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Design and Fabrication of Micro/Nano Sensors and Actuators

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 April 2022) | Viewed by 26932

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Weidong Wang

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Guest Editor

School of Mechano-Electronic Engineering, Xidian University, Xi'an 710071, China
Interests: MEMS; NEMS; micro/nano mechanics; flexible sensors; electronic packaging
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Ruiguo Yang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
Interests: MEMS; NEMS; BioMEMS; biosensors; bioelectronics; cell mechanics; mechanobiology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the rapid development of materials science and manufacturing technology, numerous novel MEMS and NEMS devices, such as micro/nano sensors, micro/nano actuators and flexible sensors, have emerged in many application fields. These above devices are always made of silicon, metals, ceramics, glass, and so on, whose mechanical and electrical properties have great influence on their working characteristics, including accuracy, sensitivity and working range. In addition, the design and fabrication method can directly affect the reliability of those MEMS and NEMS devices, especially lifetime, robustness and stability under extreme conditions of shock, temperature, humidity, irradiation, chemical exposure, or other challenges. Accordingly, this Special Issue seeks to showcase research papers and review articles that focus on design and fabrication of micro/nano sensors, actuators and flexible sensors. Areas of interest include but are not limited to:

Structural design and optimization methods;
System modeling and simulation;
Advanced fabrication techniques;
In situ characterization and testing technology;
Reliability of devices and systems.

Prof. Dr. Weidong Wang
Prof. Dr. Ruiguo Yang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Micromachines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

MEMS
NEMS
sensors
actuators
flexible sensors
design and optimization
fabrication techniques
reliability
in situ test

Related Special Issue

Design and Fabrication of Micro/Nano Sensors and Actuators, Volume II in Micromachines (10 articles)

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review

12 pages, 3414 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Hydrogen Storage Performance of γ-Graphdiyne Doped Li Based on First Principles for Micro/Nano

by Wenchao Tian, Zhao Li, Chunmin Cheng, Wenhua Li, Zhiqiang Chen and Fei Xin

Micromachines 2022, 13(4), 547; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi13040547 - 30 Mar 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1785

Abstract

The rapid development of micro/nano systems promotes the progress of micro energy storage devices. As one of the most significant representatives of micro energy storage devices, micro hydrogen fuel cells were initially studied by many laboratories and companies. However, hydrogen storage problems have restricted its further commercialization. The γ-graphdiyne (γ-GDY) has broad application prospects in the fields of energy storage and gas adsorption due to its unique structure with rigid nano-network and numerous uniform pores. However, the existence of various defects in γ-GDY caused varying degrees of influence on gas adsorption performance. In this study, Lithium (Li) was added into the intrinsic γ-GDY and vacancy defect γ-GDY (γ-VGDY) to obtain the Li-GDY and Li-VGDY, respectively. The first-principles calculation method was applied and the hydrogen storage performances of them were analysed. The results indicated that the best adsorption point of intrinsic γ-GDY is H2 point, which located at the centre of a large triangular hole of an acetylene chain. With large capacity hydrogen storage, doping Li atom could improve the hydrogen adsorption property of intrinsic γ-GDY; meanwhile, vacancy defect inspires the hydrogen storage performance further of Li-VGDY. The mass hydrogen storage density for Li₂H₅₆-GDY and Li₂H₅₆-VGDY model were 13.02% and 14.66%, respectively. Moreover, the Li₂H₅₆-GDY and Li₂H₅₆-VGDY model had same volumetric storage density, with values that could achieve 5.22 × 10⁴ kg/m³. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Fabrication of Micro/Nano Sensors and Actuators)

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14 pages, 3248 KiB

Open AccessArticle

High-Performance Piezoelectric-Type MEMS Vibration Sensor Based on LiNbO₃ Single-Crystal Cantilever Beams

by Huifen Wei, Wenping Geng, Kaixi Bi, Tao Li, Xiangmeng Li, Xiaojun Qiao, Yikun Shi, Huiyi Zhang, Caiqin Zhao, Gang Xue and Xiujian Chou

Micromachines 2022, 13(2), 329; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi13020329 - 19 Feb 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2628

