Overcoming challenges to incorporation of inertial sensors in an epitaxial encapsulation process
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- This work presents a deep investigation of one of the primary challenges to fabricating high performance inertial sensors - stiction. We begin with a summary of what stiction is, and a review of some of the past work understanding this problem and ways to over come it. We continue with a discussion of how the problem manifests itself in the Stanford Epi-Seal process, and the particular considerations of this problem. Our work begins with an experimental investigation of the process and in-use stiction problems in our devices. We develop design guidelines to assist future designers based upon the results of the experiments. Furthermore, we investigate the causes of stiction, and suggest ways in which the baseline process stiction may be improved in future work. A result of this investigation is a more formal understanding of stiction, and a reliable set of test structures and processes. We utilize the methodologies developed in the first experimental section, along with the test procedures to develop anti-stiction solutions. We first examine the common anti-stiction solutions, and determine that they are not applicable to the epi-seal process. Instead we thoroughly investigate mechanical structures which help dramatically reduce the stiction. We also develop models of the device behavior and adhesion which help us extend our understanding of stiction and make predictive assessments in the future. The epi-seal process presents an interesting platform for harsh environment devices. We examine the behavior of the principal failure mode (stiction) at high temperatures and under high-g shock inertial impacts. We demonstrate the suitability of the devices, and investigate some surprising results that emerge. We also investigate some other device parameters under these conditions. Lastly, we describe some of the high-speed, time-domain measurement systems used to collect the data used throughout this work. We briefly discuss the operational principle of several typical MEMS characterization tools, and outline the benefits and limitations. We compare these to data analysis techniques in the time domain, and show how many of the same techniques are used, but with different constraints.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Form | electronic resource; remote; computer; online resource |
| Extent | 1 online resource. |
| Place | California |
| Place | [Stanford, California] |
| Publisher | [Stanford University] |
| Copyright date | 2018; ©2018 |
| Publication date | 2018; 2018 |
| Issuance | monographic |
| Language | English |
Creators/Contributors
| Author | Heinz, David B |
|---|---|
| Degree supervisor | Kenny, Thomas William |
| Thesis advisor | Kenny, Thomas William |
| Thesis advisor | Senesky, Debbie |
| Thesis advisor | Tang, Sindy (Sindy K.Y.) |
| Degree committee member | Senesky, Debbie |
| Degree committee member | Tang, Sindy (Sindy K.Y.) |
| Associated with | Stanford University, Department of Mechanical Engineering. |
Subjects
| Genre | Theses |
|---|---|
| Genre | Text |
Bibliographic information
| Statement of responsibility | David B. Heinz. |
|---|---|
| Note | Submitted to the Department of Mechanical Engineering. |
| Thesis | Thesis Ph.D. Stanford University 2018. |
| Location | electronic resource |
Access conditions
- Copyright
- © 2018 by David Heinz
- License
- This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 3.0 Unported license (CC BY-NC).
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