Extending fault-based testing to microelectromechanical systems

As stable fabrication processes for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) emerge, research efforts shift towards the design of systems of increasing complexity. The ways in which testing is going to be performed for large volume complex devices embedding MEMS are not known. As in the microelectronics industry the development of cost-effective tests for larger systems may well require test stimuli targeting actual faults, developing fault lists and fault models for realistic manufacturing defects and failure modes, and using fault simulation as a major approach for assessing testability and dependability. In this paper, we illustrate how fault-based testing can be extended to MEMS, both for bulk and surface micromachining technologies, making possible the reuse of analog testing techniques.