Abstract

It is a great challenge to detect in-situ high-frequency vibration signals for extreme environment applications. A highly sensitive and robust vibration sensor is desired. Among the many piezoelectric materials, single-crystal lithium niobate (LiNbO₃) could be a good candidate to meet the demand. In this work, a novel type of micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) vibration sensor based on a single crystalline LiNbO₃ thin film is demonstrated. Firstly, the four-cantilever-beam MEMS vibration sensor was designed and optimized with the parametric method. The structural dependence on the intrinsic frequency and maximum stress was obtained. Then, the vibration sensor was fabricated using standard MEMS processes. The practical intrinsic frequency of the as-presented vibration sensor was 5.175 kHz, which was close to the calculated and simulated frequency. The dynamic performance of the vibration sensor was tested on a vibration platform after the packaging of the printed circuit board. The effect of acceleration was investigated, and it was observed that the output charge was proportional to the amplitude of the acceleration. As the loading acceleration amplitude is 10 g and the frequency is in the range of 20 to 2400 Hz, the output charge amplitude basically remains stable for the frequency range from 100 Hz to 1400 Hz, but there is a dramatic decrease around 1400 to 2200 Hz, and then it increases significantly. This should be attributed to the significant variation of the damping coefficient near 1800 Hz. Meanwhile, the effect of the temperature on the output was studied. The results show the nearly linear dependence of the output charge on the temperature. The presented MEMS vibration sensors were endowed with a high output performance, linear dependence and stable sensitivity, and could find potential applications for the detection of wide-band high-frequency vibration. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Fabrication of Micro/Nano Sensors and Actuators)

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11 pages, 57843 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dependance of Gauge Factor on Micro-Morphology of Sensitive Grids in Resistive Strain Gauges

by Yinming Zhao, Zhigang Wang, Siyang Tan, Yang Liu, Si Chen, Yongqian Li and Qun Hao

Micromachines 2022, 13(2), 280; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi13020280 - 10 Feb 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1420

Abstract

The effect of micro-morphology of resistive strain gauges on gauge factor was investigated numerically and experimentally. Based on the observed dimensional parameters of various commercial resistive strain gauges, a modeling method had been proposed to reconstruct the rough sidewall on the sensitive grids. Both the amplitude and period of sidewall profiles are normalized by the sensitive grid width. The relative resistance change of the strain gauge model with varying sidewall profiles was calculated. The results indicate that the micro-morphology on the sidewall profile led to the deviation of the relative resistance change and the decrease in gauge factor. To verify these conclusions, two groups of the strain gauge samples with different qualities of sidewall profiles have been manufactured, and both their relative resistance changes and gauge factors were measured by a testing apparatus for strain gauge parameters. It turned out that the experimental results are also consistent with the simulations. Under the loading strain within 1000 μm/m, the average gauge factors of these two groups of samples are 2.126 and 2.106, respectively, the samples with rougher profiles have lower values in gauge factors. The reduction in the gauge factor decreases the sensitivity by 2.0%. Our work shows that the sidewall micro-morphology on sensitive grids plays a role in the change of the gauge factor. The observed phenomena help derive correction methods for strain gauge measurements and predict the measurement errors coming from the local and global reinforcement effects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Fabrication of Micro/Nano Sensors and Actuators)

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9 pages, 2508 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Micromechanical Transmitter with Only One BAW Magneto-Electric Antenna

by Si Chen, Junru Li, Yang Gao, Jianbo Li, Hongmei Dong, Zhijun Gu and Wanchun Ren

Micromachines 2022, 13(2), 272; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi13020272 - 08 Feb 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 1872

Abstract

Implantable medical devices have been facing the severe challenge of wireless communication for a long time. Acoustically actuated magnetoelectric (ME) transducer antennas have attracted lots of attention due to their miniaturization, high radiation efficiency and easy integration. Here, we fully demonstrate the possibility of using only one bulk acoustic wave (BAW) actuated ME transducer antenna (BAW ME antenna) for communication by describing the correspondence between the BAW ME antenna and components of the traditional transmitter in detail. Specifically, we first demonstrate that the signal could be modulated by applying a direct current (DC) magnetic bias and exciting different resonance modes of the BAW ME antenna with frequencies ranging from medium frequency (MF) (1.5 MHz) to medium frequency (UHF) (2 GHz). Then, two methods of adjusting the radiation power of the BAW ME antenna are proposed to realize signal amplification, including increasing the input voltage and using higher order resonance. Finally, a method based on electromagnetic (EM) perturbation is presented to simulate the transmission process of the BAW ME antenna via the finite element analysis (FEA) model. The simulation results match the radiation pattern of magnetic dipoles perfectly, which verifies both the model and our purpose. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Fabrication of Micro/Nano Sensors and Actuators)

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10 pages, 3256 KiB

Open AccessArticle

MEMS Skin Friction Sensor with High Response Frequency and Large Measurement Range

by Huihui Guo, Xiong Wang, Tingting Liu, Zhijiang Guo and Yang Gao

Micromachines 2022, 13(2), 234; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi13020234 - 30 Jan 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2100

