Understanding Controlled Evaporation Of Microdroplets Towards Scalable Micro/Nano Manufacturing

This research investigates the controlled evaporation of microdroplets to the nano scale regime for scalable micro/nano manufacturing. A customized direct write inkjet printing system was utilized to generate monodisperse microdroplets of different fluid types. Two novel approaches were employed to achieve the research objective. The first approach incorporated a convective heat source (i.e. resistive heated ring) to induce controlled heat flux for microdroplet evaporation after ejection from the inkjet system

Artificial cognitive architecture with self-learning and self-optimization capabilities. Case studies in micromachining processes

Tesis doctoral inédita leída en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Escuela Politécnica Superior, Departamento de Ingeniería Informática. Fecha de lectura : 22-09-201

Design and Characterization of a Planar Micro-Conveyor Device Based on Cooperative Legged Piezoelectric MEMS Resonators

This paper reports the design, fabrication, and performance of a hybrid piezoelectric planar micro-conveyor based on Micro-Electromechanical Systems (MEMS) bridge resonators and featuring 3D-printed vertical legs. The device includes two cooperating silicon plate resonators with an area of 5 × 1 mm2 , actuated by an integrated aluminum-nitride (AlN) piezoelectric thin film. An optimally designed array of 3D-printed projection legs was attached to the plates, to convert the standing-wave (SW) vertical vibrations into horizontal rotations or translations of the supported slider. An open-loop control strategy based on burst-type driving signals, with different numbers of sinusoidal cycles applied on each of the resonators, allowed the cooperation of the two bridges to set up prescribed trajectories of small flat objects, up to 100 mg, with positional accuracy below 100 nm and speeds up to 20 mm/s, by differential drive actuation. The effect of the leg tip and sliders’ surface finish on the conveyor performance was investigated, suggesting that further optimizations may be possible by modifying the tribological properties. Finally, the application of the micro-conveyor as a reconfigurable electronic system, driven by a preprogrammed sequence of signals, was demonstrated by delivering some surface-mount technology (SMD) parts lying on a 65 mg glass slider

Meso scale component manufacturing: a comparative analysis of non-lithography and lithography-based processes

The paper identifies the meso scale (10 µm to few millimeters) component size that can be manufactured by using both lithography and non-lithography based approaches. Non-lithography based meso/micro manufacturing is gaining popularity to make micro 3D artifacts with various engineering materials. Being in the nascent stage, this technology looks promising for future micro manufacturing trends. Currently, lithography based micro manufacturing techniques are mature, and used for mass production of 2D, 2.5D features and products extending to 3D micro parts in some cases. In this paper, both the techniques at state-of-the-art level for meso/micro scale are explained first. The comparison is arranged based on examples and a criterion is set in terms of achievable accuracy, production rate, cost, size and form of artifacts and materials used. The analysis revealed a third combined approach where a mix of both techniques can work together for meso scale products. Critical issues affecting both the manufacturing approaches, to advance in terms of accuracy, process physics, materials, machines and product design are discussed. Process effectiveness guideline with respect to the component scale, materials, achievable tolerances, production rates and application is emerged, as a result of this exercise

Remanufacturing and Advanced Machining Processes for New Materials and Components

"Remanufacturing and Advanced Machining Processes for Materials and Components presents current and emerging techniques for machining of new materials and restoration of components, as well as surface engineering methods aimed at prolonging the life of industrial systems. It examines contemporary machining processes for new materials, methods of protection and restoration of components, and smart machining processes. • Details a variety of advanced machining processes, new materials joining techniques, and methods to increase machining accuracy • Presents innovative methods for protection and restoration of components primarily from the perspective of remanufacturing and protective surface engineering • Discusses smart machining processes, including computer-integrated manufacturing and rapid prototyping, and smart materials • Provides a comprehensive summary of state-of-the-art in every section and a description of manufacturing methods • Describes the applications in recovery and enhancing purposes and identifies contemporary trends in industrial practice, emphasizing resource savings and performance prolongation for components and engineering systems The book is aimed at a range of readers, including graduate-level students, researchers, and engineers in mechanical, materials, and manufacturing engineering, especially those focused on resource savings, renovation, and failure prevention of components in engineering systems.

