Optical Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (Optical MEMS, or MOEMS) comprise a disruptive technology whose application to telecommunications networks is transforming the horizon for lightwave systems. The influences of materials systems, processing subtleties, and reliability requirements on design flexibility, functionality and commercialization of MOEMS are complex. A tight inter-dependent feedback loop between Component/ Subsystem/ System Design, Fabrication, Packaging, Manufacturing and Reliability is described as a strategy for building reliability into emerging MOEMS products while accelerating their development into commercial offerings.

The purposes of failure analysis are to localize the failure site, to establish the type of failure and to understand the failure mechanism. Some MEMS, such as Analog Device's accelerometer ADXL501, are confronted with stiction problems. Either we get around the problem by creating designs which are not subject to this type of failure, or we try to understand its mechanism. The residual stresses have an important role in the stiction because according to the configurations of the structures, they can stiffen beams and so oppose this failure, or amplify it by bending it towards underlying mechanical elements. That’s why we carry an interest in the residual constraints to understand and counteract this type of failure. Besides, the residual stresses have also repercussion on properties such as fatigue, fracture, friction... which are at the origin of other types of failure. In this article, we attempt to set up a method to qualify and quantify the residual stresses in the different layers of the MUMPs process.

To investigate the mechanical behavior and failure modes of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), a high resolution optical tool capable of imaging both fast and slow movements in three dimensions on a microscopic scale is almost mandatory. We report the first experiments with a new tool, which provides the necessary speed and resolution. First, some common failure modes in MEMS are discussed, as are the possibilities of optical inspection methods to deal with them. We show that the system we describe may be used to monitor the resonances and small but fast movements of a MEMS device, to image erratic behavior, stuck parts, and so on. Furthermore, slow deformations, for example of expansion due to temperature changes, can be monitored with high resolution, and give information on deformation or delamination of layers.

Fluid ejection systems fabricated using MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) technology have a wide variety of applications ranging from ink jet thermal printing [1] to drug delivery for medical applications [2]. Microfluidic MEMS drop ejectors accurately control the volume and velocity of fluid dispensed. For the electrostatic drop ejector to function properly, the fluid must be contamination free, inert to the MEMS components and inert to materials and epoxies used for packaging. This paper will discuss the failure mechanisms and analysis techniques used to diagnose root cause(s) of failure in as-fabricated (unreleased) drop ejectors, and released, packaged drop ejectors tested in both air and water. Corrective actions implemented to mitigate the failure mechanisms and improve performance and reliability at both the wafer/die level and packaged level will be discussed.

The work presented in this paper concerns the characterization of MEMS structures, industrially manufactured using front-side bulk micromachining post-process techniques on CMOS dies. The systematic characterization of mechanical parameters, such as stiffness or mass, on a set of 100 cantilever devices provide us with basic knowledge concerning process parameter variations.