A novel evaluation method of the aging performance of MEMS flow sensor

Abstract

The development of Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) flow sensor towards high level market applications generates various challenges, in particular also on the reliable functionality. With the advancement of reliability engineering technology, aging phenomenon of MEMS devices has been widely concerned. As a result, an aging evaluation method is essential. The accelerated aging testing (AAT) is the most widely used in traditional aging methods. However, its performance is limited by highly economic and time cost. In this paper, a novel aging effect model is proposed, in which a comprehensive approach that integrates AAT, lifetime distribution modeling, and either Finite Element Modeling Simulation (FEMS) or fatigue simulation (FS) as fundamental is explored. However, the difference from the conventional approach was that the AAT results is imported in FS, to confirm fatigue analysis, while FS predictions are instrumental in analyzing degradation or fatigue phenomena and estimation lifetime. In this way, aging performance is illustrated detailed with the lower aging cost and high efficiency. Meanwhile, the results of proposed FS are verified by a thermal cycle (TC) AAT. Specifically, the resistor degradation mechanism, the characteristic parameter degradation is calculated. Moreover, the lifetime evaluation was acquired by the Arrhenius model. Finally, the proposed aging performance evaluation method can be applied to both discrete devices and modules. Compared with the traditional aging method the high aging cost can be eliminated, and the proposed aging evaluation strategy can be used in various temperature conditions.