Changes in molybdenum disilicide heating layers in miniaturized infra-red emitting devices caused by long term current stressing

Abstract:
MEMS infrared emitting devices increase in demand because of the possibilities they give to miniaturizing gas detecting systems. These chips enable a high modulation and a low prize compared to other light emitting devices. Unfortunately, MEMS infrared emitting devices and the materials used therein have not been widely investigated regarding their failure mechanisms. In this study we analyse alterations in MEMS infrared emitting devices after long term stressing using a constant electrical power. We observed changes in the composition of the resistive heating layer, a separation of molybdenum and silicon, and the formation of silicon precipitates at the cathode.