Systems and methods to determine stiction failures in MEMS devices

摘要

Various embodiments of the invention provide for stiction testing in MEMS devices, such as accelerometers. In certain embodiments, testing is accomplished by a high voltage smart circuit that enables an analog front-end circuit to accurately read the position of a movable proof-mass relative to a biased electrode in order to allow the detection of both contact and release conditions. Testing allows to detect actual or potential stiction failures and to reject defective parts in a Final Test stage of a manufacturing process where no other contributors to stiction issue can occur, thereby, minimizing stiction failure risks and extending the reliability of MEMS devices.

主权项

1. A testing apparatus to determine stiction failure in MEMS devices, the device comprising:
a MEMS device comprising a first electrode and a movable mass; a first front-end circuit coupled to the MEMS device, the first front-end circuit is configured to read a transduced signal; and a second front-end circuit coupled to the MEMS device, the second front-end detects a stiction tendency between the first electrode and the movable mass.