Abstract:
In one aspect, a microelectromechanical device and method of producing the device includes an accelerometer (110) with a thinned flexure structure (112). In another embodiment, the device and method of producing the device includes an accelerometer (110) and a pressure sensor (120) integrated on a single chip (100).
Abstract:
Methods of producing an electromechanical circuit element are described. A lower structure (103) having lower support structures and a lower electrically conductive element is provided. A nanotube ribbon (10) (or other electromechanically responsive element) is formed on an upper surface of the lower structure (103) so as to contact the lower support structures. An upper structure (102) is provided over the nanotube ribbon (101). The upper structure (102) includes upper support structures and an upper electrically conductive element. In some arrangements, the upper and lower electrically conductive elements are in vertical alignment, but in some arrangements they are not.
Abstract:
Microfluidic devices (140, 160, 170, 180, 230, 260, 280, 300, 320, 350, 400, 450) capable of combining discrete fluid volumes generally include channels (144, 147, 161A-D, 162A-D, 176, 177, 188, 189, 249, 250, 269, 270, 296, 297, 319A, 319B, 335, 336, 379A, 386A, 409, 415, 456) for supplying different fluids toward a sample chamber (146, 120, 122, 124, 126, 178, 191, 240, 271, 291, 314, 334, 375, 410, 459) and means for establishing fluid communication between the fluids within the chamber. Discrete fluid plugs are defined from larger fluid volumes before being combined. Certain embodiments utilize actuation chambers (240, 267, 289, 290, 292, 293, 313, 329, 330, 371, 372) or include subchambers (146A, 146B, 120A, 120B, 122A, 122B, 124A, 124B, 126A, 126B, 178A, 178B, 191A, 191B, 410A, 410B) divided by a rupture region (151, 165A, 165B, 179, 190) such as a frangible seal. Further embodiments utilize one or more deformable membranes (171, 185, 242, 268, 283, 323, 355, 420, 451) and/or porous regions (305, 303) to direct fluid flow. Certain devices may be pneumatically or magnetically actuated.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a method for producing a fluid component with a fluid structure (16), which has an active height (d). According to the method, a base wafer is produced comprising a support substrate that is provided with an insulation layer and a structural layer, whereby the thickness of the structural layer determines the active height (d) of the fluid structure. The fluid component, which extends through the entire semiconductor layer, is then created in the structural layer of the base wafer. A transparent disc (20) is then applied, thus covering the fluid structure (16). The support substrate and the insulation layer are subsequently removed from the rear side, exposing the fluid structure on a second surface of the structural layer. Finally, a second transparent disc (22) is applied to the exposed second surface of the semiconductor layer, thus covering the fluid structure. The basic parameter for the fluid component, namely the active height of the fluid structure, no longer needs to be controlled by means of the etching parameters, but is already defined by the specifications of the starting material, e. g. an SOI wafer. This enables cost-effective fluid components to be produced with high precision.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a method for anodic bonding. The aim of the invention is to provide a method and a material suitable for said method, enabling anodic bonding to take place at room temperature. To this end, a niobium phosphate or tantalum phosphate glass having alkali ion conductivity ⊃ 10?-9Φ-1cm-1¿ at 300 K is used as bonding glass.
Abstract:
A continuous form microstructure array device (20) is constructed as a flexible elongate film laminate containing microstructure arrays (26) arranged serially along the laminate. The laminate can be continuously drawn from a roll, passed through a processing and analysis device and rerolled or stacked for storage.
Abstract:
A three axis MEM tunneling/capacitive sensor and method of making same. Cantilevered beamstructures for at least two orthogonally arranged sensors and associated mating structures aredefined on a first substrate or wafer, the at least two orthogonally arranged sensors havingorthogonal directions of sensor sensitivity. A resonator structure of at least a third sensor is alsodefined, the third sensor being sensitive in a third direction orthogonal to the orthogonal directions of sensor sensitivity of the two orthogonally arranged sensors and the resonatorstructure having a mating structure thereon. Contact structures for at least two orthogonallyarranged sensors are formed together with mating structures on a second substrate or wafer, themating structures on the second substrate or wafer being of a complementary shape to the matingstructures on the first substrate or wafer. The mating structures of the first substrate aredisposed in a confronting relationship with the mating structures of the second substrate orwafer. A eutectic bonding layer associated with one of the mating structures facilitates bondingbetween the respective mating structures. At least a portion of the first substrate or wafer is removed to release the cantilevered beam structures and the resonator structure.
Abstract:
A method is provided for fabricating a MEMS structure from a silicon-on insulator (SOI) wafer that has been bonded to a support substrate, such as a glass substrate, in order to form silicon components that can be both precisely and repeatedly formed. The SOI wafer includes a handle wafer, an insulating layer disposed on the handle wafer and a silicon layer disposed on the insulating layer. At least one trench is etched through the silicon layer by reactive ion etching. By utilizing the reactive ion etching, the trenches can be precisely defined, such as to within a tolerance of 0.1 to 0.2 microns of a predetermined width. After bonding the support substrate to the silicon layer, the handle wafer is removed, such as by reactive ion etching. Thereafter, the insulating layer is selectively removed, again typically by reactive ion etching, to form the resulting MEMS structure that has a very precise and repeatable size and shape, such as to within a fraction of a micron. As such, a MEMS structure is also provided according to the present invention in which a plurality of silicon components that vary in size by no more than 0.2 microns are bonded to a support substrate, such as to form an array having a plurality of MEMS elements that have the same or substantially similar performance characteristics.