Design and Optimization of Broadband Micromachined Antenna

Performance improvement of a micromachined patch antenna operating at 30 GHz with a capacitively coupled feed arrangement is presented here. Such antennas are useful for monolithic integration with active components. Specifically, micromachining can be employed to achieve a low dielectric constant region under the patch which causes (i) the suppression of surface waves and hence the increase in radiation efficiency and (ii) increase in the bandwidth. The performance of such a patch antenna can be significantly improved by selecting a coupled feed arrangement. We have optimized the dimensions and location of the capacitive feeding strip to get the maximum improvement in bandwidth. Since this is a totally planar arrangement, and does not involve any stacked structures, this antenna is easy to fabricate using standard microfabrication techniques. The antenna element thus designed has a -10 dB bandwidth of 1600 MHz

Topology Optimization of Micromachined Structures with Surface Micromachining Manufacturing Constraints

Topology optimization methods have been shown to have extensive application in the design of microsystems. However, their utility in practical situations is restricted to predominantly planar configurations due to the limitations of most microfabrication techniques in realizing structures with arbitrary topologies in the direction perpendicular to the substrate. This study addresses the problem of synthesizing optimal topologies in the out-of-plane direction while obeying the constraints imposed by surface micromachining. A new formulation that achieves this by defining a design space that implicitly obeys the manufacturing constraints with a continuous design parameterization is presented in this paper. This is in contrast to including manufacturing cost in the objective function or constraints. The resulting solutions of the new formulation obtained with gradient-based optimization directly provide the photolithographic mask layouts. Two examples that illustrate the approach for the case of stiff structures are included.

Thermal degradation kinetics of poly(trimethylol propane triacrylate)/poly(hexane diol diacrylate) interpenetrating polymer network

Interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) of trimethylol propane triacrylate (TMPTA) and 1,6-hexane diol diacrylate (HDDA) at different weight ratios were synthesized. Temperature modulated differential scanning calorimetry (TMDSC) was used to determine whether the formation resulted in a copolymer or interpenetrating polymer network (IPN). These polymers are used as binders for microstereolithography (MSL) based ceramic microfabrication. The kinetics of thermal degradation of these polymers are important to optimize the debinding process for fabricating 3D shaped ceramic objects by MSL based rapid prototyping technique. Therefore, thermal and thermo-oxidative degradation of these IPNs have been studied by dynamic and isothermal thermogravimetry (TGA). Non-isothermal model-free kinetic methods have been adopted (isoconversional differential and KAS) to calculate the apparent activation energy (E a) as a function of conversion (α) in N 2 and air. The degradation of these polymers in N 2 atmosphere occurs via two mechanisms. Chain end scission plays a dominant role at lower temperature while the kinetics is governed by random chain scission at higher temperature. Oxidative degradation shows multiple degradation steps having higher activation energy than in N 2. Isothermal degradation was also carried out to predict the reaction model which is found to be decelerating. It was shown that the degradation of PTMPTA follows a contracting sphere reaction model in N 2. However, as the HDDA content increases in the IPNs, the degradation reaction follows Avrami-Erofeev model and diffusion governed mechanisms. The intermediate IPN compositions show both type of mechanism. Based on the above study, debinding strategy for MSL based microfabricated ceramic structure has been proposed. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

MEMS based microactuator for microjet applications

The objective of this work is to confirm the possibility of utilization of PolyVinyliDeneFlouride (PVDF) films in MEMS based microactuator for microjet applications. A membrane type microactuator is designed, developed, packaged and tested. The microactuator consists of PVDF film attached to thin Silicon diaphragm. As the voltage difference is applied across it, due to the piezoelectric behaviour, it deforms primarily in d31 mode, which in turn deflects the diaphragm. Using finite element methods, coupled field analysis is carried out to optimize the dimensions of the actuator with respect to the output force and input voltage. A cavity with a square diaphragm of 1mm×1mm×5μm is realized using standard microfabrication technique. 50μm thick PVDF film, cut with special dicing saw, is glued inside the metalized cavity using low stress, conductive, room temperature cured epoxy. The 3mm×3mm×0.675mm actuator die is packaged using Chip-On-Board technique in conjunction with low temperature soldering for taking the connections. The micro-actuator is tested in both actuation and sensing mode. The developed actuator is proposed to use with micro nozzle to study the utilization in drug delivery system.

