US – Page 398 – TechConnect Briefs

GEMS: A Revolutionary System for Environmental Monitoring

Manobianco D.M., Manobianco J., Evans R.J., Pister K.S.J., Manobianco D.M., Manobianco J., ENSCO, Inc., US

This paper describes a revolutionary, new observing system designed for environmental monitoring that will integrate MicroElectroMechanicalSystems (MEMS) and nanotechnologies. The concept, known as Global Environmental MEMS Sensors (GEMS), features an integrated system of airborne probes [...]

Design and Development of an Integrated MEMS Sensor for Real Time Control of Plasma Etching

Morris B.G., May G.S, Georgia Institute of Technology, US

This paper explores a novel technique for monitoring film thickness in reactive ion etching that incorporates a micromachined sensor. The prototype sensor correlates film thickness with the change in resonant frequency that occurs in the [...]

Pumping Capacity and Reliability Study on Silicon-Based Cryogenic Micro Pump

Zhao Y., Li B., Ludlow D., Zhang X., Boston University, US

As part of a program to develop a cooling system for satellite instrumentation capable of working at cryogenic temperature, we present herein pumping capacity and material reliability study on a silicon-based cryogenic micro pump which [...]

Practical Techniques for Measuring MEMS Properties

Clark J.V., Garmire D., Last M., Demmel J., Govindjee S., Berkeley Sensor and Actuator Center, US

We describe simple test structures and practical analysis techniques to measure properties of MEMS devices. Our structures are designed to test many quantities using simple electric probes in a minimal chip area. We analyze differences [...]

A MOEMS Electrothermal Grating

Furlani E.P., Eastman Kodak Research Labs, US

We present a thermoelastically driven MOEMS light modulator in the form of an ElectroThermal Grating (ETG). The ETG consists of an array of equally spaced bilayer microbeams suspended at both ends above a substrate (Fig. [...]

Analysis of Micromachined PZT Membranes for MEMS Power

Cho J-H., Anderson M.J., Richards C.D., Richards R.F., Bahr D.F., Richards C.D., Richards R.F., Washington State University, US

The need for miniaturized power sources for MEMS and microelectronics devices is widely recognized. Recent work by our team at Washington State University has been directed at the design of a micro heat engine in [...]

A Novel Fabrication Technique of Cylindrical Ion Traps using Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramic Tapes

Chaudhary A., van Amerom F.H.W., Bhansali S., Short R.T., University of South Florida, US

This work concentrates on a novel technique for the fabrication of miniaturized cylindrical ion trap structures (CIT) to be used as replacements of commercial hyperbolic structure ion trap mass spectrometers. Low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) [...]

A Nanoscale Composite Material for Enhanced Damage Tolerance in MEMS Applications

Paranjpye A., MacDonald N.C., Beltz G.E., university of california, santa barbara, US

A two-dimensional laminar composite material has been shown to exhibit enhanced damage tolerance due to zones of residual compressive stress. The damage tolerance appears as a threshold stress below which the structure does not fail [...]

Lattice Boltzmann Simulations Comparing Conventional and a Heat Conduction Based Flow-Through PCR Micro-Devices

Mautner T., SPAWAR Systems Center San Diego, US

This paper describes the lattice Boltzmann, numerical simu-lations used to evaluate a conduction-based, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) device for uniformity of the micro channel temperature profile and its velocity field distribu-tion. For comparison purposes, numerical [...]

A New Method to Design Pressure Sensor Diaphragm

Wang X., Li B., Lee S., Sun Y., Roman H.T., Chin K., Farmer K.R., New Jersey Institute of Technology, US

Over the last decade, silicon pressure sensors have undergone a significant growth. In most cases, these MEMS (Microelectromechanical System) devices are manufactured from rectangular or circular diaphragms whose thickness is constant and in the order [...]