Remanufacturing and Advanced Machining Processes for New Materials and Components

Remanufacturing and Advanced Machining Processes for Materials and Components presents current and emerging techniques for machining of new materials and restoration of components, as well as surface engineering methods aimed at prolonging the life of industrial systems. It examines contemporary machining processes for new materials, methods of protection and restoration of components, and smart machining processes. • Details a variety of advanced machining processes, new materials joining techniques, and methods to increase machining accuracy • Presents innovative methods for protection and restoration of components primarily from the perspective of remanufacturing and protective surface engineering • Discusses smart machining processes, including computer-integrated manufacturing and rapid prototyping, and smart materials • Provides a comprehensive summary of state-of-the-art in every section and a description of manufacturing methods • Describes the applications in recovery and enhancing purposes and identifies contemporary trends in industrial practice, emphasizing resource savings and performance prolongation for components and engineering systems The book is aimed at a range of readers, including graduate-level students, researchers, and engineers in mechanical, materials, and manufacturing engineering, especially those focused on resource savings, renovation, and failure prevention of components in engineering systems

Remanufacturing and Advanced Machining Processes for New Materials and Components

"Remanufacturing and Advanced Machining Processes for Materials and Components presents current and emerging techniques for machining of new materials and restoration of components, as well as surface engineering methods aimed at prolonging the life of industrial systems. It examines contemporary machining processes for new materials, methods of protection and restoration of components, and smart machining processes. • Details a variety of advanced machining processes, new materials joining techniques, and methods to increase machining accuracy • Presents innovative methods for protection and restoration of components primarily from the perspective of remanufacturing and protective surface engineering • Discusses smart machining processes, including computer-integrated manufacturing and rapid prototyping, and smart materials • Provides a comprehensive summary of state-of-the-art in every section and a description of manufacturing methods • Describes the applications in recovery and enhancing purposes and identifies contemporary trends in industrial practice, emphasizing resource savings and performance prolongation for components and engineering systems The book is aimed at a range of readers, including graduate-level students, researchers, and engineers in mechanical, materials, and manufacturing engineering, especially those focused on resource savings, renovation, and failure prevention of components in engineering systems.

Remanufacturing and Advanced Machining Processes for New Materials and Components

Remanufacturing and Advanced Machining Processes for Materials and Components presents current and emerging techniques for machining of new materials and restoration of components, as well as surface engineering methods aimed at prolonging the life of industrial systems. It examines contemporary machining processes for new materials, methods of protection and restoration of components, and smart machining processes. • Details a variety of advanced machining processes, new materials joining techniques, and methods to increase machining accuracy • Presents innovative methods for protection and restoration of components primarily from the perspective of remanufacturing and protective surface engineering • Discusses smart machining processes, including computer-integrated manufacturing and rapid prototyping, and smart materials • Provides a comprehensive summary of state-of-the-art in every section and a description of manufacturing methods • Describes the applications in recovery and enhancing purposes and identifies contemporary trends in industrial practice, emphasizing resource savings and performance prolongation for components and engineering systems The book is aimed at a range of readers, including graduate-level students, researchers, and engineers in mechanical, materials, and manufacturing engineering, especially those focused on resource savings, renovation, and failure prevention of components in engineering systems

Design, fabrication, characterization and reliability study of CMOS-MEMS Lorentz-Force magnetometers

