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Micromachines
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MEMS/NEMS Devices and Applications, 2nd Edition
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MEMS/NEMS Devices and Applications, 2nd Edition

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2024 | Viewed by 5308

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ching-Liang Dai

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
Interests: CMOS-MEMS; microsensors; microactuators
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Yao-Chuan Tsai

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Bio-Industrial Mechatronics Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
Interests: micromachined sensors and actuators
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Zhi-Xuan Dai

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Bio-Industrial Mechatronics Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
Interests: microsensors; biosensors; nanotechnology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Recently, nanoelectromechanical system (NEMS) and microelectromechanical system (MEMS) technologies have been employed to develop various microdevices and microstructures. Many sensors and actuators have been manufactured and commercialized using technologies such as pressure sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes, tactile sensors, thermal sensors, flow sensors, optical sensors, image sensors, microphones, magnetic sensors, chemical sensors, gas sensors, biosensors, microchannels, ink jet heads, optical switches, RF switches, micromirror, motors, relays, resonators, filters, and energy harvesters. NEMS/MEMS devices have been widely applied in various fields. This Special Issue aims to collect outstanding research on NEMS/MEMS devices and applications. Submissions related to novel designs, fabrications, developments, and applications of various NEMS/MEMS devices, including physical sensors, chemical sensors, gas sensors, biosensors, actuators, energy harvesters, and others, based on NEMS/MEMS technologies, are welcome. Review articles and original research articles are equally welcome.

Dr. Ching-Liang Dai
Dr. Yao-Chuan Tsai
Dr. Zhi-Xuan Dai
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

  • physical sensors
  • force sensors
  • magnetic sensors
  • optical sensors
  • microphones
  • flow sensors
  • thermal sensors
  • chemical sensors
  • biosensors
  • gas sensors
  • actuators
  • resonators/filters
  • switches/relays
  • energy harvesters
  • lens/mirrors

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 4920 KiB  
Article
Design and Optimization of MEMS Resonant Pressure Sensors with Wide Range and High Sensitivity Based on BP and NSGA-II
by Mingchen Lv, Pinghua Li, Jiaqi Miao, Qi Qiao, Ruimei Liang, Gaolin Li and Xuye Zhuang
Micromachines 2024, 15(4), 509; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15040509 - 10 Apr 2024
Viewed by 463
Abstract
With the continuous progress of aerospace, military technology, and marine development, the MEMS resonance pressure sensor puts forward the requirements of not only a wide range but also high sensitivity. However, traditional resonators are hardly compatible with both. In response, we propose a [...] Read more.
With the continuous progress of aerospace, military technology, and marine development, the MEMS resonance pressure sensor puts forward the requirements of not only a wide range but also high sensitivity. However, traditional resonators are hardly compatible with both. In response, we propose a new sensor structure. By arranging the resonant beam and the sensitive diaphragm vertically in space, the new structure improves the rigidity of the diaphragm without changing the thickness of the diaphragm and achieves the purpose of increasing the range without affecting the sensitivity. To find the optimal structural parameters for the sensor sensitivity and range, and to prevent the effects of modal disturbances, we propose a multi-objective optimization design scheme based on the BP and NSGA-II algorithms. The optimization of the structure parameters not only improved the sensitivity but also increased the interference frequency to solve the issue of mode interference. The optimized structure achieves a sensitivity and range of 4.23 Hz/kPa and 1–10 MPa, respectively. Its linear influence factor is 38.07, significantly higher than that of most resonant pressure sensors. The structural and algorithmic optimizations proposed in this paper provide a new method for designing resonant pressure sensors compatible with a wide range and high sensitivity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue MEMS/NEMS Devices and Applications, 2nd Edition)
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17 pages, 6081 KiB  
Article
Driving Principle and Stability Analysis of Vertical Comb-Drive Actuator for Scanning Micromirrors
by Yameng Shan, Lei Qian, Junduo Wang, Kewei Wang, Peng Zhou, Wenchao Li and Wenjiang Shen
Micromachines 2024, 15(2), 226; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15020226 - 31 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 863
Abstract
We have developed a manufacturing process for micromirrors based on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology. The process involves designing an electrostatic vertically comb-driven actuator and utilizing a self-alignment process to produce a height difference between the movable comb structure and the fixed comb structure [...] Read more.
We have developed a manufacturing process for micromirrors based on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology. The process involves designing an electrostatic vertically comb-driven actuator and utilizing a self-alignment process to produce a height difference between the movable comb structure and the fixed comb structure of the micromirror. To improve the stability of the micromirror, we propose four instability models in micromirror operation with the quasi-static driving principle and structure of the micromirror considered, which can provide a basic guarantee for the performance of vertical comb actuators. This analysis pinpoints factors leading to instability, including the left and right gap of the movable comb, the torsion beams of the micromirror, and the comb-to-beams distance. Ultimately, the voltages at which device failure occurs can be determined. We successfully fabricated a one-dimensional micromirror featuring a 0.8 mm mirror diameter and a 30 μm device layer thickness. The height difference between the movable and fixed comb structures was 10 μm. The micromirror was able to achieve a static mechanical angle of 2.25° with 60 V@DC. Stable operation was observed at voltages below 60 V, in close agreement with the theoretical calculations and simulations. At the driving voltage of 80 V, we observed the longitudinal displacement movement of the comb fingers. Furthermore, at a voltage of 129 V, comb adhesion occurred, resulting in device failure. This failure voltage corresponds to the lateral torsional failure voltage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue MEMS/NEMS Devices and Applications, 2nd Edition)
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16 pages, 12989 KiB  
Article
Design of a Micro-Electro Mechanical System Quad Mass Gyroscope with Compliant Mechanical Amplification
by Jingchuan Zhou, Dacheng Xu, Xinxin Li and Fang Chen
Micromachines 2024, 15(1), 124; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15010124 - 11 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1146
Abstract
In this work, a novel mechanical amplification structure for a MEMS vibratory gyroscope is proposed with the aim of improving their sensitivity. The scheme is implemented using a system of micromachined V-shaped springs as a deflection amplifying mechanism. The effectiveness of the mechanism [...] Read more.
In this work, a novel mechanical amplification structure for a MEMS vibratory gyroscope is proposed with the aim of improving their sensitivity. The scheme is implemented using a system of micromachined V-shaped springs as a deflection amplifying mechanism. The effectiveness of the mechanism is first demonstrated for a capacitive fully decoupled quad mass gyroscope. A proof of concept vertical-axis mechanically amplified gyroscope with an amplification factor of 365% has been designed, simulated and fabricated, and results from its evaluation are presented in this paper. Experimental results show that the natural frequency of the gyroscope is 11.67 KHz, and the full scale measurement range is up to ±400°/s with a maximum nonlinearity of 54.69 ppm. The bias stability is 44.53°/h. The experiment results show that this quad mass gyroscope’s performance is a very potential new way of reaching the navigation grade in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue MEMS/NEMS Devices and Applications, 2nd Edition)
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22 pages, 9007 KiB  
Article
Control Software Design for a Multisensing Multicellular Microscale Gas Chromatography System
by Qu Xu, Xiangyu Zhao, Yutao Qin and Yogesh B. Gianchandani
Micromachines 2024, 15(1), 95; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15010095 - 31 Dec 2023
Viewed by 920
Abstract
Microscale gas chromatography (μGC) systems are miniaturized instruments that typically incorporate one or several microfabricated fluidic elements; such systems are generally well suited for the automated sampling and analysis of gas-phase chemicals. Advanced μGC systems may incorporate more than 15 elements and operate [...] Read more.
