The effect of frequency on the lifetime of a surface micromachined microengine driving a load

Author

Tanner, Danelle M. ; Miller, William M. ; Eaton, William P. ; Irwin, Lloyd W. ; Peterson, Ken A. ; Dugger, Michal T. ; Senft, Donna C. ; Smith, Norman F. ; Tangyunyong, Paiboon ; Miller, Samuel L.

Author_Institution

Sandia Nat. Labs., Albuquerque, NM, USA

fYear

1998

fDate

March 31 1998-April 2 1998

Firstpage

26

Lastpage

35

Abstract

Experiments have been performed on surface micromachined microengines driving load gears to determine the effect of the rotation frequency on median cycles to failure. We did observe a frequency dependence and have developed a model based on fundamental wear mechanisms and forces exhibited in resonant mechanical systems. Stressing loaded microengines caused observable wear in the rotating joints and, in a few instances, led to fracture of the pin joint in the drive gear.

Keywords

failure analysis; fracture; micromachining; micromotors; rotation; semiconductor device reliability; semiconductor device testing; wear; drive gear pin joint fracture; failure model; frequency dependence; frequency effects; load gear driving; loaded microengine stressing; loaded microengines; median cycles-to-failure; resonant mechanical system forces; rotating joint wear; rotation frequency; surface micromachined microengine lifetime; wear mechanisms; Actuators; Drives; Gears; Laboratories; Microactuators; Microelectromechanical devices; Micromechanical devices; Resonance; Resonant frequency; Springs;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Reliability Physics Symposium Proceedings, 1998. 36th Annual. 1998 IEEE International

Conference_Location

Reno, NV, USA

Print_ISBN

0-7803-4400-6

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/RELPHY.1998.670438

Filename

670438