A critical comparison and development of nano-mechanical characterization of MEMS/NEMS thin film materials

This paper compared the three different methods for determination of thin film modulus or MEMS applications: 1) scanning bending cantilever, 2) nanoindentation and 3) resonance frequency method. Surface profilometer was used to scan along the micro-machined cantilevers at different loads and produce the bending profile, from which the Youngss modulus can be extracted. Indentation profiled produced by Nano-indenter can deduce Young's modulus and hardness of the thin film materials. AFM vibrometer is used to detect the resonance of the thin film cantilever, from which the stiffness, and therefore the Young's modulus can be derived. The material properties of silicon nitride characterized by three methods are consistent and comparable with one another. The following MEMS materials: SiN, Ni, Ni/SiN bimorph, Nano-Diamond, SiC have been characterized and compared by using different method. Their advantages and disadvantages are also discussed.