Tesi en modalitat de compendi de publicacionsToday, the most common form of mass-production semiconductor device fabrication is Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) technology. The dedicated Integrated Circuit (IC) interfaces of commercial sensors are manufactured using this technology. The sensing elements are generally implemented using Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS), which need to be manufactured using specialized micro-machining processes. Finally, the CMOS circuitry and the MEMS should ideally be combined in a single package. For some applications, integration of CMOS electronics and MEMS devices on a single chip (CMOS-MEMS) has the potential of reducing fabrication costs, size, parasitics and power consumption, compared to other integration approaches. Remarkably, a CMOS-MEMS device may be built with the back-end-of-line (BEOL) layers of the CMOS process. But, despite its advantages, this particular approach has proven to be very challenging given the current lack of commercial products in the market. The main objective of this Thesis is to prove that a high-performance MEMS, sealed and packaged in a standard package, may be accurately modeled and manufactured using the BEOL layers of a CMOS process in a reliable way. To attain this, the first highly reliable novel CMOS-MEMS Lorentz Force Magnetometer (LFM) was successfully designed, modeled, manufactured, characterized and subjected to several reliability tests, obtaining a comparable or superior performance to the typical solid-state magnetometers used in current smartphones. A novel technique to avoid magnetic offsets, the main drawback of LFMs, was presented and its performance confirmed experimentally. Initially, the issues encountered in the manufacturing process of MEMS using the BEOL layers of the CMOS process were discouraging. Vapor HF release of MEMS structures using the BEOL of CMOS wafers resulted in undesirable damaging effects that may lead to the conclusion that this manufacturing approach is not feasible. However, design techniques and workarounds for dealing with the observed issues were devised, tested and implemented in the design of the LFM presented in this Thesis, showing a clear path to successfully fabricate different MEMS devices using the BEOL.Hoy en día, la forma más común de producción en masa es una tecnología llamada Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS). La interfaz de los circuitos integrados (IC) de sensores comerciales se fabrica usando, precisamente, esta tecnología. Actualmente es común que los sensores se implementen usando Sistemas Micro-Electro-Mecánicos (MEMS), que necesitan ser fabricados usando procesos especiales de micro-mecanizado. En un último paso, la circuitería CMOS y el MEMS se combinan en un único elemento, llamado package. En algunas aplicaciones, la integración de la electrónica CMOS y los dispositivos MEMS en un único chip (CMOS-MEMS) alberga el potencial de reducir los costes de fabricación, el tamaño, los parásitos y el consumo, al compararla con otras formas de integración. Resulta notable que un dispositivo CMOS-MEMS pueda ser construido con las capas del back-end-of-line (BEOL) de un proceso CMOS. Pero, a pesar de sus ventajas, este enfoque ha demostrado ser un gran desafío como demuestra la falta de productos comerciales en el mercado. El objetivo principal de esta Tesis es probar que un MEMS de altas prestaciones, sellado y empaquetado en un encapsulado estándar, puede ser correctamente modelado y fabricado de una manera fiable usando las capas del BEOL de un proceso CMOS. Para probar esto mismo, el primer magnetómetro CMOS-MEMS de fuerza de Lorentz (LFM) fue exitosamente diseñado, modelado, fabricado, caracterizado y sometido a varias pruebas de fiabilidad, obteniendo un rendimiento comparable o superior al de los típicos magnetómetros de estado sólido, los cuales son usados en móviles actuales. Cabe destacar que en esta Tesis se presenta una novedosa técnica con la que se evitan offsets magnéticos, el mayor inconveniente de los magnetómetros de fuerza Lorentz. Su efectividad fue confirmada experimentalmente. En los inicios, los problemas asociados al proceso de fabricación de MEMS usando las capas BEOL de obleas CMOS resultaba desalentador. Liberar estructuras MEMS hechas con obleas CMOS con vapor de HF producía efectos no deseados que bien podrían llevar a la conclusión de que este enfoque de fabricación no es viable. Sin embargo, se idearon y probaron técnicas de diseño especiales y soluciones ad-hoc para contrarrestar estos efectos no deseados. Se implementaron en el diseño del magnetómetro de Lorentz presentado en esta Tesis, arrojando excelentes resultados, lo cual despeja el camino hacia la fabricación de diferentes dispositivos MEMS usando las capas BEOL.Postprint (published version

Micro and nano–manufacturing process chains: maturity assessment and bulk metallic glass enabled manufacturing routes

The utilisation of process chains is considered as a way forward to achieve cost effective and high throughput production of miniaturised devices. However there are no methodologies to analyse systematically process chains and thus to inform their development and design new ones for microfabrication. Thus, this research first proposes a methodology for assessing the maturity of micro and nano- manufacturing (MNM) technologies and their interfaces in process chains. The applicability and benefits of using it as a tool for assessing the maturity levels of individual processes and chains is demonstrated on existing and emerging MNM platforms. Then, to address the growing requirements for function and length scale integration (FLSI) in devices, two bulk metallic glass (BMG) enabled master-making process chains were designed and validated for serial replication of polymer components with sub-micron and micro size functional features. The empirical research proved that the use of BMG workpieces with their intrinsic atomic level homogeneity enables the integration of complementary MNM technologies for achieving FLSI in replication inserts. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that such process chains can be successfully employed for producing inserts incorporating both micro and nano- scale features that can be utilised for serial production of polymerbased FLSI devices