A Base Exciter for Dynamic Testing of MEMS on Wafer Level

With the rapid development of micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS), it is indispensable to investigate dynamic characteristics of MEMS. Characteristics of conventional modal testing technology includes excitation of the structure via a function of known frequency characteristics using an impact hammer or an exciter, and measuring the associated response using force or motion sensors. Due to small size & ultra high frequency of MEMS, however, conventional modal testing methods cannot be directly applied to microstructures. A salient feature of modal testing of MEMS is non-contact. With application of wafer bonding, dynamic testing of MEMS on wafer level becomes very important. A base exciter for dynamic testing of MEMS on wafer level is described in this paper. The performance of the base exciter is investigated via experiments