Numerical Simulation of Shock Resistant Microsystems (MEMS)

The mechanical response of shock-loaded microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) is simulated to formulate guidelines for the design of dynamically reliable MEMS. MEMS are modeled as microstructures supported on elastic substrates, and the shock loads are represented as pulses of acceleration applied by the package on the substrate over a finite time duration. For typical MEMS and shock loads, the response of the substrate is closely approximated by rigid-body motion. Results indicate that modeling the shock force as a quasi-static force for MEMS with low-natural frequencies may lead to erroneous results. A criterion is obtained to distinguish between the dynamic and quasi-static responses of the MEMS.