Improving the Sensitivity and Bandwidth of In-Plane Capacitive Microaccelerometers Using Compliant Mechanical Amplifiers

This paper presents a method to enhance both the sensitivity and bandwidth of in-plane capacitive micromachined accelerometers by using compliant mechanical amplifiers, and thus obviating the compromise between the sensitivity and bandwidth. Here, we compare one of the most sensitive single-axis capacitive accelerometers and another with large resonant frequency reported in the literature with the modified designs that include displacement-amplifying compliant mechanisms (DaCMs) occupying the same footprint and under identical conditions. We show that 62% improvement in sensitivity and 34% improvement in bandwidth in the former, and 27% and 25% in the latter can be achieved. Also presented here is a dual-axis accelerometer that uses a suspension that decouples and amplifies the displacements along the two in-plane orthogonal axes. The new design was microfabricated, packaged, and tested. The device is 25-mu m thick with the interfinger gap as large as 4 m. Despite the simplicity of the microfabrication process, the measured axial sensitivity (static) of about 0.58 V/g for both the axes was achieved with a cross-axis sensitivity of less than +/- 2%. The measured natural frequency along the two in-plane axes was 920 Hz. Displacement amplification of 6.2 was obtained using the DaCMs in the dual-axis accelerometer. 2013-0083]

Development of all metal electrothermal actuator and its applications

The in-plane motion of microelectrothermal actuator ("heatuator") has been analyzed for Si-based and metallic devices. It was found that the lateral deflection of a heatuator made of a Ni metal is about ∼60% larger than that of a Si-based actuator under the same power consumption. Metals are much better for thermal actuators as they provide a relatively large deflection and large force, for a low operating temperature and power consumption. Electroplated Ni films were used to fabricate heatuators. The electrical and mechanical properties of electroplated Ni thin films have been investigated as a function of temperature and plating current density, and the process conditions have been optimized to obtain stress-free films suitable for microelectromechanical systems applications. Lateral thermal actuators have been successfully fabricated, and electrically tested. Microswitches and microtweezers utilizing the heatuator have also been fabricated and tested. © 2005 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.

Micro-systems for Optical Protein-Chip

Protein-Chip as micro-assays for the determination of protein interaction, the analysis, the identification and the purification of proteins has large potential applications. The Optical Protein-Chip is able to detect the multi-interaction of proteins and multi-bio-activities of molecules directly and simultaneously with no labeling. The chip is a small matrix on solid substrate containing multi-micro-area prepared by microfabrication with photolithography or soft lithography for surface patterning, and processed with surface modification which includes the physical, chemical, and bio-chemical modifications, etc. The ligand immobilization, such as protein immobilization, especially the oriented immobilization with low steric hindrance and high bio-specific binding activity between ligand and receptor is used to form a sensing surface. Each area of the pattern is corresponding to only one bioactivity. The interval between the areas is non-bioactive and optically extinctive. The affinity between proteins is used to realize non-labeling microassays for the determination of protein identification and protein interaction. The sampling of the chip is non-disturbing, performed with imaging ellipsometry and image processing on a database of proteins.

Solute transport in nanochannels with roughness-like structures

Newfound attention has been given to solute transport in nanochannels. Because the electric double layer (EDL) thickness is comparable to characteristic channel dimensions, nanochannels have been used to separate ionic species with a constant charge-to-size ratio (i.e., electrophoretic mobility) that otherwise cannot be separated in electroosmotic or pressure- driven flow along microchannels. In nanochannels, the electrical fields within the EDL cause transverse ion distributions and thus yield charge-dependent mean ion speeds in the flow. Surface roughness is usually inevitable during microfabrication of microchannels or nanochannels. Surface roughness is usually inevitable during the fabrication of nanochannels. In the present study, we develop a numerical model to investigate the transport of charged solutes in nanochannels with hundreds of roughness-like structures. The model is based on continuum theory that couples Navier-Stokes equations for flows, Poisson-Boltzmann equation for electrical fields, and Nernst-Planck equation for solute transports. Different operating conditions are considered and the solute transport patterns in rough channels are compared with those in smooth channels. Results indicate that solutes move slower in rough nanochannels than in smooth ones for both pressure- driven and electroosmotic flows. Moreover, solute separation can be significantly improved by surface roughness under certain circumstances.

