Dynamic testing of micromechanical structures under thermo-electro-mechanical influences

Micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS) are by definition composed of mechanical and electrical components. Hence, in order to properly characterize, evaluate and distinguish the electro-mechanical behaviour, proper modeling and testing of the dynamic performances of MEMS devices become very important and crucial for building successful microsystems. However, due to the microscale dimensions of MEMS devices conventional measurement and characterization techniques cannot be used. Also, the dynamic response is bound by the limitations of microfabrication processes and material conditions. In order to overcome these intrinsic limitations, a reliable, cost effective non-contact testing system for MEMS characterization is proposed in this work. By employing this method, non-contact MEMS dynamic analysis measurements are possible at a fraction of the cost compared to fully integrated MEMS testing apparatus. This is of great advantage in academic environments, for example, where budgetary constraints do not permit high end equipment acquisitions. The simplicity of the proposed method will allow both thermo-mechanical and electro-mechanical dynamic experimentation on microstructures. The test results are compared with prediction and are in close agreement.