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We present a novel design of a low-power micro-electro-mechanical digital to analog converter (DAC) based on a clamped-clamped micro-beam resonator with multiple split electrodes and capacitive airgaps of various widths. The proposed n-bit DAC device operates at a single drive frequency and can access one of $2^{\mathbf {n}}$ distinct stable states based on the applied digital combination. The digital

In this paper we investigate the direct effect of resonator quality factor ( $Q$ ) on the oscillator phase noise. We use 2-port contour mode resonators (CMRs), fabricated both with aluminum nitride (AlN) and aluminum scandium nitride (AlScN), as the frequency-determining element in the oscillator circuit. Over 70 oscillator configurations are tested using resonators with different $Q$ and with different

In the present work, experimental and numerical thermal analysis of a microhotplate were performed to evaluate the heat transfer mechanism at small Rayleigh number ( $Ra$ ). The convective and radiative heat transfer coefficient values were evaluated for microhotplate mounted over two different mounting positions (namely model-1 & model-2). At different heat generation ( $Q$ ) values, it was found

Presents the table of contents for this issue of the publication.

Presents a listing of the editorial board, board of governors, current staff, committee members, and/or society editors for this issue of the publication.

An RF oscillator has been demonstrated using a wideband SH 0 mode lithium niobate acoustic delay line (ADL). The design space of the ADL-based oscillators is theoretically investigated using the classical linear time-invariant (LTI) phase noise model. The analysis reveals that the key to low phase noise is low insertion loss (IL), large delay ( ${\tau }_{\mathbf {G}}$ ), and high carrier frequency

This letter shows that active tuning of MEMS resonators through temperature is highly dependent on the actuation mechanism used, and demonstrates the adverse effects of using substrate conductive heating characterization results to predict device’s performance in their final application, where Joule heating is most likely to be used. A buckled VO 2 -based SiO 2 tunable MEMS resonator is used in the

This paper reports on the demonstrations of first-order antisymmetric Lamb wave (A1) mode resonator as a new platform for front-end filtering of the fifth-generation (5G) wireless communication. The sub-6 GHz resonance in this work is achieved by employing the A1 mode in the micromachined Y-cut Lithium Niobate (LiNbO 3 ) thin films. The spurious modes mitigation is achieved by optimizing the distribution

We are reporting on the first use of the piezo-avalanche effect in a micromachined sensor for the measurement of inertial forces. The device integrates a pn junction at the base of a beam that is used as the spring for the microstructure. Movements of a proof-mass at the opposite end of the beam produce stress at the location of the junction. To measure this stress, the junction is forced into its

This work presents a new acoustic MEMS resonator technology, dubbed Aluminum Nitride (AlN) Combined Overtone Resonator (COR), capable of addressing the filter requirements for the 5G high frequency bands in the 6-40GHz range. The COR exploits the multimodal excitation of two higher-order Lamb waves ( $2^{\mathbf {nd}}$ and $3^{\mathbf {rd}}$ order Asymmetrical Lamb Waves) in a suspended thin-film AlN

Flat surfaces decorated with micro- and nanostructures are important tools in biomedical research used to control cellular shape, in studies of mechanotransduction, membrane mechanics, cell migration and cellular interactions with nanostructured surfaces. Existing methods to fabricate surface-bound nanostructures are typically limited either by resolution, aspect ratio or throughput. In this work,

Passive implantable or portable infusion pumps comprise an energy source to pressurize a drug and a fluidic restriction to determine the delivery rate. MEMS technology enables the design of microfluidic chips that can passively regulate the flow rate and therefore limit the impact of pressure variations on flow accuracy. The device is a triple-stack structure made of silicon and borosilicate with valves

Chronic lung disease is commonly treated using portable inhaler systems. By design, these inhalers come into repeated contact with the mouth region of patients and are therefore subject to bacterial contamination and ingrowth. To enable the safe delivery of an aerosol from a drug reservoir of such an inhaler, the reservoir needs to be protected from pathogens. Here we demonstrate a self-sealing aerosol

