Test structures and DRIE topography for bulk silicon MEMS devices

Abstract

Since the exact structure of MEMS (Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems) devices is difficult to be tested and controlled, the reliability and failure of the MEMS device are very difficult to be analyzed. In this paper, we report on test structures for bonding strength and the way of controlling deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) for high aspect ratio silicon structures. In addition, we introduce a method of measuring the quality of silicon to glass anodic bonding. The testing structures allow measuring the bonding strength of microstructures, and silicon DRIE results are improved a lot.