Static and Dynamic Characterization of MEMS Micromirror and Microshutter arrays: Reliability and Lifetime

Buildings are responsible for 40 % of the primary energy consumption and 36 % of the total CO2 emissions. There is a huge potential to decrease energetic consumption for lighting and heating/cooling by substituting the 85 % of inefficient glazing areas in EU’s buildings with energy efficient smart glazing windows. A micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) based smart glazing system comprising of millions of micro mirrors (invisible to the bare eye) is investigated here. This concept allows dynamic light steering by reflecting (instead of absorbing) the incoming sunlight according to user actions, sun positions, and daytime-/seasons- variable requirements, providing a tailored and personalized lighting inside the building. This enables free solar heat in winter, overheating prevention in summer and utilization of healthy natural daylight for illumination, leading to huge energy saving (up to 35 %) and massive CO2 reduction (up to 30 %) as well as saving of 10 % steel and concrete in high-rise buildings. Such a smart window with integrated micromirrors is beyond the current state-of-the-art (fast, automatic, and personalized daylight utilization, no overheating, extremely low energy consumption, sustainable and long-lasting materials, cost-efficient), and can be easily implemented in new and as well as old/existing buildings. This technology has the potential to play a key role in future smart green cities with huge economic, social, and environmental benefits. The focus of this work is electrical characterization of the micromirror arrays using measurements such as amplitude modulation response and capacitance-voltage characteristics, along with reliability and lifetime studies of micromirror arrays