Abstract

Micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) skin friction sensors are considered to be promising sensors in hypersonic wind tunnel experiments owing to their miniature size, high sensitivity, and stability. Aiming at the problem of short test duration (a few milliseconds) and heavy load in a shock wind tunnel, the fast readout circuit and the sensor head structures of a MEMS skin friction sensor are presented and optimized in this work. The sensor was fabricated using various micro-mechanical processes and micro-assembly technology based on visual alignment. Meanwhile, the sensor head structure was integrated with the fast readout circuit and tested by using a centrifugal force equivalent method. The calibration results show that this sensor provides good linearity, sensitivity, and stability. The measurement ranges are 0–2000 Pa with good performance. The resolution is better than 10 Pa at 3000 Hz detection frequency of the readout circuit for the sensor in ranges from 0 to 1000 Pa. In addition, the repeatability and linearity of static calibration for sensors are better than 1%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Fabrication of Micro/Nano Sensors and Actuators)

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10 pages, 2187 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Design and Optimization of a BAW Magnetic Sensor Based on Magnetoelectric Coupling

by Wanchun Ren, Jintong Li, Guo Liu, Jiarong Chen, Si Chen, Zhijun Gu, Jianbo Li, Junru Li and Yang Gao

Micromachines 2022, 13(2), 206; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi13020206 - 28 Jan 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2156

Abstract

Magnetic sensors actuated by bulk acoustic wave (BAW) have attracted extensive attention due to the fact of their high sensitivity, GHz-level high frequency, and small size. Different from previous studies, suppression of energy loss and improvement in energy conversion efficiency of the BAW magnetoelectric (ME) sensor were systematically considered during the device design in this work. Finite element analysis models of material (magnetic composite), structure (ME heterostructure), and device (BAW ME magnetic sensor) were established and analyzed in COMSOL software. Additionally, the magnetic composite was prepared by radio frequency magnetron sputtering, and its soft magnetism was characterized by magnetic hysteresis loop and surface roughness. The research results demonstrate that after inserting four layers of 5 nm Al₂O₃ films, a performance of 86.7% eddy current loss suppression rate, a less than 1.1% magnetostriction degradation rate, and better soft magnetism were achieved in 600 nm FeGaB. Furthermore, compared with other structures, the two-layer piezomagnetic/piezoelectric heterostructure had a better ME coupling performance. Eventually, the design of the BAW ME magnetic sensor was optimized by the resonance-enhanced ME coupling to match the resonance frequency between the magnetic composite and the BAW resonator. When a 54,500 A/m direct current bias magnetic field was applied, the sensor worked at the first-order resonance frequency and showed good performance. Its linearity was better than 1.30%, the sensitivity was as high as 2.33 μmV/A, and the measurement range covered 0–5000 A/m. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Fabrication of Micro/Nano Sensors and Actuators)

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8 pages, 2418 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Manufacturing Process of Polymeric Microneedle Sensors for Mass Production

by Jae Yun Baek, Kyung Mook Kang, Hyeong Jun Kim, Ju Hyeon Kim, Ju Hwan Lee, Gilyong Shin, Jei Gyeong Jeon, Junho Lee, Yusu Han, Byeong Jun So and Tae June Kang

Micromachines 2021, 12(11), 1364; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi12111364 - 05 Nov 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2874

Abstract

In this work, we present a fabrication process for microneedle sensors made of polylactic acid (PLA), which can be utilized for the electrochemical detection of various biomarkers in interstitial fluid. Microneedles were fabricated by the thermal compression molding of PLA into a laser machined polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) mold. Sensor fabrication was completed by forming working, counter, and reference electrodes on each sensor surface by Au sputtering through a stencil mask, followed by laser dicing to separate individual sensors from the substrate. The devised series of processes was designed to be suitable for mass production, where multiple microneedle sensors can be produced at once on a 4-inch wafer. The operational stability of the fabricated sensors was confirmed by linear sweep voltammetry and cyclic voltammetry at the range of working potentials of various biochemical molecules in interstitial fluid. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Fabrication of Micro/Nano Sensors and Actuators)

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18 pages, 8568 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Transfer of Tactile Sensors Using Stiction Effect Temporary Handling

by Peng Zhong, Ke Sun, Chaoyue Zheng, Heng Yang and Xinxin Li

Micromachines 2021, 12(11), 1330; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi12111330 - 29 Oct 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1591

