar
4 Peterson, K. E., IEEE Trans. Electron Devices 25, 1241 (1978)Google Scholar
5 Weaver, W. Jr., Timoshenko, S.P., and Young, D.H., Vibration Problems in Engineering (Wiley,New York, 1990).Google Scholar
6 Marques, F.C., Wickboldt, P., Pang, D., Chen, J.H., Paul, W., J. Appl. Phys. 84, 3118 (1998).Google Scholar