Analysis of the Effect of ESD on the Operation of MEMS

The effect of charge injection due to electrostatic discharge on the operation of capacitive microelectromechanical-systems (MEMS) structures is studied. A summary of charge transfer for the human-body model, the charged-device model (CDM), and the field-induced CDM is presented. The reliability of MEMS due to the trapped charge is assessed using a figure of merit based on the forces due to the voltage and charge states of operation. An electric-field model for the air gap and dielectric layer is employed to determine surface-charge densities to yield the breakdown of the air gap or dielectric layer and the onset of stiction.