Abstract

A novel method for transfer of tactile sensors using stiction effect temporary handling (SETH) is presented to simplify the microelectromechanical-system (MEMS)/CMOS integration process, improve the process reliability and electrical performance, and reduce material constriction. The structure of the tactile sensor and the reroute substrate were first manufactured separately. Following the release process, the stiction-contact structures, which are designed to protect the low-stress silicon nitride diaphragm of the tactile sensor and prevent the low-stress silicon nitride diaphragm from moving during the subsequent bonding process, are temporarily bonded to the substrate owing to the stiction effect. After the released tactile sensor is bonded to the reroute substrate by Au–Si eutectic flip-chip bonding, a pulling force perpendicular to the bonded die is applied to break away the temporary supported beam of the tactile sensor, and the tactile sensor is then successfully transferred to the reroute substrate. The size of the transferred tactile sensor is as small as 180 μm × 180 μm × 1.2 μm, and the force area of the tactile sensor is only 120 μm × 120 μm × 1.2 μm. The maximum misalignment of the flip-chip bonding process is approximately 1.5 μm. The tactile sensors are tested from 0 to 17.1 kPa when the power supply is 5 V, resulting in a sensitivity of 0.22 mV/V/kPa, 0.26 mV/V/kPa, 0.27 mV/V/kPa and 0.27 mV/V/kPa, separately. The stress caused by the Au–Si eutectic flip-chip bonding ranges from −5.83 to +5.54 kPa. The temporary bonding strength caused by stiction is calculated to be larger than 7.06 kPa and less than 22.31 kPa. The shear strength of the bonded test structure is approximately 30.74 MPa and the yield of the transferred tactile sensors is as high as 90%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Fabrication of Micro/Nano Sensors and Actuators)

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11 pages, 3184 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Improved Difference Temperature Compensation Method for MEMS Resonant Accelerometers

by Pengcheng Cai, Xingyin Xiong, Kunfeng Wang, Jiawei Wang and Xudong Zou

Micromachines 2021, 12(9), 1022; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi12091022 - 27 Aug 2021

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2291

Abstract

Resonant accelerometers are promising because of their wide dynamic range and long-term stability. With quasi-digital frequency output, the outputs of resonant accelerometers are less vulnerable to the noise from circuits and ambience. Differential structure is usually adopted in a resonant accelerometer to achieve higher sensitivity to acceleration and to reduce common noise at the same time. Ideally, a resonant accelerometer is only sensitive to external acceleration. However, temperature has a great impact on resonant accelerometers, causing unexcepted frequency drift. In order to cancel out the frequency drift caused by temperature change, an improved temperature compensation method for differential vibrating accelerometers without additional temperature sensors is presented in this paper. Experiment results demonstrate that the temperature sensitivity of the prototype sensor is reduced from 43.16 ppm/°C to 0.83 ppm/°C within the temperature range of −10 °C to 70 °C using the proposed method. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Fabrication of Micro/Nano Sensors and Actuators)

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Review

Jump to: Research

32 pages, 5115 KiB

Open AccessReview

Recent Progress in the Preparation Technologies for Micro Metal Coils

by Jianyong Lou, Haixia Ren, Xia Chao, Kesong Chen, Haodong Bai and Zhengyue Wang

Micromachines 2022, 13(6), 872; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi13060872 - 31 May 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2694

Abstract

The recent development of micro-fabrication technologies has provided new methods for researchers to design and fabricate micro metal coils, which will allow the coils to be smaller, lighter, and have higher performance than traditional coils. As functional components of electromagnetic equipment, micro metal coils are widely used in micro-transformers, solenoid valves, relays, electromagnetic energy collection systems, and flexible wearable devices. Due to the high integration of components and the requirements of miniaturization, the preparation of micro metal coils has received increasing levels of attention. This paper discusses the typical structural types of micro metal coils, which are mainly divided into planar coils and three-dimensional coils, and the characteristics of the different structures of coils. The specific preparation materials are also summarized, which provides a reference for the preparation process of micro metal coils, including the macro-fabrication method, MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical System) processing technology, the printing process, and other manufacturing technologies. Finally, perspectives on the remaining challenges and open opportunities are provided to help with future research, the development of the Internet of Things (IoTs), and engineering applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Fabrication of Micro/Nano Sensors and Actuators)

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26 pages, 5109 KiB

Open AccessReview

Research Progress of MEMS Inertial Switches

by Min Liu, Xinyang Wu, Yanxu Niu, Haotian Yang, Yingmin Zhu and Weidong Wang

Micromachines 2022, 13(3), 359; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/mi13030359 - 24 Feb 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3315

Abstract

As a typical type of MEMS acceleration sensor, the inertial switch can alter its on-off state while the environmental accelerations satisfy threshold value. An exhaustive summary of the design concept, performance aspects, and fabrication methods of the micro electromechanical system (MEMS) inertial switch is provided. Different MEMS inertial switch studies were reviewed that emphasized acceleration directional and threshold sensitivity, contact characteristics, and their superiorities and disadvantages. Furthermore, the specific fabrication methods offer an applicability reference for the preparation process for the designed inertial switch, including non-silicon surface micromachining technology, standard silicon micromachining technology, and the special fabrication method for the liquid inertial switch. At the end, the main conclusions of the current challenges and prospects about MEMS inertial switches are drawn to assist with the development of research in the field of future engineering applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Fabrication of Micro/Nano Sensors and Actuators)

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