AVS 63rd International Symposium & Exhibition
    MEMS and NEMS Friday Sessions
       Session MN+MS-FrM

Paper MN+MS-FrM1
Radiation Effects in Emerging MEMS/NEMS Devices

Friday, November 11, 2016, 8:20 am, Room 102B

Session: Radiation Effect in Emerging Micro/Nano Structures, Devices, and Systems
Presenter: Jacob Calkins, Defense Threat Reduction Agency
Correspondent: Click to Email
Recent advance in MEMS based computing, signal filtering, and sensing offer significant opportunities for reducing the size, weight, cost, and power requirements of Department of Defense (DoD) systems while improving reliability in extreme environments. Natural and manmade high radiation environments are one of the most extreme environments where DoD systems must both survive and continue to function. This high radiation environment includes satellites in Earth orbit and robots or unmanned vehicles responding to nuclear disasters. This Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) basic research program seeks to investigate, understand, and model the fundamental effects of radiation on MEMS/NEMS devices.

Gamma rays, x-rays, as well electrons and ions are expected to deposit charge in dielectrics and may also charge the sealed gas environment in which the devices operates. Neutrons, protons, and ions may change the underlying mechanical properties, optical properties, and ferroelectric or piezoelectric properties of MEMS materials. All types of radiation may alter the surface chemistry and morphology causing changes in the performance of physical and electrical contacts. It is expected that MEMS devices will be resistant to upsets or changes in state due to individual strikes by high energy particles. However, nanoscale devices may be susceptible to either the physical impact or the associated charge deposition. It is important to understand these fundamental effects of radiation on MEMS/NEMS devices and materials before they are incorporated in critical DoD systems.

This talk introduces the DTRA basic research radiation effects program and the radiation effects in MEMS/NEMS topic.