Predicting the mechanical behavior of self-deformed micromachined cantilevers

This research aims at characterizing and predicting the mechanical behavior of thin film materials that are used in micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS). Micro machined bilayer cantilevers of various dimensions were fabricated and analyzed to extract models. The models designed in this process are foreseen to be an essential tool for MEMS designers as they would relate the loading parameters, material properties and geometry of the microstructures with its performance characteristics. A computational methodology based on empirical modeling was developed that enables the designer to prototype the designs before fabrication. The proposed model generates accurate material properties applicable at the microscopic level, thereby accelerating the design and development process. The performance of the proposed model was compared to the experimental values and the results were found to be very encouraging.