Effect of Surface roughness on

the failure mechanisms of MEMS

devices
Yilei Zhang
Satyam Bhuyan
ME 563 X: Modeling MEMS and NEMS
05/04/06

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ME 563 X: Final Presentation

Problem Statement
Various adhesionrelated failures occur in MEMS devices when suspended
elastic members unexpectedly stick to their substrate. Two of the issues
that are seriously dealt with when such kind of failures occur are:

a. The device is subjected to a force that is sufficiently strong to collapse

the elastic member thus bringing in contact with the substrate.
b. Even after the contact is established and the force is removed, the
intersolid adhesion exceeds the restoring force of the elastic member
hence keeping the device permanently pinned on to the substrate.

Goal: Our goal is to establish the effect of surface roughness of the

substrate on the pinning mechanism.
Reference: Adhesion-related failure mechanism in micromechanical
devices, C .H. Mastrangelo, Tribology Letters 3(1997), 223-238.
ME 563 X: Final Presentation

Literature review
From a literary review we found out that the pinning can occur by contact
adhesion that can overcome the restoring force of the elastic member.

The total energy of the system is the sum of the elastic energy plus surface
energy:
At equilibrium:

6 EIh2
UT U E U S
s w(l s)
3
s

3 Et h
s s *
2 s
3

1
4

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ME 563 X: Final Presentation

Approach to the problem

To model the surface roughness we are going to take into account the
real area of contact of the substrate such that, Ar, is proportional to the
nominal area of contact, An , by a factor of r and it takes.
A, = r An = rw(l-s).

For a flat surface, r=1

Therefore, the total surface energy modifies to:

3 Et h
s s *
2 r s
3

6EIh
UT U E U S
s rw(l s)
3
s

1
4

(l-s)
We utilized various microfabrication process like deposition of steps etc on to a
silicon surface and obtained a topographic images with Atomic Force Microscope
(AFM). We calculated r looking at the topography of the substrate using
Scanning Probe Image Processor (SPIP) software
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ME 563 X: Final Presentation

Pivoting of the cantilever

Due to shear deformation of the tip of the cantilever beam (usually
occurs when the d is very small) the tip of the cantilever pivots
changing its elastic energy subsequently just before detachment.
We can define a peeling bound
NP, such that the beam remains
in contact with the substrate for
NP<1 and free for NP>1
For a cantilever beam,

3Et 3 h 2
NP
8r s l 4

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ME 563 X: Final Presentation

Topography
and
height variation
TGZ03
rectangular
steps
r=0.1896

TGG01
triangular
steps

r=0.0078
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ME 563 X: Final Presentation

Parameters

Dimensions of the cantilever beam:

l=50 m

w=10 m

t=1 m

Surface energy per unit surface area, =1.4 J/m2

E=112.4 GPa
h=2 m

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ME 563 X: Final Presentation

Results
Substrate

Area under
adhesion, w(ls*) (sq. m)

Percentage
increase in
area

Peel number
3Et 3 h 2
NP
8r s l 4

Flat surface

236.55

0%

0.308

TGZ03
rectangular
steps

0.1896

44.850

81.04%

1.62

TGG01
triangular
steps

0.0078

1.852

99.22%

39.52

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ME 563 X: Final Presentation

Conclusion
Microfabrication of silicon substrate can cause a detrimental outcome on
functioning of MEMS devices.
Surface roughness should be minimized as far a possible in order to avoid
collapsing of the elastic member.

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ME 563 X: Final Presentation