Advances in MEMS Theory and Applications

A special issue of Micromachines (ISSN 2072-666X). This special issue belongs to the section "A:Physics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 March 2022) | Viewed by 36738

Special Issue Editors

Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, 400641 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Interests: MEMS devices; micro-technology; micro-engineering; material characterization; dynamic analysis of MEMS
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, 400641 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Interests: optimal design; evolutionary algorithms; mathematical modelling; MEMS materials; nano-characterization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

MEMS can bring innovation in many fields of engineering due to their small size and high reliability. They are an essential discovery for how materials, devices, and systems are perceived, designed, and manufactured in general. In recent years, due to the growing MEMS-based sensor markets, a lot of effort has been invested in theoretical models for the development of MEMS, static and dynamic experimental investigations, as well as in designing and manufacturing commercially successful MEMS for real-world applications. The latest scientific discoveries include new materials with superior properties, state-of-the-art fabrication methods, innovative testing and characterization techniques, and custom original solutions for special applications.

This Special Issue aims to encompass high-quality research contributions focused on the advances in the theoretical modeling of MEMS devices, their numerous applications, as well as actuation mechanisms, materials, optimal design, simulation, experimental testing, and novel fabrication techniques of such devices. The goal is to gather the recent research conducted in this field and to highlight the development trends and perspectives of MEMS devices.

We look forward to receiving your contributions!

Prof. Dr. Marius Pustan
Dr. Florina Maria Șerdean
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • MEMS optimal design
  • MEMS experimental characterization
  • Simulations
  • MEMS sensors
  • MEMS actuators
  • MEMS materials
  • Analytical and finite elements models
  • MEMS applications

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Published Papers (14 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 1616 KiB  
Article
Determining the Dose–Response Curve of Exoelectrogens: A Microscale Microbial Fuel Cell Biosensor for Water Toxicity Monitoring
by Sitao Fei and Hao Ren
Micromachines 2022, 13(10), 1560; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi13101560 - 21 Sep 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1321
Abstract
Nowadays, the development of real-time water quality monitoring sensors is critical. However, traditional water monitoring technologies, such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), liquid chromatography, mass spectroscopy, luminescence screening, surface plasma resonance (SPR), and analysis of living bioindicators, are either time consuming or require [...] Read more.
Nowadays, the development of real-time water quality monitoring sensors is critical. However, traditional water monitoring technologies, such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), liquid chromatography, mass spectroscopy, luminescence screening, surface plasma resonance (SPR), and analysis of living bioindicators, are either time consuming or require expensive equipment and special laboratories. Because of the low cost, self-sustainability, direct current output and real-time response, microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have been implemented as biosensors for water toxicity monitoring. In this paper, we report a microscale MFC biosensor to study the dose–response curve of exoelectrogen to toxic compounds in water. The microscale MFC biosensor has an anode chamber volume of 200 μL, which requires less sample consumption for water toxicity monitoring compared with macroscale or mesoscale MFC biosensors. For the first time, the MFC biosensor is exposed to a large formaldehyde concentration range of more than 3 orders of magnitudes, from a low concentration of 1 × 10−6 g/L to a high concentration of 3 × 10−3 g/L in water, while prior studies investigated limited formaldehyde concentration ranges, such as a small concentration range of 1 × 10−4 g/L to 2 × 10−3 g/L or only one high concentration of 0.1 g/L. As a result, for the first time, a sigmoid dose–response relationship of normalized dose–response versus formaldehyde concentration in water is observed, in agreement with traditional toxicology dose–response curve obtained by other measurement techniques. The biosensor has potential applications in determining dose–response curves for toxic compounds and detecting toxic compounds in water. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in MEMS Theory and Applications)
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21 pages, 4209 KiB  
Article
Modeling and Parameter Sensitivity Improvement in ΔE-Effect Magnetic Sensor Based on Mode Localization Effect
by Haoqi Lyu, Zheng Wang, Wuhao Yang, Xingyin Xiong, Zhenxi Liu and Xudong Zou
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 674; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi13050674 - 26 Apr 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1802
Abstract
A mode-localized ΔE-effect magnetic sensor model is established theoretically and numerically. Based on the designed weakly coupled resonators with multi-layer film structure, it is investigated how the ΔE-effect of the magnetostrictive film under the external magnetic field causes the stiffness perturbation of the [...] Read more.
