Environmental Effects on the Mechanical Behavior of Covetic Aluminum MEMS Components
Covetic aluminum has been researched for its mechanical properties. It has been credited with higher strength in tensile and fatigue loading [1,2]. Modest changes in temperature during tensile testing of covetic aluminum causes significant changes in the ductility and tensile strength. Increasing the temperature from 15 °C to 44 °C causes a decrease in the tensile strength down to 63.8% but an increase in the ductility up to 117% [3]. To further study the environmental effects, microtensile testing was carried out in an environmentally-controlled chamber using a hybrid microtester at high and low relative humidity. MEMS-scale dog-bone shaped specimens with a cross section of 200 × 250 microns were machined from bulk covetic aluminum using a CNC for milling their contours and a ram-type EDM for detaching them from the work piece. The chamber was purged with gases low or high in moisture maintaining a positive pressure. An Omega sensor-controller unit was used to regulate the temperature and relative humidity of the chamber. The results of the tests show a reduction of ductility at high relative humidity. The implications of the results are discussed in relation to the reliability of MEMS structures.