Investigation on the contact behaviour of MEMS micromembrane with serpentine hinges

Abstract

This paper presents the study of micromembranes supported by serpentine hinges. Widely used in microelectromechanical systems as switches or optical micromirrors, these micromembranes are deflected to the substrate in order to close a circuit or to process a signal. The investigated micromembranes are electroplated from gold in different geometrical dimensions. Furthermore, the central plate of micromembrane is suspended by two or four serpentine hinges. The stiffness of micromembranes is given by the geometry of hinges. One of the failure causes of micromembranes, which are directly deflected to substrate, is the adhesion effect between the flexible plate and the substrate. The adhesive force depends on the mechanical restoring force given by the hinges stiffness. In the case of micromembranes for optical applications, one additional stress is provided by temperature. A temperature gradient applied on micromembranes changes the stiffness with influence on the adhesion force. The study of temperature effect on stiffness and adhesion force is performed using an atomic force microscope and a thermal controlled stage. Experimental results of stiffness as a function of temperature are compared to numerical data.