Development of a Bi-Axial Micro-Tensile Tester of MEMS Materials for Research and Student Training

Texas Tech University, Lubbock TX

Investigators

Abstract

This is an instrument development award to Texas Tech university for Micro-Electro-Mechanical-System (MEMS) research. Micro-Electro-Mechanical-System (MEMS) devices generally range from a few microns to a few millimeters in size. This area of technological development that has gone from generating curiosities such as wobble motors and micro-robots, to its current phase in which practical devices of common usage, such as accelerometers and pressure-sensing transducers, are being manufactured and used. This has created a need for improved characterization of MEMS materials to better optimize the MEMS design process. The objective of this research is to design and build a tensile tester for MEMS materials. The tester will be used to determine the elastic properties of MEMS material specimens. The tester will allow simultaneous loading of specimens in two perpendicular directions. It will also accommodate specimens of different sizes; allow alignment of the specimen; apply and measure the load on the specimen; monitor specimen deformation; and permit continuous data acquisition. Several projects related to MEMS materials characterization benefit from the development of this micro-tensile tester. Additionally, the proposed development of the micro-tensile tester will enhance research facilities in the Departments of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering at Texas Tech University. Also, it provides the required infrastructure for a student, who previously worked on a related capstone senior design project, to commence his graduate degree. Furthermore, the existence of this micro-tensile tester will allow potential interaction with the MEMS research facility at Sandia National Laboratory. Micro-Electro-Mechanical-System (MEMS) devices generally range from a few microns to a few millimeters in size. This area of technological development that has gone from generating curiosities such as wobble motors and micro-robots, to its current phase in which practical devices of common usage, such as accelerometers and pressure-sensing transducers, are being manufactured and used. This has created a need for improved characterization of MEMS materials to better optimize the MEMS design process. The objective of this research is to design and build a tensile tester for MEMS materials. The tester will be used to determine the elastic properties of MEMS material specimens. The tester will allow simultaneous loading of specimens in two perpendicular directions. It will also accommodate specimens of different sizes; allow alignment of the specimen; apply and measure the load on the specimen; monitor specimen deformation; and permit continuous data acquisition. Several projects related to MEMS materials characterization benefit from the development of this micro-tensile tester. Additionally, the proposed development of the micro-tensile tester will enhance research facilities in the Departments of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering at Texas Tech University. Also, it provides the required infrastructure for a student, who previously worked on a related capstone senior design project, to commence his graduate degree. Furthermore, the existence of this micro-tensile tester will allow potential interaction with the MEMS research facility at Sandia National Laboratory.