Microscale gas chromatography (μGC) systems are miniaturized instruments that typically incorporate one or several microfabricated fluidic elements; such systems are generally well suited for the automated sampling and analysis of gas-phase chemicals. Advanced μGC systems may incorporate more than 15 elements and operate these elements in different coordinated sequences to execute complex operations. In particular, the control software must manage the sampling and analysis operations of the μGC system in a time-sensitive manner; while operating multiple control loops, it must also manage error conditions, data acquisition, and user interactions when necessary. To address these challenges, this work describes the investigation of multithreaded control software and its evaluation with a representative μGC system. The μGC system is based on a progressive cellular architecture that uses multiple μGC cells to efficiently broaden the range of chemical analytes, with each cell incorporating multiple detectors. Implemented in Python language version 3.7.3 and executed by an embedded single-board computer, the control software enables the concurrent control of heaters, pumps, and valves while also gathering data from thermistors, pressure sensors, capacitive detectors, and photoionization detectors. A graphical user interface (UI) that operates on a laptop provides visualization of control parameters in real time. In experimental evaluations, the control software provided successful operation and readout for all the components, including eight sets of thermistors and heaters that form temperature feedback loops, two sets of pressure sensors and tunable gas pumps that form pressure head feedback loops, six capacitive detectors, three photoionization detectors, six valves, and an additional fixed-flow gas pump. A typical run analyzing 18 chemicals is presented. Although the operating system does not guarantee real-time operation, the relative standard deviations of the control loop timings were <0.5%. The control software successfully supported >1000 μGC runs that analyzed various chemical mixtures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue MEMS/NEMS Devices and Applications, 2nd Edition)
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17 pages, 9772 KiB  
Article
Structural Design and Optimization of the Milling Force Measurement Tool System Embedded with Thin-Film Strain Sensors
by Xiangtao Song, Wenge Wu, Yongjuan Zhao, Yunping Cheng and Lijuan Liu
Micromachines 2023, 14(12), 2133; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi14122133 - 21 Nov 2023
Viewed by 738
Abstract
A milling force measurement tool system is designed with an elastic beam structure, which is divided into a two-end ring hoop compression sensor mode and a two-end square hoop compression sensor mode to improve the strain sensitivity. A simplified mechanical model of the [...] Read more.
A milling force measurement tool system is designed with an elastic beam structure, which is divided into a two-end ring hoop compression sensor mode and a two-end square hoop compression sensor mode to improve the strain sensitivity. A simplified mechanical model of the elastic beam is established, and the relationship between the strain and force of the elastic beam under the action of three cutting force components is investigated, which can act a guide for subsequent milling force measurement tool system calibration tests. Thin-film strain sensors occupy a central position in the milling force measurement tool system, which consists of a substrate, transition layer, insulating layer and resistance grid layer. The resistance grid layer has a particularly significant effect on the thin-film strain sensor’s performance. In order to further improve the sensitivity of thin-film strain sensors, the shapes of the substrate, the transition layer, the insulating layer and the resistance grid layer are optimized and studied. A new thin-film strain sensor is designed with a resistance grid beam constructed from an insulating layer and a resistive grid layer double-end-supported on the transition layer. The flow of the wet-etching process of thin-film strain sensors is studied and samples are obtained. The surface microforms of the sensor samples are observed by extended depth-of-field microscopy, confocal microscopy and atomic force microscopy. It can be seen that the boundary of the resistance grid layer pattern is tidy and has high dimensional accuracy, thus enabling the basic achievement of the expected effect of the design. The electrical performance of the samples is tested on an experimental platform that we built, and the results show that the resistive sensitivity coefficient of the samples is increased by about 20%, to 51.2%, compared with that of the flat thin-film strain sensor, which fulfils the design’s requirements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue MEMS/NEMS Devices and Applications, 2nd Edition)
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14 pages, 3773 KiB  
Article
Fabrication and Characterization of Photovoltaic Microgenerators Using the Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor Process
by Chun-Yu Chen and Zhi-Xuan Dai
Micromachines 2023, 14(11), 2038; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi14112038 - 31 Oct 2023
Viewed by 750
Abstract
This study develops a photovoltaic microgenerator based on the complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process. The photovoltaic microgenerator converts the absorbed light energy into electrical energy using the photovoltaic effect. The material for the photovoltaic microgenerator is silicon, and its structure consists of [...] Read more.
This study develops a photovoltaic microgenerator based on the complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process. The photovoltaic microgenerator converts the absorbed light energy into electrical energy using the photovoltaic effect. The material for the photovoltaic microgenerator is silicon, and its structure consists of patterned p–n junctions. The design of the photovoltaic microgenerator utilizes a grid-like shape, forming a large-area p–n junction with a patterned p-doping and N-well structure to enhance the photocurrent and improve the device’s performance. The photovoltaic microgenerator is fabricated employing the CMOS process with post-processing step. Post-processing is applied to enhance the microgenerator’s light absorption and energy-conversion efficiency. This involves using wet etching with buffered-oxide etch (BOE) to remove the silicon dioxide layer above the p–n junctions, allowing direct illumination of the p–n junctions. The area of the photovoltaic microgenerator is 0.79 mm2. The experimental results show that under an illumination intensity of 1000 W/m2, the photovoltaic microgenerator exhibits an open-circuit voltage of 0.53 V, a short-circuit current of 233 µA, a maximum output power of 99 µW, a fill factor of 0.8, and an energy-conversion efficiency of 12.5%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue MEMS/NEMS Devices and Applications, 2nd Edition)
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Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

Mingyuan Ren
title: Integrated Temperature Sensor Interface Circuit, Research Progress and Prospects
abstract：Integrated temperature sensor is being applied to various temperature sensitive environment monitoring because of its measurement accuracy and wide measuring range. This trend is matched by parallel developments in electronic interface systems tailored for integrated temperature sensors. That is to say, choosing the right interface circuit is crucial for the accurate measurement of the temperature sensor. In this paper, the existing integrated temperature sensor interface circuits are reviewed. The interface circuit is divided into front-end temperature sensing circuit and back-end readout circuit. Over time, a number of techniques have been developed to meet the ever-expanding performance parameter requirements. Switching capacitance array based analysis, dynamic component matching technology and chopping, zoom ADC method and emerging frequency-to-temperature method. The above methods are discussed in detail and qualitatively compared their performance in various applications while assessing their overall system performance, stability, and accuracy compared with traditional temperature sensing applications. Finally, some theoretical improvements and suggestions are put forward to improve the integrated temperature sensor interface circuit.
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