Using video microscopy to characterize micromechanical systems

Author

Freeman, D.M. ; Davis, C.Q.

Author_Institution

Res. Lab. of Electron., MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA

fYear

1998

fDate

20-24 July 1998

Abstract

Because MEMS combine electrical and mechanical components, testing MEMS includes measuring a variety of types of signals, including both electrical and mechanical signals, at the very least. By comparison to the large number of powerful tools that have been developed to test electrical behaviors of microfabricated systems, relatively few tools are currently available for measuring mechanical properties. We have developed tools for in situ measurement of mechanical properties of MEMS based on light microscopy, video imaging, and machine vision. In this paper, we demonstrate that the system can measure motions of MEMS with nanometer resolution.

Keywords

CCD image sensors; mechanical properties; mechanical variables measurement; micro-optics; micromechanical devices; optical microscopy; optical testing; MEMS motion measurement; MEMS testing; electrical behaviors; in situ mechanical properties measurement; light microscopy; machine vision; mechanical properties; microfabricated systems; micromechanical systems; nanometer resolution; video imaging; video microscopy; Charge coupled devices; Electric variables measurement; Electronic equipment testing; Focusing; Lighting; Mechanical factors; Mechanical variables measurement; Micromechanical devices; Microscopy; Optical pulses;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Broadband Optical Networks and Technologies: An Emerging Reality/Optical MEMS/Smart Pixels/Organic Optics and Optoelectronics. 1998 IEEE/LEOS Summer Topical Meetings

Conference_Location

Monterey, CA, USA

Print_ISBN

0-7803-4953-9

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/LEOSST.1998.689706

Filename

689706