Micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) devices are small compared to normal mechanical devices, but they are still large compared to the wavelength of visible light. Thus, simple low- cost optical measurement techniques can be adapted for precise characterization of the motions of these small objects. The results of such measurements are important for verification of simulations, especially for devices in which nonlinear effects such as squeeze film damping play a significant role. The advantages and challenges of optical metrology for MEMS are examined using an electrostatically-actuated microgripper structure as an example device. Interferometric measurements of static rotation and of small-signal sinusoidal and impulse responses are presented.

Date Published: 26 September 1995
PDF: 5 pages
Proc. SPIE 2640, Microlithography and Metrology in Micromachining, (26 September 1995); doi: 10.1117/12.222656

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 2640:
Microlithography and Metrology in Micromachining
Michael T. Postek, Editor(s)