A Reliability Analysis of a MEMS Flow Sensor with an Accelerated Degradation Test

Abstract

With the wide application of flow sensors, their reliability under extreme conditions has become a concern in recent years. The reliability of a Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) flow sensor under temperature (Ts) is researched in this paper. This flow sensor consists of two parts, a sensor chip and a signal-processing system (SPS). Firstly, the step-stress accelerated degradation test (SSADT) is implemented. The sensor chip and the flow sensor system are tested. The results show that the biggest drift is 3.15% for sensor chips under 150 °C testing conditions, while 32.91% is recorded for the flowmeters. So, the attenuation of the SPS is significant to the degeneration of this flowmeter. The minimum drift of the SPS accounts for 82.01% of this flowmeter. Secondly, using the Coffin–Manson model, the relationship between the cycle index and Ts is established. The lifetime with a different Ts is estimated using the Arrhenius model. In addition, Weibull distribution (WD) is applied to evaluate the lifetime distribution. Finally, the reliability function of the WD is demonstrated, and the survival rate within one year is 87.69% under 85 °C conditions. With the application of accelerated degradation testing (ADT), the acquired results are innovative and original. This research illustrates the reliability research, which provides a relational database for the application of this flow sensor.

Bayesian Averaging Evaluation Method of Accelerated Degradation Testing Considering Model Uncertainty Based on Relative Entropy

“…In the field of accelerated modeling, the earliest research was on the single-stress accelerated model [ 16 ]. Currently, widely recognized and accepted single-stress accelerated models include the Arrhenius model, which describes temperature-induced performance degradation [ 17 ]; the Eyring model, used to describe chemical aging [ 18 ]; and the power law [ 19 ] and exponential law [ 20 ] models for describing the relationship between electrical stress and product life, etc. Pan, Z.…”

Modeling and Reliability Analysis of MEMS Gyroscope Rotor Parameters under Vibrational Stress

“…Vibration is one of the most common factors that affect the reliability of MEMS devices. The degradation of rotor parameters in MEMS gyroscopes is often attributed to vibration environments [4,5]. Once performance deteriorates to a critical level, the device parameters become unacceptable, leading to measurement errors.…”

“…Gill et al investigated how harsh environments can affect bias stability, angle random walk, and scale factor [3]. Kang et al used step-stress accelerated degradation testing (SSADT) to assess a MEMS flow sensor's reliability under temperature stress, obtaining degradation data for both the chip and the sensor system [4]. Ge et al studied vibration load characteristics in various gyroscope applications, including mechanical shocks and high temperatures.…”