Technology for the high-volume manufacturing of integrated surface-micromachined accelerometer products

Three‐dimensional modelling of intergranular fatigue failure of fine grain polycrystalline metallic MEMS devices

“…The design, development and manufacture of small (submicron to millimetre) devices and engineering systems were initiated more than half a century ago 1 and the trend towards further miniaturization still continues owing to the growing applications of microsystem technologies or microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). In applications such as accelerometers, 2 angular rate sensors, 3 RF (radio frequency) MEMS switches, 4 micromotors, microgears and linkage mechanisms, 5 the microstructural components experience cyclically varying loads that subject these devices to fatigue.…”

A Phenomenological Discrete Brittle Damage-Mechanics Model for Fatigue of MEMS Devices With Application to LIGA Ni

“…The successful development of a device requires both the experimental determination of relevant material properties as well as modeling techniques that can capture heterogeneous effects caused by the material microstructure. In many applications such as accelerometers [1], angular rate sensors [2] and RF MEMS switch and varactor [3] components are subjected to cyclically varying loads and are expected to withstand billions or trillions of loading cycles. In other applications, the MEMS device may be subjected to unwanted machine vibrations.…”

A Linearized Method to Measure Dynamic Friction of Microdevices

“…Commercial products such as accelerometers [2] and pressure sensors [3], in which adhesive or sliding contact is not intentionally allowed between surfaces, have been successfully introduced. At present, devices that intentionally allow rubbing between structures such as gears, hinges and guides operate successfully, but their durability can be limited by tribological failure [4].…”