Micromachining Of Passive Planar Micromixer On Poly (Methyl Methacrylate) Substrate With Excimer Laser Ablation

Excimer laser ablation technique was introduced into this work to fabricate a passive planar micromixer on the PMMA substrate. T-junction shaped and width-changed S-shaped microchannels were both designed in this micromixer to enhance mixing effect. The mixing experiment of distilled water and Rhodamine B with injection flow rate of 500 and 1,500 mu m/s validates the mixing effectivity of this micromixer, and indicates the feasibility of excimer laser ablation in the microfabrication of mu-TAS device.

Beyond Watson and Crick : programming the self-assembly and reconfiguration of DNA nanostructures based on stacking interactions

Life is the result of the execution of molecular programs: like how an embryo is fated to become a human or a whale, or how a person’s appearance is inherited from their parents, many biological phenomena are governed by genetic programs written in DNA molecules. At the core of such programs is the highly reliable base pairing interaction between nucleic acids. DNA nanotechnology exploits the programming power of DNA to build artificial nanostructures, molecular computers, and nanomachines. In particular, DNA origami—which is a simple yet versatile technique that allows one to create various nanoscale shapes and patterns—is at the heart of the technology. In this thesis, I describe the development of programmable self-assembly and reconfiguration of DNA origami nanostructures based on a unique strategy: rather than relying on Watson-Crick base pairing, we developed programmable bonds via the geometric arrangement of stacking interactions, which we termed stacking bonds. We further demonstrated that such bonds can be dynamically reconfigurable.

The first part of this thesis describes the design and implementation of stacking bonds. Our work addresses the fundamental question of whether one can create diverse bond types out of a single kind of attractive interaction—a question first posed implicitly by Francis Crick while seeking a deeper understanding of the origin of life and primitive genetic code. For the creation of multiple specific bonds, we used two different approaches: binary coding and shape coding of geometric arrangement of stacking interaction units, which are called blunt ends. To construct a bond space for each approach, we performed a systematic search using a computer algorithm. We used orthogonal bonds to experimentally implement the connection of five distinct DNA origami nanostructures. We also programmed the bonds to control cis/trans configuration between asymmetric nanostructures.

The second part of this thesis describes the large-scale self-assembly of DNA origami into two-dimensional checkerboard-pattern crystals via surface diffusion. We developed a protocol where the diffusion of DNA origami occurs on a substrate and is dynamically controlled by changing the cationic condition of the system. We used stacking interactions to mediate connections between the origami, because of their potential for reconfiguring during the assembly process. Assembling DNA nanostructures directly on substrate surfaces can benefit nano/microfabrication processes by eliminating a pattern transfer step. At the same time, the use of DNA origami allows high complexity and unique addressability with six-nanometer resolution within each structural unit.

The third part of this thesis describes the use of stacking bonds as dynamically breakable bonds. To break the bonds, we used biological machinery called the ParMRC system extracted from bacteria. The system ensures that, when a cell divides, each daughter cell gets one copy of the cell’s DNA by actively pushing each copy to the opposite poles of the cell. We demonstrate dynamically expandable nanostructures, which makes stacking bonds a promising candidate for reconfigurable connectors for nanoscale machine parts.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrate fabricated by femtosecond laser direct writing

We report the fabrication of a novel surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate with a controllable enhancement factor (EF) using femtosecond laser direct writing on Ag+-doped phosphate glass followed by chemical plating at similar to 40 degrees C. Silver seeds were first photoreduced using a femtosecond laser in a laser-irradiated area and then transformed into silver nanoparticles of suitable size for SERS application in the subsequent chemical plating. Rhodamine 6G was used as a probing molecule to investigate the enhancement effect of a Raman signal on the substrate. Nearly homogenous enhancement of the Raman signal over the Substrate was achieved, and the EF of the substrate was controlled to some extent by adjusting fabrication parameters. Moreover, the ability of forming a SERS platform in an embedded microfluidic chamber would be of great use for establishing a compact lab-on-a-chip device based on Raman analysis.

