Micro Thin Film Sensor Embedding in Metal Structures for Rapid Production of Miniature Smart Metal Tooling

In-situ monitoring and control of temperature and strain is important to improve product quality for numerous mesoscale manufacturing processes. However, it is difficult for conventional sensors to provide measurements with a high spatial and temporal resolution at critical locations. This paper studies the fabrication and calibration of micro thin film sensors embedded in metal structures for miniature tooling applications. Micro thin film sensors have been successfully fabricated on various metal substrates and advanced embedding techniques have been developed to ensure sensor function inside metal structures. Specifically, multilayer dielectric/metal thin film micro sensors were embedded into layered metal structures by ultrasonic welding (USW). These embedded sensors provided superior spatial and temporal resolutions. Smart tooling technique will improve safety and reliability significantly for manufacturing processes.Mechanical Engineerin

Thermomechanical Stability of Ultrananocrystalline Diamond

We have measured mechanical stiffness and dissipation in ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD) from 63 K to 450 K using microcantilever resonators in a custom ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) atomic force microscope. UNCD exhibits a temperature coefficient of modulus that is found to be extremely low: -26 ppm/K, which is close to the previously measured value of -24 ppm/K for single crystal diamond. The magnitude and the temperature dependence of dissipation are consistent with the behavior of disordered systems. The results indicate that defects, most likely at the grain boundaries, create the dominant contribution to mechanical dissipation. These measurements of modulus and dissipation versus temperature in this temperature range in UNCD establish the nanostructure’s effect on the thermomechanical stability and suggest routes for tailoring these properties

Are diamonds a MEMS\u27 best friend?

Next-generation military and civilian communication systems will require technologies capable of handling data/ audio, and video simultaneously while supporting multiple RF systems operating in several different frequency bands from the MHz to the GHz range [1]. RF microelectromechanical/nanoelectromechanical (MEMS/NEMS) devices, such as resonators and switches, are attractive to industry as they offer a means by which performance can be greatly improved for wireless applications while at the same time potentially reducing overall size and weight as well as manufacturing costs

IMECE2004 ASME INTERNATIONAL MECHANICAL ENGINEERING CONGRESS MICRO THIN FILM TEMPERATURE SENSORS EMBEDDED IN METAL STRUCTURES

Abstract This paper studies the fabrication and calibration of thin film temperature sensors embedded in metal structures. Thin film thermocouples have been successfully fabricated on various metal substrates and advanced embedding techniques have been developed to ensure sensor function inside metal structures. Thin film thermocouple was insulated with multiple thin film layers (Al 2 O 3 and Si 3 N 4 ) by e-beam evaporating and plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). The sensors are calibrated. These embedded thin film sensors provide superior spatial and temporal resolution that is not possible with traditional sensors used in various manufacturing processes. This research is significant in a way that it provides a new and improved route for in-situ monitoring of manufacturing process

Improved diffusion barrier by stuffing the grain boundaries of TiN with a thin Al interlayer for Cu metallization

A laterally segregated diffusion barrier was investigated for Cu metallization. In this scheme, the intended final structure is composed of two different barrier materials; one is the parent barrier layer (TiN, in our case) and the other (Al2O3, in this case) is segregated laterally along the grain boundaries of the parent barrier layer. As a result, the fast diffusion paths, the so-called grain boundaries of the parent diffusion barrier, are effectively passivated. To realize this type of barrier experimentally, the TiN(5 nm)/Al(2 nm)/TiN(5 nm) structure was fabricated by sequential sputtering and compared with TiN(10 nm) as a diffusion barrier against Cu. The etch pit test results indicated that the barrier with the Al interlayer prevented Cu diffusion into the Si up to 650 degreesC, which is 250 degreesC higher than achieved by a TiN(10 nm) barrier. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics