Nanoengineering Electrodes for Reliable Microelectromechanical Ohmic Contact Switches

该奖项的目标是开发具有增强可靠性的电极，用于微机电系统（MEMS）欧姆接触开关。由于金具有延展性高、电阻率低、不氧化、导热性高、熔点相对较高等特点，因此常被用作电极材料。然而，对于许多预期的应用，金电极的可靠性必须得到改善。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造来设计。研究这些表面修饰的长度尺度对电极性能的影响，以改进电极设计。这些表面修饰有望减轻由于电极粘在一起、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。这项研究与工业和政府实验室的合作者提供的新型、循环和失效开关的材料特性相结合，包括将纳入本研究中开发的电极的开关。MEMS欧姆接触开关与电子电路中的固态开关相比具有许多优点。优点包括更低的功耗、更低的插入损耗、更好的隔离和更高的线性度。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。所提出的工作将提高这些应用中交换机的可靠性。它还将进一步了解纳米材料及其表面的机电特性。支持一名研究生的论文研究，本科毕业论文学生参与。将在全国高中参加的夏令营中开展有关微型电子机械系统中薄膜的制作、电子机械性能和使用的活动。

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.