Electrodeposition of Water-Repellent Organic Dielectric Film as an Anti-Sticking Coating on Microelectromechanical System Devices

In this paper, we propose a technique of preventing both wet-release-related and in-use sticking of actuators in microelectromechanical system (MEMS) devices. The technique involves the electrodeposition of a water-repellent organic dielectric film that renders the microstructure surface inactive towards the water used for rinsing. The source material is a core/shell emulsion, which consists of sulfonium cations with epoxy groups containing water-repellent silicone polymers. Applying this technique to the encapsulation of a microstructure confirms its effectiveness in preventing both release-related sticking and in-use sticking of a MEMS structure.