Reactive getters for MEMS applications

• Discussion of vacuum problems in MEMS.
• Reactive getters increase sorption capacity by 100 times.
• Increase of MEMS life span to 20 years is achievable.
• Experimental data on new getters is provided.

The vacuum problem in MEMS devices has not been solved yet. The attempts of many years to support the reliability of these devices using getter films based on transition metals did not lead to success. Getters and the standard bonding process appeared to be incompatible due to strong volume outgassing of all materials within the cavity during their heating. The way out in this situation is seen in lowering the temperature of the sealing process and replacing the traditional getters with the getters of the more reactive nature, the sorption capacity of which at room temperature is higher by orders of magnitude. This becomes possible now due to the development of low temperature sealing materials and new packaging machines, which operate without any heating of the bonding zone.The purpose of this paper is to show that the combination of the new packaging technologies and reactive getters will allow increasing the lifetime of vacuum package MEMS devices to 20 years by using simple engineering solutions.