Publications

Ultra-Low Energy Architectures and Circuits for Cubic Millimeter Distributed Wireless Sensor Networks

Brett Warneke
Kristofer S.J. Pister
Jan M. Rabaey
Paul K. Wright
2003
This dissertation demonstrates that it is possible to build a useful and complex sensor and communication platform in the cubic millimeter scale using optimizations at the circuit, computer architecture, component, and system-levels to contribute toward this goal. The exponential size and power reductions in computation, communication, and sensing in recent years allows the integration of an autonomous wireless sensor node into volumes less than 16 mm^3. System architectures for...

Experimental Results of Miniature Rotary Internal Combustion Engines

Aaron Knobloch
Carlos Fernandez-Pello
Dorian Liepmann
2001

Internal combustion engines offer many advantages over batteries for applications in portable power generation. A liquid hydrocarbon-fueled engine could provide ten times the specific energy density of the best batteries available....

COTS Dust

Seth Hollar
David M. Auslander
Kristofer S.J. Pister
David E. Culler
Albert P. Pisano
2000
The goal of this thesis is to provide information on cubic inch autonomous sensor devices otherwise known as Commercial-off-the-Shelf Dust (COTS Dust). COTS Dust is capable of sensing and responding to environmental changes and communicating to other devices. This thesis is the compilation of my experience and knowledge in the design of COTS Dust and can be considered a guide for those who wish to design similar systems. Ultimately, its my wish that material provided within contains enough information for ...

Ultra-Deep Reactive Ion Etching for Silicon Wankel Internal Combustion Engines

Aaron Knobloch
Albert P. Pisano
Carlos Fernandez-Pello
Seth Sanders
2003
A new process is presented for the development of a micro, internalcombustion engine fabricated in a process that achieves 900μm deep features via deep reactive ion etching (DRIE). A singlesided 900μm ultradeep etch process with high mask selectivity is used to generate straight sidewall structures with low sidewall roughness. This research is part of an effort to create an autonomous, portable MEMSbased...

A Solar-Powered, Milligram Prototype Robot from a Three-Chip Process

Seth Hollar
Kristofer S.J. Pister
Albert P. Pisano
Roger T. Howe
Richard M. White
2003
Commercial CMOS electronics and two in-house processes have been combined to establish a framework for making hybridized, milligram mobile robots. To demonstratethe capabilities of this framework, an 8.6 mm long, 10 mg, solar-powered prototype robot has been built. Dragging its tail end, the robot has demonstrated autonomous movement under its own weight and power, shuffling to the side a few millimeters and lifting its...

High-Order ΣΔ Interface for Micromachined Inertial Sensors

Vladimir Petkov
Bernhard E. Boser
Roger T. Howe
Roberto Horowitz
2004
Emerging automotive and consumer applications such as vehicle stability control, GPS backup and many others are generating a growing demand for inertial sensors with an increasing range of functionality including digital interfacing, built-in self-test, calibration and temperature compensation. Among various techniques for implementing inertial sensor interfaces, Σ∆ modulation provides the benefits of intrinsically linear, two-level force-feedback and analog-to-digital conversion....

Evolutionary Synthesis of MEMS

Raffi Kamalian
Alice M. Agogino
Albert P. Pisano
Kristofer S.J. Pister
2004
An evolutionary synthesis framework for Microelectrical Mechanical System (MEMS) design is presented. MEMS based technologies promise to bring a revolution to the world we live in just as the integrated circuit has done in recent decades; better design tools are critical to this revolution. More complex design objectives and constraints demand automation to generate successful devices. Genetic algorithms and other stochastic evolutionary synthesis approaches are used to design surface micromachined MEMS using...

Microfluidic Accumulator Driven by Capillary Forces

Eric Hobbs
Albert P. Pisano
Liwei Lin
Roya Maboudian
2003
Four million people died in 2002 due to diabetes related conditions[1]. Diabetes is the leading cause of adult blindness, end-stage kidney disease and amputations as a result of diabetic neuropathy. People with diabetes are two to four times more likely to have coronary heart disease and stroke than people who do not suffer from the disease. ...

Low-Power Portable Microfluidic Delivery System

Eric Hobbs
Albert P. Pisano
Liwei Lin
Daniel Fletcher
2004
Future, portable, continuously-monitoring micro-total-analysis-systems are likely to require low-power portable microfluidic delivery systems allowing the actuation of fluids with a minimum expenditure of electrical energy. One method to accomplish this is to utilize a micro-osmotic pum...

Lateral Etching of Silicon: The Hole-in-the-Wall Fabrication Processes

Jeremy Frank
Albert P. Pisano
Liwei Lin
Lydia L. Sohn
2004

This project details three derivatives of a fabrication process that gives the MEMS engineer increased freedom when designing planar microfluidic systems. This new family of processes was developed to laterally etch microfluidic channels in silicon and can be used to place an orifice (the “hole-in-the-wall”) in the center of the sidewall of a channel, Fig. 1.1. This creates improved valve seat geometry and has been used to create planar silicon microvalves that seal...