AVS 46th International Symposium
    Electronic Materials and Processing Division Tuesday Sessions
       Session EM-TuM

Invited Paper EM-TuM8
Silicon Passivation Chemistry for MEMS Technology

Tuesday, October 26, 1999, 10:40 am, Room 608

Session: Si Surface Chemistry and Etching, Passivation, and Oxidation
Presenter: R. Maboudian, University of California, Berkeley
Correspondent: Click to Email
Adhesion, friction , and wear are prevalent problems in a majority of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) devices. Since gravity is negligible at the dimension of most microstructures, understanding of surface interactions in MEMS is of paramount importance for controlling stiction phenomena. After a brief introduction to Si micromachining, I will discuss the use of various micromachined testing devices, such as cantilever beam arrays, in conjunction with other surface characterization techniques, such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy, to measure the surface forces present between polycrystalline silicon surfaces and to manipulate them by utilizing various surface passivation treatments.