Shoulder fillet effects in strength distributions of MEMS components

Published

November 6, 2020

Author(s)

Frank W. DelRio, Brad L. Boyce, Jake T. Benzing, Lawrence H. Friedman, Robert F. Cook

Abstract

The failure forces and fracture strengths of polysilicon MEMS components in the form of stepped tensile bars with shoulder fillets were measured using a sequential failure chain methodology. Approximately 150 specimens for each of four fillet geometries with different stress concentration factors were tested. The resulting failure force and strength distributions of the four geometries were related by a common sidewall flaw population existing within different effective stressed lengths. The failure forces, strengths, and flaw population were well described by a weakest-link based analytical framework. Finite element analysis was used to verify body-force based expressions for the stress concentration factors and to provide insight into the variation in specimen effective length with fillet geometry. Monte Carlo simulations of flaw size and location, based on the strength measurements, were also used to provide insight into fillet shape and size effects. The successful description of the shoulder fillet specimen strengths provides further empirical support for application of the strength and flaw framework in MEMS fabrication and design optimization.

Citation

Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering

Pub Type

Journals

Download Paper

DOI Link

Keywords

strength distributions, flaw populations, polysilicon MEMS, shoulder fillets, fracture

Citation

DelRio, F. , Boyce, B. , Benzing, J. , Friedman, L. and Cook, R. (2020), Shoulder fillet effects in strength distributions of MEMS components, Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, [online], https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6439/abbf89 (Accessed October 11, 2025)