This course will provide attendees with a basic understanding of MEMS devices, including current MEMS applications, design & prototyping, fabrication processes and actuation approaches. Particular attention will be paid to applications of MEMS devices in optical telecommunications, and to practical issues in the development and commercialization of MEMS components for telecommunications applications.

MEMS devices use semiconductor processes to build mechanical mechanisms that are often difficult to test using standard semiconductor equipment and rarely fail in ways that have anything in common with integrated circuits. While we all believe that our industry will someday develop a body of knowledge comparable to the IC world, in the meantime successful MEMS manufacturers must develop a complete methodology to test their products, identify failure mechanisms, and demonstrate product reliability to their customers. But how do they do this? This half day short course provides a step-by-step discussion of these topics based on the author's experience with commercial MEMS devices - with particular focus on case studies of Optical MEMS devices (switches and attenuators) and RF MEMS devices (switches) produced by well known manufacturers. This includes a detailed discussion of how to use standard semiconductor test equipment to obtain useful failure analysis and parametric test data and real world examples of how to use this data to improve product reliability and yield. Using real devices to provide specific examples, the course will also discuss how to adapt semiconductor reliability and qualification methodologies to MEMS and from this how to develop a comprehensive product test and qualification plan. This will be followed by a discussion of actual methods used to develop meaningful failure accelerants - and how to use those to implement burn-in procedures that successfully remove infant failures from a device population. The course will then conclude with examples of how to use reliability testing to drive process and product improvement.