Design and Development of a Manufacturable Anti-Stiction Coating for Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS)

该项目旨在研究微机电系统的表面条件，以生产制造此类设备（释放）和这些系统性能所必需的抗粘涂层。本研究旨在寻找一种更简单、成本更低的方法来减少自组装单层（SAMS）加工中的粘着（原子与原子之间的粘附）。这需要对表面复杂性、表面氧化、蚀刻过程中的化学反应以及加工序列中的SAM形成步骤进行基础研究。虽然这是基于湿化学的，但表面形态和随后的性能是由过程的所有步骤决定的。对减少废物计划的审议将调查有毒溶剂化学品的替代方法和减少水和溶剂的使用。本研究旨在通过确定关键过程变量和控制限制以及通过添加传感器进行严格的过程控制，使该过程可制造。旨在实现流程简化、自动化和减少化学废物的战略也将是该项目的一部分。

This project is to investigate the surface conditioning of Micro-electromechanical systems to produce an anti-stiction coating necessary for both the manufacturing of such devices (release) and for the performance of these systems. This research is directed towards a simpler and lower cost method of reducing stiction (atom to atom adherence) in the self-assembled mono-layer (SAMS) processing. This requires a fundamental study of the surface complexity, the chemistry during surface oxidation, etching, and the SAM formation steps of the processing sequence. While this is wet-chemistry based, the surface morphologies and subsequent performance are dictated by all steps of the process. The consideration for waste-reduction schemes will investigate means of substitution for toxic solvent chemistries and reduction of water and solvent usage.This research aims to make this process manufacturable, by determining critical process variables and control limits and by adding sensors for tight process control. Strategies aiming to achieve process simplification, automation, and chemical waste reduction will also be a part of this project.