37 research outputs found
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A technique for determining the Poisson`s ratio of thin films
The theory and experimental approach for a new technique used to determine the Poisson`s ratio of thin films are presented. The method involves taking the ratio of curvatures of cantilever beams and plates micromachined out of the film of interest. Curvature is induced by a through-thickness variation in residual stress, or by depositing a thin film under residual stress onto the beams and plates. This approach is made practical by the fact that the two curvatures air, the only required experimental parameters, and small calibration errors cancel when the ratio is taken. To confirm the accuracy of the technique, it was tested on a 2.5 {mu}m thick film of single crystal silicon. Micromachined beams 1 mm long by 100 {mu} wide and plates 700 {mu}m by 700 {mu}m were coated with 35 nm of gold and the curvatures were measured with a scanning optical profilometer. For the orientation tested ([100] film normal, [011] beam axis, [0{bar 1}1] contraction direction) silicon`s Poisson`s ratio is 0.064, and the measured result was 0.066 {+-} 0.043. The uncertainty in this technique is due primarily to variation in the measured curvatures, and should range from {+-} 0.02 to 0.04 with proper measurement technique
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Curvature of a cantilever beam subjected to an equi-biaxial bending moment
Results from a finite element analysis of a cantilever beam subjected to an equi-biaxial bending moment demonstrate that the biaxial modulus E/(I-v) must be used even for narrow beams
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A flexible package and interconnects for microfluidic systems
A slide-together compression package and microfluidic interconnects for microfabricated devices requiring fluidic and electrical connections is presented. The package assembles without tools, is reusable, and requires no epoxy, wirebonds, or solder, making chip replacement fast and easy. The microfluidic interconnects use standard HPLC PEEK tubing, with the tip machined to accept either an o-ring or custom molded ring which serves the dual function of forming the seal and providing mechanical retention strength. One design uses a screw to compress the o-ring, while others are simply plugged into a cartridge retained in the package. The connectors are helium leak-tight, can withstand hundreds of psi, are easy to connect and disconnect, are low dead volume, have a small footprint, and are adaptable to a broad range of microfabricated devices
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A practical microgripper by fine alignment, eutectic bonding and SMA actuation
A silicon microgripper with a large gripping force, a relatively rigid structural body, and flexibility in functional design is presented. The actuation is generated by Ni-Ti-Cu shape memory alloy (SMA) films and the stress induced can deflect each side of the microgripper up to 55 {mu}m for a total gripping motion of 110 {mu}m. When fully open, the force exerted by the film corresponds to a 40 mN gripping force on the tip of the gripper
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A new mechanical characterization method for microactuators applied to shape memory films
We present a new technique for the mechanical characterization of microactuators and apply it to shape memory alloy (SMA) thin films. A test instrument was designed which utilizes a spring-loaded transducer to measure displacements with resolution of 1.5 mm and forces with resolution of 0.2 mN. Employing an out- of-plane loading method for SMA thin films, strain resolution of 30 me and stress resolution of 2.5 MPa were achieved. Four mm long, 2 {micro}m thick NiTiCu ligaments suspended across open windows were bulk micromachined for use in the out-of-plane stress and strain measurements. Static analysis showed that 63% of the applied strain was recovered while ligaments were subjected to tensile stresses of 870 MPa. This corresponds to 280 mm of actual displacement against a load of 52 mN. Fatigue analysis of the ligaments showed 33% degradation in recoverable strain (from 0.3% to 0.2%) with 2 {+-} 10{sup 4} cycles for an initial strain of 2.8%
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Laser-induced damage of fused silica at 355 and 1065 nm initiated at aluminum contamination particles on the surface
1-{mu}m thick circular dots, 10-250 {mu}m dia, were deposited onto 1.14 cm thick fused silica windows by sputtering Al through a mask. Al shavings were also deposited on the windows to investigate effects of particle-substrate adhesion. The silica windows were then illuminated repetitively using a 3-ns, 355 nm and an 8.6-ns, 1064 nm laser. The tests were conducted at near normal incidence with particles on input and output surfaces of the windows. During the first shot, a plasma ignited at the metal particle and damage initiated on the fused silica surface. The morphology of the damage at the metal dots were reproducible but different for input and output surface contamination. For input surface contamination, minor damage occurred where the particle was located; such damage ceased to grow with the removal of contaminant material. More serious damage (pits and cracks) was initiated on the output surface (especially at 355 nm) and grew to catastrophic proportions after few shots. Output surface contaminants were usually ejected on the initial shot, leaving a wave pattern on the surface. No further damage occurred with subsequent shots unless a shot (usually the first shot) cracked the surface; such behavior was mostly observed at 355 nm and occasionally for large shavings at 1064 nm. The size of the damaged area scaled with the size of the particle (except when catastrophic damage occurred). Onset of catastrophic damage on output surface occurred only when particles exceeded a critical size. Damage behavior of the sputtered dots was found to be qualitatively similar to that of the shavings. The artificial contamination technique accelerated the study by allowing better control of the test conditions
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RF-interrogatable hydrogel-actuated biosensor
The authors present a novel micromachined sensor that couples a swellable hydrogel with capacitive detection. The hydrogel swells in response to analyte concentration, exerting contact pressure on a deformable conducting membrane. Results are presented for characterization of a PHEMA hydrogel swelling in response to a calcium nitrate solution. Pressure-deflection measurements are performed on NiTi-based membranes. Hydrogel-actuated deflections of the membranes are measured. These measurements are correlated to determine the pressure generating characteristics of the hydrogel. Membrane deflection techniques have not previously been employed for hydrogel characterization. The PHEMA sample exhibited greatest sensitivity in the pH range of 6.0--6.5 and performed an average of 2.8 Joules of work per m{sup 3} per pH unit in response to ambient conditions over the pH range 3.5--6.5. The membrane deflections correspond to capacitive shifts of about 4 pF per pH unit for a capacitive transducer with initial gap of 100 {micro}m, capacitor plate area of 18.5 mm{sup 2} , and initial hydrogel volume of 11 {micro}L