This paper presents the development of building up a controlled MEMS acceleration sensor. The first samples have archived a resolution of better than 500 ug and a bandwidth of more than 200 Hz. A theoretical model is built from the physical principles of the complete sensor system, consisting of the MEMS sensor, the charge amplifier and the PWM driver for the sensor element. A reduced order model of the system is used to design a robust control with the Mixed-Sensitivity H-infinity Approach. Limitations for the control design are given since the system contains time delays and an unstable pole imposed by the electrostatic spring softening effect. The theoretical model might be inaccurate or lacks of completeness, because the parameters for the theoretical model building vary from sample to sample or might be not known. A new two-stage identification scheme is deployed to obtain directly the system parameters from the samples. The focus of this paper is the complete system development and identification process including practical tests in a DSP TI-TMS320C3000 environment with 12/14-bit A/D-D/A converters. / Der Artikel beschreibt die Entwicklungsschritte eines geregelten MEMS-Beschleunigungssensors. Die ersten Prototypen erreichten dabei eine Auflösung von weniger als 500 ug und eine Bandbreite von mehr als 200 Hz. Ein theoretisches Modell für den Reglerentwurf wird aus den physikalischen Zusammenhängen des Gesamtsystems, bestehend aus dem mechanischen Sensorelement, dem Ladungsverstärker und der PWM-Treiberstufe, gebildet. Für den Reglerentwurf wird der H-Infinity Mixed-Sensitivity Approach verwendet. Wegen Systemtotzeiten und dem Effekt der elektrostatischen Federerweichung sind Grenzen für die Wahl der Bandbreite zu beachten. Da Parameter für das theoretische Modell stark variieren oder schwer zu bestimmen sind, wird eine 2-Stufen-Identifikationsmethode vorgeschlagen, um ein Modell für den Reglerentwurf zu erhalten. Praktische Tests wurden mit einem DSP TI-TMS320C3000 mit 12/14-Bit A/D-D/A Wandlerstufen durchgeführt.

Die vorliegende Arbeit beschreibt die Entwicklung eines redundanten, mikromechanischen Beschleunigungssensorarrays. Die Redundanz wird genutzt, um Messabweichungen zu korrigieren. Die Einflussfaktoren auf die Genauigkeit der Sensoren werden analysiert und die erzielten Verbesserungen beim Einsatz von Sensorarrays aufgezeigt. Neben den stochastischen Einflüssen können mithilfe des Arrays auch deterministische Fehler bzw. Querempfindlichkeiten korrigiert werden. Die Fertigung des Sensorarrays erfolgt mittels einer MEMS-Technologie mit einem hohen Aspektverhältnis im einkristallinen, anisotropen Silizium. Das Design ist so gestaltet, dass für jedes Sensorelement dieses Arrays bei gleichbleibenden mechanischen und elektrischen Sensoreigenschaften beliebige Messrichtungen realisierbar sind. Die messtechnische Charakterisierung der Sensorarrays und die Signalauswertung werden ausführlich beschrieben. Für die Signalauswertung der kapazitiv arbeitenden Sensorelemente wird ein angepasstes Trägerfrequenzmessverfahren entwickelt. Die Sensorarrays arbeiten mittels eines digitalen Reglers in einem geschlossenen Regelkreis. Die Verbesserungen des Messsignals durch die redundante Anordnung werden aufgezeigt.

In this research, wafer-level flexible input/output interconnection technologies, Mechanically Flexible Interconnects (MFIs), have been developed. First, Au-NiW MFIs with 65 µm vertical elastic range of motion are designed and fabricated. The gold passivation layer is experimentally verified to not only lower the electrical resistance but also significantly extend the life-time of the MFIs. In addition, a photoresist spray-coating based fabrication process is developed to scale the in-line pitch of MFIs from 150 µm to 50 µm. By adding a contact-tip, Au-NiW MFI could realize a rematable assembly on a substrate with uniform pads and a robust assembly on a substrate with 45 µm surface variation. Last but not least, multi-pitch multi-height MFIs (MPMH MFIs) are formed using double-lithography and double-reflow processes, which can realize an MFI array containing MFIs with various heights and various pitches. Using these advanced MFIs, large scale heterogeneous systems which can provide high performance system-level interconnections are demonstrated. For example, the demonstrated 3D interposer stacking enabled by MPMH MFIs is promising to realize a low profile and cavity-free robust stacking system. Moreover, bridged multiinterposer system is developed to address the reticle and yield limitations of realizing a large scale system using current 2.5D integration technologies. The high-bandwidth interconnection available within interposer can be extended by using a silicon chip to bridge adjacent interposers. MFIs assisted thermal isolation is also developed to alleviate thermal coupling in a high-performance 3D stacking system.

The bistable spherical compliant mechanism (BSCM) is a novel device capable of large, repeatable, out-of-plane motion, characteristics that are somewhat difficult to achieve with surface micromachined microelectromechanical systems. An improved pseudo-rigid-body model (PRBM) to predict the behavior of the BSCM is presented. The new model was used to analyze seven different versions of the device, each with a different compliant joint length. The new model, which adds torsion, is compared with a finite element analysis (FEA) beam model. The new model more closely approximates the results yielded by FEA than previous models used to analyze the BSCM. Future work is needed to quantify stress-stiffening interactions between bending and torsion. Both FEA and the current models show that increasing the length of the compliant segment decreases the amount of force required to actuate the device.

