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Low Temperature Thin-Film Microelectromechanical Devices on Plastic Substrates

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 March 2011

M. Boucinha ,
P. Brogueira ,
V. Chu ,
P. Alpuim  and
J. P. Conde
M. Boucinha
Affiliation:
Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores (INESC), R. Alves Redol, 9, 1000-029 Lisboa, Portugal
P. Brogueira
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
V. Chu
Affiliation:
Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores (INESC), R. Alves Redol, 9, 1000-029 Lisboa, Portugal
P. Alpuim
Affiliation:
Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores (INESC), R. Alves Redol, 9, 1000-029 Lisboa, Portugal
J. P. Conde
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Engineering, Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
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Abstract

Air-gap micromachined structures such as bridges and cantilevers were fabricated on 50 and 125 µm-thick polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic substrates. The maximum processing temperature using PET is limited to 110 °C. Two surface micromachining processes on PET which used two different sacrificial layers - photoresist and Al - were developed. Several materials were used as structural layers in the microstructures including Al, TiW, amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) and a bilayer of a-Si:H and Al. The maximum length of free-standing bridges and cantilevers is discussed as a function of the fabrication process. The bridge structures were actuated electrostatically, in a DC switch setup configuration, and the critical voltage as a function of the length was measured. Mechanical actuation and optical detection were used, in an AC mode, for the measurement of the resonance frequency of bridge structures.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 609: Symposium A – Amorphous & Heterogeneous Silicon Thin Films – 2000 , 2000 , A21.2
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2000

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References

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