High Vac/MEMS
YES-VertaVac Series
YES-450PB-HV Series
MEMS Industry Challenge
Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) typically have moving parts that are sensitive to the operating pressure, the partial pressure of water vapor in the package, or both. For example, infrared sensors need to operate in a pressure <10-3 Torr in order to be thermally isolated from the outside world and maintain adequate sensitivity. MEMS gyros increase in their sensitivity as the pressure in a package decreases. Water vapor can also cause stiction, where device components are “glued” together by thin films of water and unable to function.
When creating a high-reliability MEMS package, it is imperative to have complete moisture removal prior to hermetic sealing the package. After packaging, moisture removal is required over the lifetime of the MEMS device. Maintaining a controlled ambient in a packaged MEMS depends on the use of getters that absorb the outgassed species from the packaging materials that would otherwise degrade the vacuum environment.
Successful devices and package systems require a good vacuum or a controlled ambient. For optimal performance, the following must occur:
- Proper processing to reduce trapped gases in the package
- Hermetically sealing the package
- Providing a means to absorb gases that outgas into the package
The YES-VertaVac automated ovens and the YES-450PB-HV (High Vacuum) manual load ovens provide the processing environment which allows both a degas/ moisture abatement process for the MEMS devices and a getters activation process in a single tool.
Click here for more information on meeting the MEMS packaging challenge.