We demonstrate two novel dual-mode ovenized MEMS resonators, each with an in-chip device layer micro-oven that utilizes less than 30mW for resonator temperature control over variations in external temperature from −40°C to +60°C. The device layer micro-oven enables correction for ambient temperature variations and achieves a 1-week frequency stability for the output mode over temperature near 1.5 ppb

A method that allows the investigation of discharge transport mechanism in dielectric films used in MEMS capacitive switches or MIM capacitors or even bare dielectric films is presented. The method is based on monitoring the dielectric film surface or MIM top electrode potential decay rate and the dependence of conductivity on surface potential. The method has been applied in MEMS and MIMs with simultaneously

In this paper, we introduce a compliant mechanical amplifier (mechAMP) suitable for the sensitivity enhancement in MEMS sensor applications. The design, fabrication and characterization of a planar compliant amplifier mechanism is presented with special focus on the kinematic and static system modelling of the displacement and force amplification. We show that the proposed system can also be applied

Reactive Ion Etching (RIE) of Cytop as the cladding material for optical waveguides and microfluidic channels is investigated. Different grades of Cytop (M, A and S), different mask materials including photoresist and metals, different RIE parameters, along with different substrate materials were investigated. Grass-like structure was observed at the bottom of etched channels, of height that depends

We present the conceptual approach, theoretical simulations, and experimental results of a novel device based on acoustic delay lines with different pitch between transmitter and receiver (dubbed pitch-asymmetric delay lines) for passive voltage amplification of radio frequency signals. The theoretical results show that it is possible to attain very high voltage gains in this new class of asymmetrical

In this paper, we report a two-dimensional (2D) Thermoresistive Micro Calorimetric Flow (TMCF) sensor by using a $0.35~\mu \text{m}$ 2P4M CMOS MEMS technology. For the airflow, the fabricated and the open-space packaged 2D flow sensor system achieved the highest normalized sensitivity of 32 mV/W/(m/s) with respect to input heating power and gain. To overcome the sensor output drifting issue due to

Non-linearity in actuation of MEMS devices are essential in many applications. Previously, we presented the design and modeling of a NanoThermoMechanical AND logic gate, which is one of the building blocks of thermal computing (i.e., data processing based on heat instead of electricity). The gate is achieved through the coupling between near-field thermal radiation and MEMS thermal actuation. In the

We present a novel approach to fundamentally eliminate electrical feedthrough (cross-talk) signal in self-sensing piezoelectric microcantilevers, used in dynamic mode atomic force microscopy (AFM). The probe is an Si microcantilever on which a two-layer piezoelectric stack transducer is microfabricated. The top transducer in the stack functions as an actuator, while the bottom transducer is used as

Electroactive-Polymers (EAPs) are one of the best soft $\mu $ -actuators with great biomedical applications. Ionic ones ( i -EAPs) have more promising features and have adequate potential for using in the active microfluidic devices. Here, as a case study, we have designed and fabricated a microfluidic micromixer using an i -EAP named Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite (IPMC). In microfluidics, active devices

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The sealed cavity pressure of a micro-package often becomes the determining factor of the performance of an encapsulated micro-electro mechanical system (MEMS). In this study, a sealed cavity pressure evaluation method for a micro-package using a thin diaphragm is studied comprehensively. The sealed cavity pressure is identical to the surrounding pressure when the diaphragm separating both volumes

This article reports a novel work on the fabrication of microarrays of electrospun Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membrane for MEMS and energy harvesting applications. Micropatterning of PVDF membrane is an essential step in fabrication process in order for the sample to be integrated in microelectromechanical systems. The high $\beta $ -phase fraction of PVDF membranes was successfully synthesized

We present a microelectromechanical system (MEMS)-based closed-loop force sensor, capable of measuring bidirectional forces along one axis of motion. The device comprises an on-chip electrothermal displacement sensor and electrostatic actuators. It features a voltage-controlled stiffness-adjustment mechanism, providing the user with an additional means of tuning the sensor’s characteristics. This

We report novel, low-cost, high-temperature compatible, high-pressure compatible, and chemically resistant additively manufactured microfluidics. The devices were monolithically fabricated by extruding silver clay with a fused filament fabrication 3D printer frame fitted with a syringe extruder, followed by annealing at 885 °C in air. Analysis of the printable feedstock shows that the green material

