Abstract
MEMS-based connectors, manufactured for various applications in industry, are often criticized for problems such as the wearing effect, the poor signal integrity, the EMI prevention for high-speed signal transmission, and the lack of latch design. In this thesis a novel zero-insertion-force (ZIF) micro(μ)-connector and its characterization were presented. The characterization included the design, fabrication, analysis, and quantitative evaluation. The proposed ZIF μ-connector has been shown to remedy these problems. Potential applications of the ZIF μ-connector were addressed. Contact resistance for MEMS-based devices has been investigated. In particular, a micromachined testing device, designed for the removal of the parasitic resistance, was used to more precisely analyze the relationships among the contact force, the contact resistance, and the contact surface across multiple contact cycles. Error propagation analysis has been conducted to evaluate the accuracy of the measured properties.