Experimental Characterization of a Binary Actuated Parallel Manipulator

This paper describes the BAPAMAN (Binary Actuated Parallel MANipulator) series of parallel manipulators that has been conceived at LARM. Basic common characteristics of BAPAMAN series are described. In particular, it is outlined the use of a reduced number of active degrees of freedom, the use of design solutions with flexural joints and Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) actuators for achieving miniaturization, cost reduction and easy operation features. Given the peculiarities of BAPAMAN architecture, specific experimental tests have been proposed and carried out with the aim to validate the proposed design and to evaluate the practical operation performance and the characteristics of a built prototype, in particular, in terms of operation and workspace characteristics

The Nanolithography Toolbox

This article introduces in archival form the Nanolithography Toolbox, a platform-independent software package for scripted lithography pattern layout generation. The Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) developed the Nanolithography Toolbox to help users of the CNST NanoFab design devices with complex curves and aggressive critical dimensions. Using parameterized shapes as building blocks, the Nanolithography Toolbox allows users to rapidly design and layout nanoscale devices of arbitrary complexity through scripting and programming. The Toolbox offers many parameterized shapes, including structure libraries for micro- and nanoelectromechanical systems (MEMS and NEMS) and nanophotonic devices. Furthermore, the Toolbox allows users to precisely define the number of vertices for each shape or create vectorized shapes using Bezier curves. Parameterized control allows users to design smooth curves with complex shapes. The Toolbox is applicable to a broad range of design tasks in the fabrication of microscale and nanoscale devices

Mechanical and tribological characterization of a thermally actuated MEMS cantilever

The temperature effect on the mechanical and tribological behaviors of a microelectromechanical systems cantilever is experimentally investigated using an atomic force microscope. A nonlinear variation of the bending stiffness of microcantilevers as a function of temperature is determined. The variation of the adhesion force between the tip of atomic force microscope (AFM) probe (Si3N4) and the microcantilever fabricated in gold is monitored at different temperatures. Using the lateral mode operation of atomic force microscope, the influence of temperature on friction coefficient between the tip of AFM probe and microcantilever is presented. Finite element analysis is used to estimate the thermal field distribution in microcantilever and the axial expansion

Nano- and Micro-scale Structures

IASS-IACM 2008 Session: Nano- and Micro-scale Structures -- Session Organizers: Slava KRYLOV (Tel Aviv Univ.), Alan ZEHNDER (Cornell Univ.) -- Plenary Lecture: Abstract, Slides and Video: "Nanomechanical resonators and nanofluidic systems" by Harold G. CRAIGHEAD (Cornell University) -- Keynote Lecture: "An atomistic-continuum elastic rod model of carbon nanotubes" by Karthick CHANDRASEKER, Subrata MUKHERJEE (Cornell University) -- "A novel shift-loaded blister test to characterize the multi-scale mechanical properties and adhesion-delamination behaviors of biomembranes" by Scott E. JULIEN (Northeastern University), Kuo-Kang LIU (Keele University), Kai-tak WAN (Northeastern University) -- "Hybrid sensing procedure for mass and position detection with nano and macro resonant cantilevers" by Nicolae LOBONTIU (University of Alaska Anchorage), Iulian LUPEA, Rob ILIC, Harold G. CRAIGHEAD (Cornell University) -- "Stability analysis of a curved microbeam actuated by a distributed electrostatic force" by Slava KRYLOV (Tel Aviv University), Bojan R. ILIC (Cornell University), David SCHREIBER, Shimon SERETENSKY (Tel Aviv University), Harold G. CRAIGHEAD (Cornell University) -- Keynote Lecture: "On the accuracy of compliant mechanical MEMS/NEMS lumped-parameter modeling" by Nicolae LOBONTIU (University of Alaska Anchorage) -- "The response of a cantilever microbeam with a plate attached to its tip to mechanical shock" by Hassen OUAKAD (Binghamton University), Haider N. ARAFAT (Cessna Aircraft Company), Mohammad I. YOUNIS (Binghamton University) -- "Switch triggered by mass threshold" by Mohammad I. YOUNIS , Fadi M. AL SALEEM (Binghamton University) -- "Adhesion of freestanding beams and its application to micro- and nano-structures" by Kai-tak WAN (Northeastern University) -- "Modeling and dynamics of coupled dome-shaped micromechanical oscillators" by Tuhin SAHAI, Alan ZEHNDER (Cornell University) -- "Fully Lagrangian dynamics of thin MEMS beam" by Ranajay GHOSH , Subrata MUKHERJEE (Cornell University