AVS 50th International Symposium
    Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) Tuesday Sessions
       Session MM-TuP

Paper MM-TuP3
Stiction Measurements Made with an Atomic Force Microscope on Test Structures Mounted with Various Die-Attach Materials

Tuesday, November 4, 2003, 5:30 pm, Room Hall A-C

Session: Poster Session
Presenter: E.J. Thoreson, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Authors: E.J. Thoreson, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
J. Martin, Analog Devices
N.A. Burnham, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
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An atomic force microscope (AFM) was used to determine the stiction between silicon oxide tips and silicon oxide substrates coated with a few angstroms of phenylsiloxane. The substrates were mounted in their usual packaging with three different types of die-attach materials, which were silicone, polyimide silicone, and silver glass. There was also a control group in which the substrates were not attached. The packages were opened and an AFM determined the adhesive force between the AFM tip and the substrate in force spectroscopy mode. A preliminary data set showed that the adhesive force normalized to the tip radius was respectively twice and four times as big for the polyimide silicone and silver glass as for the control group and silicone, the latter two being close in value. The percent variations in the measurements were 70% to 80% percent for the control group and silicone, 150% for polyimide silicone, and 25% for silver glass. Further work will verify these initial results and also study the dependence of adhesive force upon the tip radius.