Title :
A novel method for measuring the strength of microbeams
Author :
Elata, David ; Hirshberg, Arnon
Author_Institution :
Fac. of Mech. Eng., Technion - Israel Inst. of Technol., Haifa, Israel
fDate :
4/1/2006 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
A novel method and test structure for measuring the strength of brittle microbeams is presented. The method does not require any measurement of forces or displacements. The test structure includes a microbeam that is wrapped over a curved side-wall by application of an unmeasured force. With the progression of wrapping, increasing tensile stresses are induced in the microbeam. When sufficiently high stresses are induced, the beam breaks. The failure stress is deduced by measuring the length of the remaining ligament of the broken beam. The method is demonstrated by measuring the strength of microbeams in bulk-micromachined test structures.
Keywords :
beams (structures); cantilevers; micromechanical devices; stress analysis; tensile strength; tensile testing; brittle microbeams; bulk-micromachined test structures; curved side-wall; failure stress; strength measurement; tensile stress; Displacement measurement; Force measurement; Mechanical factors; Microelectromechanical devices; Micromachining; Silicon; Solids; Suspensions; Tensile stress; Testing; Mechanical test device; strength of microstructures;
Journal_Title :
Microelectromechanical Systems, Journal of
DOI :
10.1109/JMEMS.2006.872237
