T Ikehara and T Tsuchiya 2008 J. Micromech. Microeng. 18 075004 doi:10.1088/0960-1317/18/7/075004
T Ikehara1 and T Tsuchiya2
Show affiliationsA single-crystal silicon fatigue test structure was fabricated using high-resolution lithography to improve smoothness and morphological uniformity. An on-chip test structure, including a notched test piece, a resonator, an electrostatic actuator and a deflection sensor, was fabricated using 0.6 µm resolution lithography. Fatigue tests were performed under different deflection amplitudes and humidity conditions. The lifetime scattering was limited nearly within 1 order at each condition, and this was a large improvement over other reported studies. Our test results indicated a clear tendency for the lifetime to lengthen when the strain amplitude or ambient humidity was decreased. Strain–life behaviors at two different humidity conditions were analyzed using Paris law and crack propagation exponents of 19.6 and 23.0 were obtained at 50%RH and 25%RH, respectively. A humidity dependence was clearly confirmed by the results of our low-scattering experiment. Moreover, for this measurement, a new parallel test system was built in which fatigue tests on up to 12 samples could be performed simultaneously. The drive circuit, which enables a deflection-controlled fatigue test, is described and its performance was demonstrated.
62.20.M- Structural failure of materials
81.40.Np Fatigue, corrosion fatigue, embrittlement, cracking, fracture, and failure
81.70.Bt Mechanical testing, impact tests, static and dynamic loads
85.85.+j Micro- and nano-electromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS) and devices
Issue 7 (July 2008)
Received 5 March 2008, in final form 22 April 2008
Published 20 May 2008
T Ikehara and T Tsuchiya 2008 J. Micromech. Microeng. 18 075004
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