MATERIAL CHARACTERIZATIONS FOR MEMS VIBRATION SENSORS AND BIOSTRUCTURES APPLICATIONS

Despite the MEMS/NEMS devices are used in many applications, a lot of new characterization and testing methods have been developed in order to improve their functionality, reliability and stability. The correct material selection criteria are essential when designing micro/nano structures. The material properties of micro components depend on the the manufacturing and processing conditions. This article presents the investigations of two materials obtained by diverse deposition techniques, for manufacturing of MEMS used as vibration sensors and in bio applications. LPCVD undoped and doped polysilicon layers with a thickness varying from 50 nm to 2 µm and a biocompatible polymeric material (SU-8) with a thickness of 10 µm and 20 µm were investigated using Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), nanoindentation techniques, X-ray Diffraction System (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) characterization tools. In order to demonstrate the applicability of the investigated materials two types of MEMS structures were manufactured.