Reliability Test Methods for MEMS Inertial Sensors

One major barrier for applying MEMS inertial sensors in military and commercial fields is that the reliability test methods have not been standardized.Most of the reliability tests for MEMS inertial sensors are based on the test standards for microelectronics,and their applicability to MEMS are frequently questioned.The study in this domain has already started.In the paper,the structure and working principle of MEMS inertial sensors are summarized.The typical environmental failure mechanisms for this kind of device are presented and their correspondences to the typical environmental loads are analyzed,Based on these,the test methods for different environmental failure mechanisms for MEMS inertial sensors are selected from the current microelectronics reliability test standards,and their applicability is discussed.