Richard M. White (Advisor)

Microrelay Design, Performance, and Systems

Ezekiel Kruglick
Kristofer S.J. Pister
Roger T. Howe
Richard M. White
Dorian Liepmann
1999

Surface micromachined four terminal relays have been fabricated, tested, and packaged. The relays are implemented in a foundry process with minimal post-processing. They show on resistances as low as 20mW, current carrying capacities as highas 0.48 Amps, and lifetimes in the millions of cycles while hot switching 80mA. These devices are thus competitive with commercial macroscopic relays.

Achieving these high performance and reliability levels required exploring the physics and tribology of microrelays and using novel physical experiments to outline a...

Roger Doering

Alumni
Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences
Professor Richard M. White (Advisor)
Ph.D. 2001

Pamela Caton

Alumni
Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences
Professor Richard M. White (Advisor)
Ph.D. 2001

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...

Fully Integrated Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) Bio-Assay Platform

Octavian Florescu
Bernhard E. Boser
Richard M. White
Ali Javey
Eva Harris
2010

We present a post-processed 6.25mm2 0.18μm Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) platform that leverages the advantages of super-paramagnetic bead labeling to integrate on-chip the label separation and detection functionalities required for high sensitivity bio-assays. The surfaces of the CMOS chip and of the magnetic beads are functionalized with bio-chemicals complementary to a target analyte. In a sandwich capture format, the presence of the target analyte will strongly bind 4.5μm magnetic bead labels to the...

Zhiwei Wu

Alumni
Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences
Professor Richard M. White (Advisor)
Ph.D. 2020

RMW25: Microsphere Capture and Perfusion in Microchannels Using Flexural Plate Wave Structures

Justin Black
2003

Sequential flow injection (FI) involves the temporary immobilization of functionalized microspheres as a renewable surface for (bio) chemical assays. We describe a microfabricated flow injection system that employs the ultrasonic flexural plate wave (FPW) device to acoustically capture microspheres from fluid flow. Microsphere capture is achieved by counteracting viscous drag force with radiation pressure generated from a standing acoustic field. The feasibility of acoustic trapping for FI is demonstrated with a bio-ligand assay of fluorescently labeled biotin conjugated to...

RMW26: Fabrication of a High Aspect Ratio Piezoelectric Microactuator

Jonathan D. Foster
2003

We are developing a new type of piezoelectric microactuator (and microsensor). Modeling indicates that this microactuator should be able to provide displacements and forces similar to or better than electrostatic actuators, but at lower voltages. In use as a microsensor, high sensitivities (in terms of Volts per microNewton) are expected from this device. Unlike typical piezoelectric microactuators or microsensors, displacement of this microactuator/microsensor is directed in the plane of the substrate, which permits more sophisticated devices to be developed. Current development...

RMW27: Chemical Sensing with Smart Dust

Justin Black
Thomas E. Oberheim
2003

We report on the feasibility of coupling electrochemical vapor sensors to the Smart Dust wireless communication platform. Small, sensitive and selective electrochemical sensors, which are available commercially for many chemical vapors, can advantageously be coupled to the Mica motes in a Smart Dust network.

Project end date: 01/25/04

RMW28: Portable Monitor for Airborne Particles

Justin Black
2007

This project involves development of a portable MEMS based instrument for particulate matter (PM) exposure assessment. The instrument, dubbed the MEMS PM monitor, measures and differentiates fine particulate matter concentrations of such substances as diesel engine exhaust, environmental tobacco smoke, wood smoke, and cooking vapors.

Project end date: 01/29/07