Theoretical and Experimental Study of Annular-Plate Self-Sealing Structures

Stiction is a notorious yield and reliability problem for MEMS devices. Nevertheless, this phenomenon can be utilized to realize some novel microstructures or devices. This paper presents the theoretical analysis and experimental investigation of an annular-plate self-sealing structure which takes advantage of the stiction phenomenon. A theoretical guideline that helps to select appropriate parameters was developed by calculating the total energy of the plate during the drying process. We derived a critical number N_c, which is used as a design criterion to predict whether stiction of the annular plate will occur or not. The accuracy of this design guideline was also verified experimentally.