A mode-localized ΔE-effect magnetic sensor model is established theoretically and numerically. Based on the designed weakly coupled resonators with multi-layer film structure, it is investigated how the ΔE-effect of the magnetostrictive film under the external magnetic field causes the stiffness perturbation of the coupled resonators to induce the mode localization effect. Using the amplitude ratio (AR) as the output in the mode-localized ΔE-effect magnetic sensor can improve the relative sensitivity by three orders of magnitude compared with the traditional frequency output, which has been verified by simulations based on the finite element method (FEM). In addition, the effects of material properties and geometric dimensions on sensor performance parameters, such as sensitivity, linear range, and static operating point are also analyzed and studied in detail, providing the theoretical basis for the design and optimization of the mode-localized ΔE-effect magnetic sensor in different application scenarios. By reasonably optimizing the key parameters of the weekly coupled resonators, a mode-localized ΔE-effect magnetic sensor with the sensitivity of 18 AR/mT and a linear range of 0.8 mT can be achieved. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in MEMS Theory and Applications)
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23 pages, 6475 KiB  
Article
An Evaluation of MEMS-IMU Performance on the Absolute Trajectory Error of Visual-Inertial Navigation System
by Yunfei Liu, Zhitian Li, Shuaikang Zheng, Pengcheng Cai and Xudong Zou
Micromachines 2022, 13(4), 602; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi13040602 - 12 Apr 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2287
Abstract
Nowadays, accurate and robust localization is preliminary for achieving a high autonomy for robots and emerging applications. More and more, sensors are fused to guarantee these requirements. A lot of related work has been developed, such as visual-inertial odometry (VIO). In this research, [...] Read more.
Nowadays, accurate and robust localization is preliminary for achieving a high autonomy for robots and emerging applications. More and more, sensors are fused to guarantee these requirements. A lot of related work has been developed, such as visual-inertial odometry (VIO). In this research, benefiting from the complementary sensing capabilities of IMU and cameras, many problems have been solved. However, few of them pay attention to the impact of different performance IMU on the accuracy of sensor fusion. When faced with actual scenarios, especially in the case of massive hardware deployment, there is the question of how to choose an IMU appropriately? In this paper, we chose six representative IMUs with different performances from consumer-grade to tactical grade for exploring. According to the final performance of VIO based on different IMUs in different scenarios, we analyzed the absolute trajectory error of Visual-Inertial Systems (VINS_Fusion). The assistance of IMU can improve the accuracy of multi-sensor fusion, but the improvement of fusion accuracy with different grade MEMS-IMU is not very significant in the eight experimental scenarios; the consumer-grade IMU can also have an excellent result. In addition, the IMU with low noise is more versatile and stable in various scenarios. The results build the route for the development of Inertial Navigation System (INS) fusion with visual odometry and at the same time, provide a guideline for the selection of IMU. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in MEMS Theory and Applications)
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19 pages, 8295 KiB  
Article
Control of a Drone in Virtual Reality Using MEMS Sensor Technology and Machine Learning
by Florin Covaciu and Anca-Elena Iordan
Micromachines 2022, 13(4), 521; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi13040521 - 26 Mar 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3263
Abstract
In recent years, drones have been widely used in various applications, from entertainment, agriculture, their use in photo and video services, military applications and so on. The risk of accidents while using a drone is quite high. To meet this risk, the most [...] Read more.