In this work, we present first-order antisymmetric (A1) mode resonators in 128° Y-cut lithium niobate (LiNbO 3 ) thin films with electromechanical coupling coefficients ( $k^{2}$ ) as large as 46.4%, exceeding the state-of-the-art. The achievable $k^{2}$ of A1 in LiNbO 3 substrates of different orientations is first explored, showing X-axis direction in 128° Y-cut LiNbO 3 among the optimal combinations

Knowledge of the mechanical properties and stability of thin film structures is important for device operation. Potential failures related to crack initiation and growth must be identified early, to enable healing through e.g. annealing. Here, three square suspended membranes, formed from a thin layer of cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC) or germanium (Ge) on a silicon substrate, were characterised by

This paper presents the design and fabrication method to render a silicon-on-insulator (SOI)-based pMUT array bendable. The proposed method can be applied to silicon-based pMUT arrays with different acoustical specifications. A bendable array based on the proposed method is highly conformal to the target structure. The bendable structure is made out of several silicon islands containing a pMUT array

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) humidity sensors promise broad prospects for Internet of Things (IoT) applications due to the advantages of low cost, portability, and high sensitivity. However, previous researches mainly focused on developing SAW devices with higher resonant frequencies, or using new sensing materials to improve the performance of SAW humidity sensors. Few researches studied the specific

We report on the design, fabrication and characterization of a wafer level packaged, vacuum sealed, fully integrated and cell-phone compatible tunable micromachined Fabry-Pérot filter ( $\mu $ FPF), operating within the visual and near-infrared (VIS-NIR) optical range. Implementation of a normally closed architecture combined with the electrostatic actuation enlarging, rather than closing, the optical

In this work, we use a simplified version of Young’s solution for the steady-state Joule-heating, that uses temperature dependent thermal and electrical conductivities, to find the temperature and displacement behavior of a V-shaped electrothermal microactuator (ETMA) device. In order to test and validate our approach we performed FEM simulations and actually built an ETMA device by microfabrication

With the rising market for inertial MEMS, reliable stiction detection methods at wafer level become increasingly important. This paper describes a new mechanism for producing enhanced stiction results at wafer level testing due to electric stimulation of the electrode fingers of the MEMS devices and provides a new wafer level measurement method to detect critical frequency ranges. Dependent on the

Recent studies have elucidated a promising balance of physical and mechanical properties of sputter deposited nickel-molybdenum-tungsten (Ni-Mo-W) films that have a unique nanotwinned microstructure and promising potential for use in high temperature microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). The current study was undertaken to establish the feasibility of making nanotwinned Ni-Mo-W microcantilevers with

In this paper, Thickness-Lamé (TL) mode piezoelectrically-transduced silicon resonators are studied and demonstrated. It will be shown that unlike Planar-Lamé resonance modes, Thickness-Lamé modes could be efficiently excited using sputtered polycrystalline piezoelectric films such as Scandium Aluminum Nitride (ScAlN) due to the constructive contribution of both $d_{31}$ and $d_{33}$ piezoelectric

This study presents the design, fabrication, and test of a micro accelerometer with intrinsic processing capabilities, that integrates the functions of sensing and computing in the same MEMS. The device consists of an inertial mass electrostatically coupled to an oscillating beam through a gap of 8 $\mu \text{m}$ . The motion of the inertial mass modulates an AC electrostatic field that drives the

We present an ambient temperature compensation method for micro thermal convective accelerometers (MTCA) to improve the performance of temperature drift of sensitivity (TDS) and temperature drift of bias (TDB). Based on the theoretical and experimental analysis, we revealed that the temperature drift of sensitivity (sensitivity attenuation) of the MTCA is not only attributed to the changing properties

Presents the table of contents for this issue of the publication.

Presents a listing of the editorial board, board of governors, current staff, committee members, and/or society editors for this issue of the publication.

