Asperity heating for repair of metal contact RF MEMS switches

Author

Jensen, Brian D. ; Huang, Kuangwei ; Chow, Linda ; Saitou, Kazuhiro ; Volakis, John L. ; Kurabayashi, Katsuo

Author_Institution

Dept. of Mech. Eng., Michigan Univ., Ann Arbor, MI, USA

Volume

3

fYear

2004

fDate

6-11 June 2004

Firstpage

1939

Abstract

We have experimentally observed the failure of metal contact RF MEMS switches due to a rapid rise in contact resistance during switching. We were able to repair the failed switches through heating the contact asperities by applying sufficient contact voltage. The data suggest the hypothesis that increasing contact resistance is caused by strain hardening of the contact surface. With this understanding, appropriate corrective measures can be taken to overcome failure, and suggestions for doing so are given in the paper.

Keywords

contact resistance; electrical contacts; failure analysis; microswitches; radiofrequency integrated circuits; reliability; RF MEMS switch reliability; contact asperity heating; contact resistance; contact surface; contact voltage application; metal contact failure; metal contact repair; strain hardening; switch repair; switching; Contact resistance; Electrical resistance measurement; Electrodes; Gold; Heating; Radiofrequency microelectromechanical systems; Switches; Temperature sensors; Testing; Voltage;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Microwave Symposium Digest, 2004 IEEE MTT-S International

ISSN

0149-645X

Print_ISBN

0-7803-8331-1

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/MWSYM.2004.1338989

Filename

1338989