Fatigue damage evolution in silicon films for micromechanical applications

In this paper we examine the conditions for surface topography evolution and crack growth/fracture during the cyclic actuation of polysilicon microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) structures. The surface topography evolution that occurs during cyclic fatigue is shown to be stressassisted and may be predicted by linear perturbation analyses. The conditions for crack growth (due to pre-existing or nucleated cracks) are also examined within the framework of linear elastic fracture mechanics. Within this framework, we consider pre-existing cracks in the topical SiO₂ layer that forms on the Si substrate in the absence of passivation. The thickening of the SiO₂ that is normally observed during cyclic actuation of Si MEMS structures is shown to increase the possibility of stable crack growth by stress corrosion cracking prior to the onset of unstable crack growth in the SiO₂ and Si layers. Finally, the implications of the results are discussed for the prediction of fatigue damage in silicon MEMS structures.