Mechanistic studies of reactions at the single-molecule level using microfluidics with applications in molecular diagnostics

Motivated by needs in molecular diagnostics and advances in microfabrication, researchers started to seek help from microfluidic technology, as it provides approaches to achieve high throughput, high sensitivity, and high resolution. One strategy applied in microfluidics to fulfill such requirements is to convert continuous analog signal into digitalized signal. One most commonly used example for this conversion is digital PCR, where by counting the number of reacted compartments (triggered by the presence of the target entity) out of the total number of compartments, one could use Poisson statistics to calculate the amount of input target.

However, there are still problems to be solved and assumptions to be validated before the technology is widely employed. In this dissertation, the digital quantification strategy has been examined from two angles: efficiency and robustness. The former is a critical factor for ensuring the accuracy of absolute quantification methods, and the latter is the premise for such technology to be practically implemented in diagnosis beyond the laboratory. The two angles are further framed into a “fate” and “rate” determination scheme, where the influence of different parameters is attributed to fate determination step or rate determination step. In this discussion, microfluidic platforms have been used to understand reaction mechanism at single molecule level. Although the discussion raises more challenges for digital assay development, it brings the problem to the attention of the scientific community for the first time.

This dissertation also contributes towards developing POC test in limited resource settings. On one hand, it adds ease of access to the tests by incorporating massively producible, low cost plastic material and by integrating new features that allow instant result acquisition and result feedback. On the other hand, it explores new isothermal chemistry and new strategies to address important global health concerns such as cyctatin C quantification, HIV/HCV detection and treatment monitoring as well as HCV genotyping.

TWO-DIMENSIONAL ARRAY OF ION TRAPS ON A PLANAR CHIP

We investigate a planar ion chip design with a two-dimensional array of linear ion traps for the scalable quantum information processor. The segmented electrodes reside in a single plane on a substrate and a grounded metal plate, a combination of appropriate rf and DC potentials are applied to them for stable ion confinement, and the trap axes are located above the surface at a distance controlled by the electrodes' lateral extent and the substrate's height as discussed. The potential distributions are calculated using static electric field qualitatively. This architecture is conceptually simple and many current microfabrication techniques are feasible for the basic structure. It may provide a promising route for scalable quantum computers.

Enhancement of three-photon absorption cross-sections in a novel class of symmetrical charge transfer fluorene-based molecules

The three-photon absorption effect (3PA) of two novel symmetrical charge transfer fluorene-based molecules (abbreviated as BASF and BMOSF) has been determined by using a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser pumped with 38 ps pulses at 1064 nm in DMF. The measured 3PA cross-sections are 84 x 10(-78) and 114 x 10(-78) cm(6) s(2), respectively. The geometries and electronic excitations of these two molecules are systematically studied by PM3 and ZINDO/S methods. The relationships between 3PA cross-sections and intramolecular charge transfer are discussed micromechanically. The experimental and theoretical results have shown that the larger intramolecular charge transfer, which was characterized by the charge density difference between the ground state (SO) and the first excited state (S-I), the greater enhancement of the 3PA cross-sections. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Large three-photon absorption cross-section in a novel class of bis-(N-carbazolyl) fluorene derivatives

Two novel symmetrical charge transfer fluorene derivatives (abbreviated as BCZF and BVCZF) with carbazole end-group as the donor moieties have been synthesized. Three-photon absorption cross-sections of these two compounds have been determined by using a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser pumped with 38 ps pulses at 1064 nm in DMF. The measured 3PA cross-sections are 140 x 10(-78) and 400 x 10(-78) cm(6) s(2) for BCZF and BVCZF, respectively. The geometries, electronic structures and electronic spectra of these two compounds are systematically studied by AM1 and ZINDO/S methods. On the basis of correct UV-vis spectra, the influence of different molecular structure on three-photon absorption cross-sections is discussed micromechanically. (C) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.