Our paper presents a non-destructive thermal transient measurement method
that is able to reveal differences even in the micron size range of MEMS
structures. Devices of the same design can have differences in their
sacrificial layers as consequence of the differences in their manufacturing
processes e.g. different etching times. We have made simulations examining how
the etching quality reflects in the thermal behaviour of devices. These
simulations predicted change in the thermal behaviour of MEMS structures having
differences in their sacrificial layers. The theory was tested with
measurements of similar MEMS devices prepared with different etching times. In
the measurements we used the T3Ster thermal transient tester equipment. The
results show that deviations in the devices, as consequence of the different
etching times, result in different temperature elevations and manifest also as
shift in time in the relevant temperature transient curves.Comment: Submitted on behalf of TIMA Editions
(http://irevues.inist.fr/tima-editions