In recent years, drones have been widely used in various applications, from entertainment, agriculture, their use in photo and video services, military applications and so on. The risk of accidents while using a drone is quite high. To meet this risk, the most important solution is to use a device that helps and simplifies the control of a drone; in addition, the training of drone pilots is very important. To train the drone pilots, both physical and virtual environments can be used, but the probability of an accident is higher for beginners, so the safest method is to train in a virtual environment. The aim of this study is to develop a new device for controlling a drone in a virtual environment. This device is attached to the upper limb of the person involved in the control of that drone. For precise control, the newly created device uses MEMS sensor technology and artificial intelligence-specific methods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in MEMS Theory and Applications)
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12 pages, 2819 KiB  
Article
Prediction of Surface Roughness as a Function of Temperature for SiO2 Thin-Film in PECVD Process
by Muhammad Rizwan Amirzada, Yousuf Khan, Muhammad Khurram Ehsan, Atiq Ur Rehman, Abdul Aleem Jamali and Abdul Rafay Khatri
Micromachines 2022, 13(2), 314; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi13020314 - 17 Feb 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2490
Abstract
An analytical model to predict the surface roughness for the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process over a large range of temperature values is still nonexistent. By using an existing prediction model, the surface roughness can directly be calculated instead of repeating the [...] Read more.
An analytical model to predict the surface roughness for the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process over a large range of temperature values is still nonexistent. By using an existing prediction model, the surface roughness can directly be calculated instead of repeating the experimental processes, which can largely save time and resources. This research work focuses on the investigation and analytical modeling of surface roughness of SiO2 deposition using the PECVD process for almost the whole range of operating temperatures, i.e., 80 to 450 °C. The proposed model is based on experimental data of surface roughness against different temperature conditions in the PECVD process measured using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The quality of these SiO2 layers was studied against an isolation layer in a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) for light steering applications. The analytical model employs different mathematical approaches such as linear and cubic regressions over the measured values to develop a prediction model for the whole operating temperature range of the PECVD process. The proposed prediction model is validated by calculating the percent match of the analytical model with experimental data for different temperature ranges, counting the correlations and error bars. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in MEMS Theory and Applications)
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21 pages, 8850 KiB  
Article
Test and Improvement of a Fuze MEMS Setback Arming Device Based on the EDM Process
by Yu Qin, Yanbai Shen, Xiannan Zou and Yongping Hao
Micromachines 2022, 13(2), 292; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi13020292 - 12 Feb 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1782
Abstract
This paper introduces the working principle of a MEMS safety and arming (S&A) device for a fuze that is installed perpendicular to the axis of the projectile. Additionally, the application of low-speed wire electrical discharge machining (EDM) in the fabrication of the device [...] Read more.
This paper introduces the working principle of a MEMS safety and arming (S&A) device for a fuze that is installed perpendicular to the axis of the projectile. Additionally, the application of low-speed wire electrical discharge machining (EDM) in the fabrication of the device is proposed. Microsprings are susceptible to flexural deformation and secondary deformation in the EDM process, a problem that is solved by designing the auxiliary support beam, using multiple cuts, destress annealing and optimizing the processing parameters. The difficult problem of setback slider deformation in the principle prototype test is properly solved by establishing V-shaped grooves at both ends of the setback slider. The connection mode between the microspring and the frame is changed to a clearance fit connection. The improved setback arming device can guarantee service process safety and launch reliability. The maximum overload that can be withstood in service processing is 20,000 g, and the minimum overload for safety release during launch is 12,000 g. The results show that the EDM process can greatly reduce the machining cost while improving the machining precision and machining speed, which can compensate for the defects of the current manufacturing technology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in MEMS Theory and Applications)
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14 pages, 4746 KiB  
Article
Design of a Novel Medical Acoustic Sensor Based on MEMS Bionic Fish Ear Structure
by Chenzheng Zhou, Junbin Zang, Chenyang Xue, Yuexuan Ma, Xiaoqiang Hua, Rui Gao, Zengxing Zhang, Bo Li and Zhidong Zhang
Micromachines 2022, 13(2), 163; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi13020163 - 22 Jan 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3429
Abstract
High-performance medical acoustic sensors are essential in medical equipment and diagnosis. Commercially available medical acoustic sensors are capacitive and piezoelectric types. When they are used to detect heart sound signals, there is attenuation and distortion due to the sound transmission between different media. [...] Read more.
