Performance of microcontacts tested with a novel MEMS device

Proceedings of the Forth-Seventh IEEE Holm Conference on Electrical Contacts (IEEE Cat. No.01CH37192) Pub Date : 2001-09-10 DOI:10.1109/HOLM.2001.953199

S. Bromley, B. Nelson

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引用次数: 25

Abstract

Most practical MEMS actuators generate forces ranging from several micronewrons to one or two millinewtons. In order to explore the feasibility of low-resistance contacts for MEMS relays, we explored the force-resistance relationship for gold-gold microfabricated contacts. The effect of apparent contact area on resistance has also been examined for areas between 10 and 90,000 /spl mu/m/sup 2/. The force/resistance relationship of these fully-microfabricated flat microcontacts correlates well with traditional theory and previous experimental results. The average measured resistance varied between 20.5 m/spl Omega/ and 62.9 m/spl Omega/. Decreasing contact area and contact force lead to higher overall contact resistance. However, reducing the apparent contact area by orders of magnitude only had a marginal effect on the overall contact resistance, even when the apparent contact area was orders of magnitude less than the theoretical actual contact area (/spl pi/r/sub c//sup 2/). Furthermore, the force required for a stable microcontact was determined to be below 0.6 mN and therefore within the force range of a MEMS actuator.

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用新型MEMS器件测试微触点性能

大多数实用的MEMS致动器产生的力范围从几个微误差到一到两个千牛顿。为了探索用于MEMS继电器的低电阻触点的可行性，我们探索了金-金微加工触点的力-阻关系。在10 ~ 90000亩/亩/sup 2/亩范围内，考察了视接触面积对电阻的影响。这些完全微加工的平面微触点的力/阻力关系与传统理论和先前的实验结果相吻合。平均测量电阻在20.5 m/spl ω /和62.9 m/spl ω /之间变化。接触面积和接触力的减小导致整体接触阻力的增大。然而，即使表观接触面积比理论实际接触面积(/spl pi/r/sub c//sup 2/)小几个数量级，减少几个数量级的表观接触面积对总体接触电阻也只有边际效应。此外，稳定微接触所需的力被确定为低于0.6 mN，因此在MEMS执行器的力范围内。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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Proceedings of the Forth-Seventh IEEE Holm Conference on Electrical Contacts (IEEE Cat. No.01CH37192)

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