Fabrication and performance of a nickel-chromium (NiCr) igniter integrated with TVS diode for ESD protection

Abstract

The NiCr igniter is a key element of MEMS-based electro-explosive device (mEED), while electrostatic discharge (ESD) may excite the igniter accidentally. To protect the NiCr igniter from damage by ESD, a novel NiCr igniter by integrating the igniter onto a TVS diode based substrate was designed and fabricated through semiconductor technology. The microscope photograph, resistivity, breakdown voltage, firing performance, and ESD protection ability were tested. The results show that the surface of the chip is smooth, the edges of key structures are clear, and there are no major scratches, cracks, and other phenomena on the whole device. The resistivity of all the TVS-mNiCr igniters is between 5 and 7 Ω, and the TVS diode resistance value is normal. The breakdown voltages of the eight types of TVS diodes with different structures are all between 3.5 and 5 V, and the TVS-mNiCr igniters can fire reliably at a constant current of 2 A. After the ESD test, the microscope of the igniter does not change significantly, meaning that the TVS-mNiCr igniter chip has a certain ability of ESD protection. It is of vital importance to guide the design of electrostatic tolerant ability for the MEMS-based electro-explosive device.