High-performance medical acoustic sensors are essential in medical equipment and diagnosis. Commercially available medical acoustic sensors are capacitive and piezoelectric types. When they are used to detect heart sound signals, there is attenuation and distortion due to the sound transmission between different media. This paper proposes a new bionic acoustic sensor based on the fish ear structure. Through theoretical analysis and finite element simulation, the optimal parameters of the sensitive structure are determined. The sensor is fabricated using microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology, and is encapsulated in castor oil, which has an acoustic impedance close to the human body. An electroacoustic test platform is built to test the performance of the sensor. The results showed that the MEMS bionic sensor operated with a bandwidth of 20–2k Hz. Its linearity and frequency responses were better than the electret microphone. In addition, the sensor was tested for heart sound collection application to verify its effectiveness. The proposed sensor can be effectively used in clinical auscultation and has a high SNR. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in MEMS Theory and Applications)
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14 pages, 10466 KiB  
Article
Figure of Merit Enhancement of Laterally Vibrating RF-MEMS Resonators via Energy-Preserving Addendum Frame
by Temesgen Bailie Workie, Zhaohui Wu, Panliang Tang, Jingfu Bao and Ken-ya Hashimoto
Micromachines 2022, 13(1), 105; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi13010105 - 09 Jan 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1558
Abstract
This paper examines a new technique to improve the figure of merit of laterally vibrating RF-MEMS resonators through an energy-preserving suspended addendum frame structure using finite element analysis. The proposed suspended addendum frame on the sides of the resonant plate helps as a [...] Read more.
This paper examines a new technique to improve the figure of merit of laterally vibrating RF-MEMS resonators through an energy-preserving suspended addendum frame structure using finite element analysis. The proposed suspended addendum frame on the sides of the resonant plate helps as a mechanical vibration isolator from the supporting substrate. This enables the resonator to have a low acoustic energy loss, resulting in a higher quality factor. The simulated attenuation characteristics of the suspended addendum frame are up to an order of magnitude larger than those achieved with the conventional structure. Even though the deployed technique does not have a significant impact on increasing the effective electromechanical coupling coefficient, due to a gigantic improvement in the unloaded quality factor, from 4106 to 51,136, the resonator with the suspended frame achieved an 11-folds improvement in the figure of merit compared to that of the conventional resonator. Moreover, the insertion loss was improved from 5 dB down to a value as low as 0.7 dB. Furthermore, a method of suppressing spurious mode is demonstrated to remove the one incurred by the reflected waves due to the proposed energy-preserving structure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in MEMS Theory and Applications)
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23 pages, 7246 KiB  
Article
A Novel Parallel Processing Model for Noise Reduction and Temperature Compensation of MEMS Gyroscope
by Qi Cai, Fanjing Zhao, Qiang Kang, Zhaoqian Luo, Duo Hu, Jiwen Liu and Huiliang Cao
Micromachines 2021, 12(11), 1285; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi12111285 - 21 Oct 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 1790
Abstract
To eliminate the noise and temperature drift in an Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) gyroscope’s output signal for improving measurement accuracy, a parallel processing model based on Multi-objective particle swarm optimization based on variational modal decomposition-time-frequency peak filter (MOVMD–TFPF) and Beetle antennae search algorithm- Elman [...] Read more.
