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New insights into reliability of electrostatic capacitive RF MEMS switches

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2011

Usama Zaghloul ,
George J. Papaioannou ,
Bharat Bhushan ,
Fabio Coccetti ,
Patrick Pons  and
Robert Plana
Usama Zaghloul*
Affiliation:
CNRS; LAAS; 7 avenue du colonel Roche, F-31077 Toulouse, France Université de Toulouse; UPS, INSA, INP, ISAE; LAAS; F-31077 Toulouse, France NLBB Laboratory, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. Phone: +33 5 6133 6817
George J. Papaioannou
Affiliation:
CNRS; LAAS; 7 avenue du colonel Roche, F-31077 Toulouse, France Université de Toulouse; UPS, INSA, INP, ISAE; LAAS; F-31077 Toulouse, France University of Athens, Solid State Physics, Panepistimiopolis Zografos, Athens, Greece
Bharat Bhushan
Affiliation:
NLBB Laboratory, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. Phone: +33 5 6133 6817
Fabio Coccetti
Affiliation:
CNRS; LAAS; 7 avenue du colonel Roche, F-31077 Toulouse, France Université de Toulouse; UPS, INSA, INP, ISAE; LAAS; F-31077 Toulouse, France
Patrick Pons
Affiliation:
CNRS; LAAS; 7 avenue du colonel Roche, F-31077 Toulouse, France Université de Toulouse; UPS, INSA, INP, ISAE; LAAS; F-31077 Toulouse, France
Robert Plana
Affiliation:
CNRS; LAAS; 7 avenue du colonel Roche, F-31077 Toulouse, France Université de Toulouse; UPS, INSA, INP, ISAE; LAAS; F-31077 Toulouse, France
*
Corresponding author: U. Zaghloul Email: usama.zaghloul@laas.fr
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Abstract

Among other reliability concerns, the dielectric charging is considered the major failure mechanism which hinders the commercialization of electrostatic capacitive radio frequency micro-electro-mechanical systems (RF MEMS) switches. In this study, Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) surface potential measurements have been employed to study this phenomenon. Several novel KPFM-based characterization methods have been proposed to investigate the charging in bare dielectric films, metal–insulator–metal (MIM) capacitors, and MEMS switches, and the results from these methods have been correlated. The used dielectric material is plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) silicon nitride. The SiNx films have been charged by using a biased atomic force microscope (AFM) tip or by electrically stressing MIM capacitors and MEMS switches. The influence of several parameters on the dielectric charging has been studied: dielectric film thickness, deposition conditions, and under layers. Fourier transform infra-red (FT-IR) spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) material characterization techniques have been used to determine the chemical bonds and compositions, respectively, of the SiNx films. The data from the physical material characterization have been correlated to the KPFM results. The study provides an accurate understanding of the charging/discharging processes in dielectric films implemented in electrostatic MEMS devices.

Type
Research Papers
Information
International Journal of Microwave and Wireless Technologies , Volume 3 , Special Issue 5: RF MEMS , October 2011 , pp. 571 - 586
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and the European Microwave Association 2011

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