A cryogenic measurement setup for microelectromechanical systems used in space applications

We present a cryogenic measurement setup installed inside a focused-ion-beam sFIBd system to characterize and microrepair microelectromechanical systems sMEMSd for space applications. The setup allows testing of MEMS devices under vacuum condition of 10−6 Torr at variable temperatures ranging from 298 to 20 K. In the experiment, a lead-zirconate-titanate translator powered by a function generator and a dc voltage is utilized as an actuator, and a thin-film thermo-resistor fabricated with test devices is used as an integrated temperature sensor. Additionally, a motorized x-y-z stage is installed to achieve highly accurate positioning function. Resonant techniques and bending tests based on the designed setup are developed to measure the mechanical properties of silicon nitride thin films at cryogenic temperatures. Combined with the functions of the FIB system, this setup also demonstrates the capability to microrepair microshutter arrays, programmable field selectors in the NASA James Webb Space Telescopes. The presented test setup exhibits its feasibility to test MEMS devices needed for the space applications and can be extended to other cryogenic applications. © 2005 American Institute of Physics. fDOI: 10.1063/1.1884192g