To eliminate the noise and temperature drift in an Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) gyroscope’s output signal for improving measurement accuracy, a parallel processing model based on Multi-objective particle swarm optimization based on variational modal decomposition-time-frequency peak filter (MOVMD–TFPF) and Beetle antennae search algorithm- Elman neural network (BAS–Elman NN) is established. Firstly, variational mode decomposition (VMD) is optimized by multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO); then, the best decomposition parameters [kbest,abest] can be obtained. Secondly, the gyroscope output signals are decomposed by VMD optimized by MOPSO (MOVMD); then, the intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) obtained after decomposition are classified into a noise segment, mixed segment, and drift segment by sample entropy (SE). According to the idea of a parallel model, the noise segment can be discarded directly, the mixed segment is denoised by time-frequency peak filtering (TFPF), and the drift segment is compensated at the same time. In the compensation part, the beetle antennae search algorithm (BAS) is adopted to optimize the network parameters of the Elman neural network (Elman NN). Subsequently, the double-input/single-output temperature compensation model based on the BAS-Elman NN is established to compensate the drift segment, and these processed segments are reconstructed to form the final gyroscope output signal. Experimental results demonstrate the superiority of this parallel processing model; the angle random walk of the compensated gyroscope output is decreased from 0.531076 to 5.22502 × 10−3°/h/√Hz, and its bias stability is decreased from 32.7364°/h to 0.140403°/h, respectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in MEMS Theory and Applications)
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12 pages, 3614 KiB  
Article
Mechanical Synchronization of MEMS Electrostatically Driven Coupled Beam Filters
by Richard Syms and Adam Bouchaala
Micromachines 2021, 12(10), 1191; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi12101191 - 30 Sep 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1544
Abstract
Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) bandpass filters based on arrays of electrostatically driven coupled beams have been demonstrated at MHz frequencies. High performance follows from the high Q-factor of mechanical resonators, and electrostatic transduction allows tuning, matching and actuation. For high-order filters, there is a [...] Read more.
Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) bandpass filters based on arrays of electrostatically driven coupled beams have been demonstrated at MHz frequencies. High performance follows from the high Q-factor of mechanical resonators, and electrostatic transduction allows tuning, matching and actuation. For high-order filters, there is a conflict between the transduction mechanism and the coupling arrangement needed for dynamic synchronization: it is not possible to achieve synchronization and tuning simultaneously using a single voltage. Here we propose a general solution, based on the addition of mass-loaded beams at the ends of the array. These beams deflect for direct current (DC) voltages, and therefore allow electrostatic tuning, but do not respond to in-band alternating current (AC) voltages and hence do not interfere with synchronization. Spurious modes generated by these beams may be damped, leaving a good approximation to the desired response. The approach is introduced using a lumped element model and verified using stiffness matrix and finite element models for in-plane arrays with parallel plate drives and shown to be tolerant of the exact mass value. The principle may allow compensation of fabrication-induced variations in complex filters. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in MEMS Theory and Applications)
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15 pages, 3886 KiB  
Article
Investigation on Design Theory and Performance Analysis of Vacuum Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer
by Xiao Huang, Hongliang Wang and Lijun Yu
Micromachines 2021, 12(9), 1127; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi12091127 - 19 Sep 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2684
Abstract
The capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT), as a new acoustic-electric conversion element, has a promising application prospect. In this paper, the structure of the vacuum capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer is presented, and its performance-influencing factors are investigated. Firstly, the influencing factors of the [...] Read more.
The capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT), as a new acoustic-electric conversion element, has a promising application prospect. In this paper, the structure of the vacuum capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer is presented, and its performance-influencing factors are investigated. Firstly, the influencing factors of the performance parameters of the vacuum CMUT are analyzed theoretically based on the circular plate model and flat plate capacitance model, and the design principles of the structural parameters of the CMUT cell are proposed. Then, the finite element simulation software COMSOL Multiphysics is used to construct CMUT cell models with different membrane materials, membrane shapes, membrane radius thicknesses, and cavity heights for simulation verification. The results show that both the membrane parameters and the cavity heights affect the performance parameters of the Vacuum CMUT. In order to improve the efficiency of the CMUT, materials with low bending stiffness should be selected, and the filling factor of the membrane should be increased. In order to achieve high-transmission sound pressure, a smaller radius thickness and a larger cavity height should be selected. To achieve high reception sensitivity, a larger membrane radius thickness and a smaller cavity height should be selected. In order to obtain high fractional bandwidth, a larger membrane radius thickness should be selected. The results of this paper provide a basis for the design of Vacuum CMUT cell structure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in MEMS Theory and Applications)
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15 pages, 3043 KiB  
Article
Resolution-Enhancing Structure for the Electric Field Microsensor Chip
by Xiaolong Wen, Pengfei Yang, Zhouwei Zhang, Zhaozhi Chu, Chunrong Peng, Yutao Liu, Shuang Wu, Bo Zhang and Fengjie Zheng
Micromachines 2021, 12(8), 936; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi12080936 - 07 Aug 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2089
Abstract
Electrostatic voltage is a vital parameter in industrial production lines, for reducing electrostatic discharge harms and improving yields. Due to such drawbacks as package shielding and low resolution, previously reported electric field microsensors are still not applicable for industrial static monitoring uses. In [...] Read more.
