Thermal Characterization of Thin Films for MEMS Applications

Dielectric thin films play a very important role in the development of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). These dielectric materials often are used as insulating layers in devices, major components in MEMS structures, or even as materials strictly used for fabrication processes in a clean-room environment. In these applications, heat is often a crucial factor. Whether it be heat transfer through a device to stimulate operation, a device being exposed to certain temperatures during fabrication, or any other manner of heat transfer, these thermal processes are critical to device operation in MEMS. As such, thermal properties of these thin film dielectrics, especially thermal conductivity, are very important parameters to insure proper device operation.