Nanoengineering Electrodes for Reliable Microelectromechanical Ohmic Contact Switches

该奖项的目的是为微机电系统（MEMS）欧姆接触开关开发具有增强可靠性的电极。金通常用作电极材料，因为它具有高延展性、低电阻率、对氧化惰性、高导热性和相对高的熔点。然而，对于许多预期的应用，必须提高金电极的可靠性。本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沉积纳米级涂层或创建纳米级形态特征来设计。将研究这些表面改性的长度尺度对电极性能的影响，以改进电极设计。预期这些表面改性可缓解电极粘在一起、电弧和材料转移以及使用时接触电阻增加导致的失效。这项调查是再加上新的，循环，和失败的开关的材料表征提供的合作者从工业和政府实验室，包括开关，将纳入本研究中开发的电极。MEMS欧姆接触开关提供了许多优势，固态开关的电子电路。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是有吸引力的。拟议的工作将导致这些应用程序的开关的可靠性增强。它也将进一步在纳米材料及其表面的机电性能领域的知识。研究生的论文研究将得到支持，本科高年级论文学生将参加。将为夏令营开发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。

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.