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Low Temperature Thin-Film Microelectromechanical Devices on Plastic Substrates

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 March 2011

M. Boucinha,
P. Brogueira,
V. Chu,
P. Alpuim and
J. P. Conde
M. Boucinha
Affiliation:
Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores (INESC), R. Alves Redol, 9, 1000-029 Lisboa, Portugal
P. Brogueira
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
V. Chu
Affiliation:
Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores (INESC), R. Alves Redol, 9, 1000-029 Lisboa, Portugal
P. Alpuim
Affiliation:
Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores (INESC), R. Alves Redol, 9, 1000-029 Lisboa, Portugal
J. P. Conde
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Engineering, Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
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Abstract

Air-gap micromachined structures such as bridges and cantilevers were fabricated on 50 and 125 µm-thick polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic substrates. The maximum processing temperature using PET is limited to 110 °C. Two surface micromachining processes on PET which used two different sacrificial layers - photoresist and Al - were developed. Several materials were used as structural layers in the microstructures including Al, TiW, amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) and a bilayer of a-Si:H and Al. The maximum length of free-standing bridges and cantilevers is discussed as a function of the fabrication process. The bridge structures were actuated electrostatically, in a DC switch setup configuration, and the critical voltage as a function of the length was measured. Mechanical actuation and optical detection were used, in an AC mode, for the measurement of the resonance frequency of bridge structures.

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References

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