MEMS – Page 11 – TechConnect Briefs

Deposition of functional PZT films as actuators in MEMS devices by high rate sputtering

Quenzer H.-J., Dudde R., Jacobsen H., Wagner B., Föll H., Fraunhofer ISIT, DE

Crack and void free polycrystalline Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT) films in the range of 5 µm to 10 µm have been successfully deposited on silicon substrates using a novel high rate gas flow sputtering process. [...]

Development of Active Systems for Military Utilization

Zunino III J.L., Lim H.C., US Army ARDEC, US

The US Army is transforming into a lighter yet more lethal “objective force”, all while fighting wars in the Middle East. Therefore, advanced technologies and materials are being developed and integrated into current and future [...]

Building Micro-Robots: A path to sub-mm3 autonomous systems

Reid J.R., Vasilyev V., Webster R.T., US Air Force Research Laboratory, US

A process for fabricating sub-cubic millimeter, fully autonomous micro-robots is presented. Details of the process flow and intial prototype structures are demonstrated. In addition, the design of an electrostatic actuator array for moving the robot [...]

MEMS Pressure Sensor Array for Aeroacoustic Analysis of the Turbulent Boundary Layer on an Airplane Fuselage

Krause J.S., White R.D., Moeller M.J., Gallman J.M., De Jong R., Tufts University, US

This paper describes a front venting MEMS pressure sensing array, fabricated through the MEMSCAP PolyMUMPS process. The microphone array will be used to analyze the turbulent boundary layer (TBL) of an airplane fuselage in wind [...]

Stimuli-Responsive Polymers in bioMEMS Devices

Montagne F., Popa A.M., Pugin R., Heinzelmann H., Swiss Center for Electronic and Microtechnic, CH

Due to their unique “switchable” properties, stimuli-responsive polymers have been attracting considerable attention in biotechnologies and successful applications have already been demonstrated in sensing, intelligent textiles, bio-separation and drug delivery systems. Development of responsive surfaces [...]

MEMS and NEMS research for education

Husak M., Jakovenko J., Czech Technical University in Prague, CZ

The paper describes methods of active involvement of students in research work and application of research work results in educational process. Individual tasks are parts of solutions of large research projects. Individual work contributes to [...]

Assessment of the Impacts of Packaging, Long-Term Storage, and Transportation on the Military MEMS

Zunino III J.L., Skelton D.R., US Army ARDEC, US

The Army is transforming into a more lethal, lighter and agile force. Enabling technologies that support this transition must decrease in size while increasing in intelligence. Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) are one such technology that the [...]

Measurement of nanometric deformation of thin membranes under controlled mechanical loads

Jobin M., Sidorenko V., Foschia R., Ecole Ingenieurs Geneve, CH

The accurate mechanical characterisation of thin membranes is recognized of prime importance for the development of membrane-based MEMS. To address this issue, we have built a measurement system which uses a nanoindentor to apply a [...]

Mechanical characterization of electrostatic MEMS switches

Souchon F., Koszewski A., Levy D., Charvet PL., CEA/LETI/MINATEC, FR

The paper presents a methodology with nanoindentation experiments to characterize the mechanical properties of MEMS switches. After that, simple analytical models for mechanical and electrostatic aspects are used to validate these mechanical characterizations. At the [...]

Fabrication & Integration of nanobolometer sensors on a MEMs process

Gilmartin S.F., Arshak A., Arshak K., Collins D., Bain D., Lane W.A., Korostynska O., Arshak A., Arshak K., McCarthy B., Newcomb S.B., Analog Devices, IE

In this paper, we report the fabrication of novel nanoscale bolometer sensor devices using conventional titanium and titanium-nitride metal films, with total bolometer film thicknesses ranging from 60-150nm. The bolometer devices we present are integrated [...]