Electrostatic voltage is a vital parameter in industrial production lines, for reducing electrostatic discharge harms and improving yields. Due to such drawbacks as package shielding and low resolution, previously reported electric field microsensors are still not applicable for industrial static monitoring uses. In this paper, we introduce a newly designed microsensor package structure, which enhances the field strength inside the package cavity remarkably. This magnification effect was studied and optimized by both theoretical calculation and ANSYS simulation. By means of the digital synthesizer and digital coherent demodulation method, the compact signal processing circuit for the packaged microsensor was also developed. The meter prototype was calibrated above a charged metal plate, and the electric field resolution was 5 V/m, while the measuring error was less than 3 V, from −1 kV to 1 kV in a 2 cm distance. The meter was also installed into a production line and showed good consistency with, and better resolution than, a traditional vibratory capacitance sensor. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in MEMS Theory and Applications)
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Review

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34 pages, 5862 KiB  
Review
AFM Nanotribomechanical Characterization of Thin Films for MEMS Applications
by Corina Bîrleanu, Marius Pustan, Florina Șerdean and Violeta Merie
Micromachines 2022, 13(1), 23; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi13010023 - 25 Dec 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3558
Abstract
Nanotribological studies of thin films are needed to develop a fundamental understanding of the phenomena that occur to the interface surfaces that come in contact at the micro and nanoscale and to study the interfacial phenomena that occur in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS) and [...] Read more.
Nanotribological studies of thin films are needed to develop a fundamental understanding of the phenomena that occur to the interface surfaces that come in contact at the micro and nanoscale and to study the interfacial phenomena that occur in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS) and other applications. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been shown to be an instrument capable of investigating the nanomechanical behavior of many surfaces, including thin films. The measurements of tribo-mechanical behavior for MEMS materials are essential when it comes to designing and evaluating MEMS devices. A great deal of research has been conducted to evaluate the efficiency and reliability of different measurements methods for mechanical properties of MEMS material; nevertheless, the technologies regarding manufacturing and testing MEMS materials are not fully developed. The objectivesof this study are to focus on the review of the mechanical and tribological advantages of thin film and to highlight the experimental results of some thin films to obtain quantitative analyses, the elastic/plastic response and the nanotribological behavior. The slight fluctuation of the results for common thin-film materials is most likely due to the lack of international standardization for MEMS materials and for the methods used to measure their properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in MEMS Theory and Applications)
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24 pages, 4550 KiB  
Review
Additive Manufacturing of Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS)
by Giorgio De Pasquale
Micromachines 2021, 12(11), 1374; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi12111374 - 08 Nov 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4887
Abstract
Recently, additive manufacturing (AM) processes applied to the micrometer range are subjected to intense development motivated by the influence of the consolidated methods for the macroscale and by the attraction for digital design and freeform fabrication. The integration of AM with the other [...] Read more.
Recently, additive manufacturing (AM) processes applied to the micrometer range are subjected to intense development motivated by the influence of the consolidated methods for the macroscale and by the attraction for digital design and freeform fabrication. The integration of AM with the other steps of conventional micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) fabrication processes is still in progress and, furthermore, the development of dedicated design methods for this field is under development. The large variety of AM processes and materials is leading to an abundance of documentation about process attempts, setup details, and case studies. However, the fast and multi-technological development of AM methods for microstructures will require organized analysis of the specific and comparative advantages, constraints, and limitations of the processes. The goal of this paper is to provide an up-to-date overall view on the AM processes at the microscale and also to organize and disambiguate the related performances, capabilities, and resolutions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in MEMS Theory and Applications)
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