Static characterization of bulk micromachined accelerometer structure using a nanoindenter

This paper presents the static characterization of the bulk micromachined quad beam accelerometer structure using a nanoindenter as a loading tool. The paper reveals how a nanoindenter, an instrument designed to measure mechanical properties of the films or objects, can be used in a non-traditional fashion to characterize MEMS accelerometer structure. The stiffness and breaking load of the mechanical structures of this device were experimentally measured and compared with the predictions based on FEM simulations.