Nanoengineering Electrodes for Reliable Microelectromechanical Ohmic Contact Switches

用于可靠微机电欧姆接触开关的纳米工程电极

• 批准号: 0800619
• 负责人: Suzanne Mohney
• 金额: $ 25万
• 依托单位: Pennsylvania State Univ University Park
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2008
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2008-06-15 至 2012-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0800619&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Nanoengineering; Electrodes; Reliable; Microelectromechanical; Ohmic

The objective of this award is to develop electrodes with enhanced reliability for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) ohmic contact switches. Gold is commonly used as the electrode material because of its high ductility, low electrical resistivity, inertness to oxidation, high thermal conductivity, and relatively high melting point. However, the reliability of gold electrodes must be improved for many intended applications. Electrodes in this study will benefit from the high electrical and thermal conductivity of an underlying gold film, but their surfaces will be engineered through the deposition of nanoscale coatings or the creation of nanoscale morphological features. The influence of the length scale of these surface modifications on the performance of the electrodes will be studied to refine the electrode design. These surface modifications are expected to mitigate failures caused by electrodes sticking together, arcing and material transfer, and increasing contact resistance with use. This investigation is coupled with materials characterization of new, cycled, and failed switches provided by collaborators from industry and government laboratories, including switches that will incorporate the electrodes developed in this study.MEMS ohmic contact switches offer many advantages over solid-state switches for electronic circuits. Advantages include lower power consumption, lower insertion losses, better isolation, and higher linearity. Circuits with these switches are therefore attractive for wireless communication, wireless sensors, aerospace applications, and military and commercial radar systems. The proposed work will lead to enhanced reliability of switches for these applications. It will also further knowledge in the field of electromechanical properties of nanoscale materials and their surfaces. The thesis research of a graduate student will be supported, and undergraduate senior thesis students will participate. An activity on the fabrication, electromechanical properties, and use of thin films in microelectromechanical systems will be developed for a summer camp that draws participants from high schools across the nation.

该奖项的目标是为微机电系统 (MEMS) 欧姆接触开关开发可靠性更高的电极。金因其高延展性、低电阻率、抗氧化性、高导热性和相对高的熔点而被常用作电极材料。然而，对于许多预期应用，必须提高金电极的可靠性。这项研究中的电极将受益于底层金膜的高导电性和导热性，但它们的表面将通过纳米级涂层的沉积或纳米级形态特征的创建来设计。将研究这些表面修饰的长度尺度对电极性能的影响，以完善电极设计。这些表面修饰有望减轻因电极粘在一起、电弧和材料转移以及使用过程中接触电阻增加而引起的故障。这项研究结合了行业和政府实验室合作者提供的新型、循环和失效开关的材料特性，包括将采用本研究中开发的电极的开关。MEMS 欧姆接触开关在电子领域比固态开关具有许多优势。电路。优点包括更低的功耗、更低的插入损耗、更好的隔离度和更高的线性度。因此，具有这些开关的电路对于无线通信、无线传感器、航空航天应用以及军事和商业雷达系统具有吸引力。拟议的工作将提高这些应用中开关的可靠性。它还将进一步了解纳米级材料及其表面的机电特性领域。支持研究生论文研究，本科生论文研究参与。夏令营将开展一项关于微机电系统中薄膜的制造、机电性能和使用的活动，吸引来自全国各地高中的参与者。