Experimental Investigation Into Stiction Forces and Dynamic Mechanical Anti-Stiction Solutions in Ultra-Clean Encapsulated MEMS Devices

A systematic experimental and theoretical evaluation of stiction between intermittently contacting silicon surfaces in an ultra-clean encapsulation process is presented, evaluating magnitude of stiction forces, the reversible nature of sidewall contact, and repeatability of results. The uniquely stable environment and the lack of native oxide are leveraged to enable reliable collision and contact models, which confirm the nature of the asperity contact. In addition, we demonstrate a series of dynamic mechanical anti-stiction solutions and the mechanisms by which they mitigate stiction. These devices are shown to reduce susceptibility to stiction-related failure by 50%.