Silicon-to-silicon microswitch with wide operation temperature range

• Published in: 2015 Transducers - 2015 18th International Conference on Solid-State Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems (TRANSDUCERS) pp. 2105 - 2108
• Main Authors: Bo Woon Soon, You Qian, Ng, Eldwin J., Kenny, Thomas W., Chengkuo Lee
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: IEEE 01-06-2015
• Subjects: Actuator; Contact resistance; harsh environment electronics; Logic gates; MEMS switch; microswitch; Microswitches; Resistance; rugged electronics; Silicon
• ISSN: 2159-547X
• DOI: 10.1109/TRANSDUCERS.2015.7181373

Using an ultra-clean vacuum sealing process, an encapsulated Si-to-Si contact micro switch is fabricated and characterized. This three-terminal micro switch relies on a curved beam (source) that actuates toward the contact terminal (drain) by charging the control terminal (gate). We report the temperature stability of this switch from -60 °C to 300 °C, which yields a resistance drift of -196 Ω/K. Meanwhile, through continuous on-off cycles, the operating lifetime in high temperature environment is investigated. Microswitches of more than 10 6 cycles lifetime at 400 °C are successfully demonstrated. The study of such Si-to-Si contact-based micro switches provides a crucial guideline to the field of mechanical and electrical failure mechanisms for harsh environment applications.