Electrowetting on dielectric (EWOD) is a technique for reducing the apparent contact angle of a fluid droplet, which has many promising applications in the fields of optics, digital displays, and lab-on-a-chip research. In this thesis, a design is presented for a novel single circuit device for achieving continuous droplet motion, by using the current-rectifying properties of valve metals to create diode-like behavior. This contrasts with existing designs, which require an array of individual electrodes to achieve motion in discrete steps. We are able to demonstrate continuous droplet motion across a 28mm-long test strip with an applied voltage of 303 V and a velocity of 5.59 mm/s (at 370 V) using an ionic-fluid electrolyte (BMIM-PF6), and have achieved actuation at as low as 185 V, with a maximum observed velocity (at 300 V) of 13.8 mm/s using a 1M sodium sulfate solution.

Radio-frequency microelectromechanical systems (RF MEMS) are widely used for contact actuators and capacitive switches. These devices typically consist of a metallic membrane which is activated by a time-periodic electrostatic force and makes periodic contact with a contact pad. The increase in switch capacitance at contact causes the RF signal to be deflected and the switch thus closes. Membrane motion is damped by the surrounding gas, typically air or nitrogen. As the switch opens and closes, the flow transitions between the continuum and rarefied regimes. Furthermore, creep is a critical physical mechanism responsible for the failure in these devices, especially those operating at high RF power. Simultaneous and accurate modeling of all these different physics is required to understand the dynamical membrane response in these devices and to estimate device lifetime and to improve MEMS reliability. It is advantageous to model fluid and structural mechanics and electrostatics within a single comprehensive numerical framework to facilitate coupling between them. In this work, we develop a single unified finite volume method based numerical framework to study this multi-physics problem in RF MEMS. Our objective required us to develop structural solvers, fluid flow solvers, and electrostatic solvers using the finite volume method, and efficient mechanisms to couple these different solvers. A particular focus is the development of flow solvers which work efficiently across continuum and rarefied regimes. A number of novel contributions have been made in this process. Structural solvers based on a fully implicit finite volume method have been developed for the first time. Furthermore, strongly implicit fluid flow solvers have also been developed that are valid for both continuum and rarefied flow regimes and which show an order of magnitude speed-up over conventional algorithms on serial platforms. On parallel platforms, the solution techniques developed in this thesis are shown to be significantly more scalable than existing algorithms. The numerical methods developed are used to compute the static and dynamic response of MEMS. Our results indicate that our numerical framework can become a computationally efficient tool to model the dynamics of RF MEMS switches under electrostatic actuation and gas damping. / text

This thesis improves a previous kinematic analysis and develops the elastic portion of the analysis of a curved compliant beam. This analysis is used to develop a Pseudo-Rigid-Body Model for the curved compliant beam. The Pseudo-Rigid-Body Model consist of kinematic and elastic parameters which can be used to simplify the computation of the large deflections of the beam as it undergoes spherical motion. The kinematic parameters that are developed are the characteristic radius, Gamma*length, the parametric angle coefficient, c_theta, and the kinematic parametrization limit, Capital_theta_max(Gamma). The elastic parameters developed are the stiffness coefficient, K_theta, and the elastic parameterization limit, Capital_theta_max(K). Additionally, curve fit parameters are developed which enable the calculation of the stress in curved beam as it deflects.

Compliant mechanism theory permits a procedure called rigidbody replacement, in which two or more rigid links of the mechanism are replaced by a compliant flexure with equivalent motion. Methods for designing flexure with equivalent motion to replace rigid links are detailed in Pseudo-Rigid-Body Models (PRBMs). Such models have previously been developed for planar mechanisms. This thesis develops the first PRBM for spherical mechanisms. In formulating this PRBM for a spherical mechanism, we begin by applying displacements are applied to a curved beam that cause it todeflect in a manner consistent with spherical kinematics. The motion of the beam is calculated using Finite Element Analysis. These results areanalyzed to give the PRBM parameters. These PRBM parameters vary with the arc length and the aspect ratio of the curved beam.

In this work, various components for low power RF telemetry applications have been investigated. These designed, fabricated and tested devices include radio frequency (RF) micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) switches, single-pole-double-throw (SPDT) RF MEMS switches, nano fabricated capacitors and switching devices, and micromachined microstrip patch antennas.Coplanar waveguide (CPW) RF capacitive switches in shunt and series configuration were designed for high isolation, low insertion loss, and fast switching speed. Switches with > 35 dB isolation, < 0.3 dB insertion loss and switching speeds in the 10's of microseconds were fabricated and measured. These switches were packaged using photo-imagable resists and flip-chip bonding techniques. The MEMS shunt switch topology was also implemented into a single-pole-double-throw (SPDT) design by utilizing two such switches in a series and a shunt configuration, offset by a quarter wavelength section to provide a RF shor t at the input of the shunt switch in the off state. This type of design has the advantage of requiring a simple on-off (0 V and 35 V) bias supply to select the switch state.Also, the use of a focused ion beam (FIB) tool to mill sub-micron gaps in CPW transmission line structures was investigated. Nearly ideal capacitors in the micro- and mm- frequency range with capacitance of 8-12 fF were obtained using this milling technique. The FIB's capability to mill such small gaps at an oblique angle was also utilized to fabricate RF nano switches. These devices were switched with speeds of less than 300 ns with voltages of less than 20 V. Finally, solid state and packaged MEMS switches were integrated into a novel binary amplitude shift keyed (BASK) modulating RF telemetry system to provide the modulation of a redirected 10 GHz continuous wave (CW) signal. A pair of cross-polarized micromachined microstrip patch antennas was used in the system to receive the CW signal and re-transmit th e modulated signal. A transmission range of over 25 m was demonstrated with the solid state switch reflectenna.

Kyoto University (京都大学) / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(工学) / 甲第18990号 / 工博第4032号 / 新制||工||1621 / 31941 / 京都大学大学院工学研究科電気工学専攻 / (主査)教授 引原 隆士, 教授 北野 正雄, 准教授 山田 啓文 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当