UK – Page 32 – TechConnect Briefs

Cooling and Power Conversion using Nanometer Gaps

Tavkhelidze A., Cox I., Cool Chips plc, UK

Our nanotech answer to these basic industrial processes is not to make very small turbines or compressors, but instead to take advantage of the physics that occurs at very small sizes. In this case, instead [...]

MEMS Resonator Tuning using Focused Ion Beam Platinum Deposition

Enderling S., Jiang L., Ross A.W.S., Bond S., Hedley J., Harris A.J., Burdess J.S., Cheung R., Zorman C.A., Mehregany M., Walton A.J., University of Edinburgh, UK

This paper presents a novel post-fabrication tuning method which changes the resonant frequency of micromechanical beam resonators using Focused Ion Beam (FIB) deposition and removal of platinum. Tuning was achieved by depositing platinum on a [...]

The Measurement of Ferroelectric Thin Films Using Piezo Force Microscopy

Cain M.G., Dunn S., Jones P., National Physical Laboratory, UK

The use of Atomic Force Microscopy to evaluated the surface properties of ferroelectric thin films is often associated with poor signal to noise ratio images and quantitative analysis is not possible. In this presentation the [...]

Carbon Nanotube- and Nanofibre-reinforced Polymer Fibres

Shaffer M.S.P., Sandler J.K.W., Pegel S., Windle A.H., Gojny F., Schulte K., Cadek M., Blau W.J., Lohmar J., van Es M., Imperial College, UK

A range of multi-wall carbon nanotubes and carbon nanofibres were mixed with a polyamide-12 matrix using a twin-screw microextruder, and the resulting blends used to produce a series of reinforced polymer fibres. The aim was [...]

Impact Induced Desorption of Large Molecular Structures from Graphitic Substrates

Webb R.P., Kirkby K.J., Advanced Technology Institute, UK

We use molecular dynamics computer simulation to show how the impact of a C60 molecule on a garphite surface can cause an acoustic wave across the surface of the substrate which is strong enough to [...]

Identification of Anisoelasticity and Nonproportional Damping in MEMS Gyroscopes

Phani A.S., Seshia A.A., University of Cambridge, UK

A novel approach to identify nonproportional damping and structural anisoelasticities in vibratory MEMS gyroscopes is proposed in this paper. The proposed identification method is based on measured vibration data in the form of frequency response [...]

Coupling Of Resonant Modes In Micromechanical Vibratory Rate Gyroscopes

Phani A.S., Seshia A.A., Palaniapan M., Howe R.T., Yasaitis J., University of Cambridge, UK

Analytical models are presented to describe the resonant modal coupling behaviour of z-axis micromechanical vibratory rate gyroscopes fabricated in an integrated polysilicon surface micromachining process. The models are then applied to predict the extent of [...]

Compliant Force Amplifier Mechanisms for Surface Micromachined Resonant Accelerometers

Pedersen C.B.W., Seshia A.A., University of Cambridge, UK

The present work deals with the optimization of a compliant force amplifier mechanism in a surface micromachined resonant accelerometer. Figures of merit including noise floor and scale factor are critically dependent on the gain of [...]

Extraction of Extrinsic Series Resistance in RF CMOS

Alam M.S., Armstrong G.A., The Queen’s University of Belfast, UK

An analytical approach for parameter extraction for CMOS incorporating substrate effect has been presented. The method is based on small-signal equivalent circuit valid in all region of operation, which uniquely extract extrinsic resistances used to [...]

A Novel Method for Determining Optimum Etch Times for the One Step Dry Release Proces

Docker P.T., Kinnell P.K., Ward M.C., The University of Birmingham, UK

This paper details a novel method for determining the optimum etch times for releasing structures when using the authors one step dry release process. By using self releasing structures known as waffles the exact point [...]