Publications

Toward A Levitated Micromechanical Resonator

Ilya Gurin
Clark T.-C. Nguyen
Liwei Lin
2010

Capacitive micromechanical (MEMS) resonators promise to dramatically improve the design of RF frontends for wireless communications by virtue of their high quality factor (Q). Unfortunately, the physical limitations of MEMS resonators’ Q are poorly understood, and the highest Qs have proven difficult to achieve reliably. In order to further...

Stability, Sensitivity, and Selectivity of Graphene FET-based Gas Sensors

Takeshi Hayasaka
Liwei Lin
Dorian Liepmann
Ana Claudia Arias
2019
Miniaturized gas sensors are expected to witness a high demand in the next decade invarious industry fields due to the small foot print, low power consumption, and low manufacturing cost. To date, various miniaturized gas sensors have been proposed by combining key sensing principles/materials and micro/nano fabrication technologies. Among those platforms, graphene-based gas sensor is especially promising due the unique features: gas sensing capability at room temperature, unique electrical properties, and the truly two...

Simulation of In Situ Solid State Electrochemical Sensor for Improved Diagnostics and Control of Lean Engines

Jonathan Michael Rheaume
Albert P. Pisano
Alice M. Agogino
2008
Internal combustion engines generally operate as open loop feedback systems. Present engine control strategy involves sensors that simply provide data for comparison with an “engine map” of tables in engine control computers. Closing the feedback loop in real time and for individual cylinders would allow improved engine control, resulting in reduced pollution and increased efficiency. This treatise presents a simulation of the output of a solid state sensor...

Sensing and Harvesting Pressure Fluctuations in Harsh Environments

Levent Beker
Liwei Lin
Albert P. Pisano
Tarek Zohdi
Rikky Muller
2017

Pressure is one of the most frequent and important parameters utilized in many applications to provide critical information about the operation of a system as well as a potential mechanical energy source. Among various pressure-related devices, very few function in harsh environment which includes high temperature, high pressure...

Serial Assembly of Microstructures

Subramaniam Venkatraman
Kristofer S.J. Pister
Carlo H. Séquin
2006

This thesis presents serial pick and place assembly of microstructures, fabricated in a simple single mask SOI process, as an approach for the manufacture of complicated microstructures. Two techniques for pick and place microassembly and design of microparts which can be used with either of these two assembly approaches are presented. The techniques are designed to be simple and robust so that they can be extended to an automated assembly-...

SPICE Analysis of a Micro Gyro and Mixed Analog-Digital Sensor Interface Circuit

Amit Burstein
Chand R. Viswanathan
Kristofer S.J. Pister
William H. Kaiser
1994
MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) is a fast growing field both in the commercial companies and in the universities. Different design tools such as VEM and MAGIC are available for the design of both surface and bulk micromachining...

Silicon and Silicon Carbide Nanowires: Synthesis, Characterization, Modification, and Application as Micro-Supercapacitor Electrodes

John Paul Alper
Roya Maboudian
David B. Graves
Liwei Lin
2014
For applications in mobile and remote sensing platforms, microsupercapacitors are attractive energy storage devices due to their robust lifetimes and high specific power capacity. Utilization of green electrolytes in these devices reduces environmental impact and simplifies packaging by avoiding the stringent oxygen and moisture free conditions required for organic and ionic liquid based electrolytes. Porous silicon...

Scanning Blazed Gratings

Kristine Marie Rosfjord
Kam Y. Lau
Richard S. Muller
2001
Diffraction gratings are highly important and widely used in many optical instruments and systems. In the field of spectroscopy, gratings are the enabling devices for the monochromators and spectrometers used in fields ranging from chemistry and biology to optoelectronics and telecommunications. Within the field of...

Silicon to Steel, Rapid Bonding

Theodore Prescop
Albert P. Pisano
Liwei Lin
2003

A rapid bonding process for installing vacuum-sealed MEMS strain sensor modules to mechanical components is being developed. This innovative process will be developed to replace conventional adhesive-based approaches. In particular, the silicon to ...

Silicon Carbide and Diamond Materials Development for Micro- and Nano-Electromechanical Systems

Jingchun Zhang
Roya Maboudian
Roger T. Howe
David B. Graves
Albert P. Pisano
2007
Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are miniature integrated systems including both mechanical and electronic components, which are developed based on silicon integrated circuits technology. The current trend indicates two directions of MEMS technology: (1) a scaling downward to nanometer scale as nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS); (2) a development of advanced materials that can outperform silicon. The goal of this work is to study and develop the material properties and process flows to realize the...