Message-Id: <9610211233.AA06349@speedy.cip.physik.tu-muenchen.de> Dear MEMS, I have the following problem: With a test-actuator fabricated via Surface Micromachining it seems that there are "some" charges on or in the SiO2 which resides on the Si-Wafer. I have 1.5 um SiO2 produced via wet oxidation on p-doped (B) <100> Wafer (10-20 Ohm cm). What happens is that after pull-in of the structures at 50 - 200 V there is a strange behavior like this (the structure is about 5 um distant from the SiO2): 0 V | 30 V | 20 V | 10 V | 0 V ------------ ------------- --------------------- ------------ ------------- ##########################SiO2########################################### ++++++++++++++++++++++++++p-doped Si+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The ordinate means the deflection. The diagramm should show that at +30 V there is a deflection towards the substrate. At +20 V there is a deflection away from the substrate. The same at +10 V. The 0-V-level is at the position between +30V and +20V. 0V means active-low (shortcut). It seems that there are so much charges on or in the SiO2 or in the interface SiO2/Si that the 0-V-level is "moved to 25V". If I calculate how many elemantar-charges are necessary for this I get about 1E+15. (That is about the number of the SiO2 molecules on the surface!?) Has anybody an idea? Thank You very much Guenter Wippich (gwippich@physik.tu-muenchen.de)