It is thanks to the diligent and painstaking service of its Editorial Board that the Journal of MicroElectroMechanical System (JMEMS) has maintained its prestige over the years and it is recognized as one of the most relevant collection of publications related to MEMS research activities. The Associate Editors of JMEMS work very hard with authors and reviewers to make sure papers of the highest quality

On November 22, 2019, MEMS lost one of its early pioneers, Dr. Harvey C. Nathanson, at age 83. A lifelong resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he received his education in electrical engineering from Carnegie Institute of Technology, now Carnegie Mellon University, completing his Ph.D. in 1962. He then joined Westinghouse Research and Development Center, working as a research engineer and then manager

This paper reports a novel mode-localized resonant accelerometer, which can keep high sensitivity even over a wide range. To improve the adjustability of sensitivity, a new four degree of freedom (4-DoF) series-parallel resonator array is proposed. Three sensing resonators are mechanically coupled together in series by folding beams and the fourth sensitivity-tuning resonator is electrically coupled

Although high strain and strain-rate impacts to the human body have been the subject of substantial research at both the systemic and tissue levels, little is known about the cell-level ramifications of such assaults. This is largely due to the lack of high throughput, dynamic compression devices capable of simulating such traumatic loading conditions on individual cells. To fill this gap, we developed

This paper presents a design process for miniaturized atomic vapor cells using the micro-glassblowing process. It discusses multiple design considerations, including cell geometry, optical properties, materials, and surface coating. The geometry and the optical properties were studied using experimentally verified analytical and Finite Element Models (FEM). The cell construction material and surface

Transient heat flux sensors are widely used in unsteady thermal analyses. Commercial sensors currently available for high heat flux, however, have relatively low sensitivity. Micromachined thermopile based sensors with advantages of high sensitivity and small size, have been used for the measurement of heat flux produced by black body (usually in the level of W/m 2 ), but not been tried to measure

Performance of several readout circuits, when applied to a MEMS-based bulk piezoresistive displacement sensor is compared in this study. The sensor comprises a pair of tilted clamped-guided silicon beams whose bulk piezoresistivity is used for displacement sensing. Wheatstone half-bridge, constant-voltage, and constant-current circuits are implemented to measure resistance changes of this sensor. We

Superomniphobic surfaces that repel liquids of extremely low surface tension rely on carefully fabricated doubly re-entrant topographies, typically made by silicon deep reactive ion etching technology. However, previously published processes have depended on critically timed etching steps, which are difficult to downscale. We present a scalable process that eliminates the critically timed etching steps

In this study, the simple and rapid formation of porous silicon on a pillar array structure using inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching (ICP-RIE) is realized. This method can render the outermost surface porous without using an additional etching or deposition apparatus because the same equipment is used to form the structure. As a basic experiment, we attempted to etch the structure by considerably

Development of microfluidic circuits that are analogous to electronic circuits is useful because of their potential to drastically reduce dynamic off-chip controllers. In microfluidic circuits, a microfluidic oscillator that converts constant input to pulsatile output is the key component. Here, we apply a constant inflow to our previous constant pressure-driven oscillator and demonstrate its distinct

Combining the resolution of conventional gas chromatography systems with the size factor of microGC systems is important for improving the affordability and portability of high performance gas analysis. Recent work has demonstrated the feasibility of high resolution separation of gases in a benchtopscale short column system by controlling thermal gradients through the column. This work reports a microfabricated

The rapid development of microfluidic technology has increased the demand for the integration of driving circuits in the microfluidic devices. We have proposed a novel on-chip electroosmotic (EOF) micropump integrated with a high-voltage (11V) generator. The 11V (49.8 V) generator is based on a Dickson charge pump, which is fabricated on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate by the standard CMOS process

MEMS atomic vapor cells have a large variety of applications in chip-scale atomic devices such as clocks, gyroscopes or magnetometers. These cells are usually hermetically sealed by anodic bonding of borosilicate to silicon, a proven and reliable method, yet showing specific limitations such as inherent oxygen contamination of the cavity or limitation to a few combinations of materials. As an alternative

Sensitivity improvement and measurable pressure limit extension of Pirani vacuum gauge are urgent needed for meeting the rapid growing requirements in ultra-low and wide-range pressure applications. However, the adjustable range of measureable pressure of the Pirani vacuum gauge is limited to only several orders of magnitude of vacuum range. In this work, a fusion method was proposed to improve the