Testing and analysis of lifetime of a vertical bulk MEMS switch

A single crystal silicon cantilever, bulk MEMS vertical switch is presented. Multi-way switches based on the above structure were fabricated for application in the area of computer aided testing. As the sticking point of MEMS switches, operating lifetime must be first considered. Dynamic testing was imposed on such a switch until its failure. Then analysis of the failure mechanism is given. As the conclusion, heat accumulation is demonstrated as the reason for failure.