Micro Miniaturization

Paper Summary:

This paper defines the technology of micro miniaturization which was conceived in the electronics industry. It discusses the status of ongoing research specifically oriented to fabrication, performance, and application of micro sensors and their use for heat transfer and fluid flow measurements. It looks at how the application of this technology to other domains outside of the electronics industry has become known as "surface machining," and has emerged during the last thirty (30) years as a viable technology.

From the Paper:

"Fabrication capabilities have continued to grow over the last twenty years and have produced a large number of actuator assembly combinations that include miniature motors, tweezers, accelerometers, and pressure sensors. It is now feasible to consider using micro machining technology to fabricate chemical instruments and even miniature chemical laboratories (Ramsey, 1997). Surface machined pressure sensors (Lin, 1998), have been designed, optimized and fabricated. Polysilicon diaphragms with thicknesses in the range of two micro microns, have been manufactured by utilizing Low Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition (LPCVD)and as such form the core components in micro pressure transducers. The diaphragms so generated stand atop micro vacuum cavities that are constructed by a specially designed, vacuum sealant process. Thus pressure changes cause a deflection of the diaphragm, the magnitudes of which are detected by using built-in piece resistive elements that are positioned on the surface of the diaphragms. Both square and circular-shaped sensors with nominal diameters in the range of 100 microns have been fabricated and tested. Optimized designs that include position orientation and length of the piece resistive elements have been analyzed. The attendant fabrication process is completely compatible with integrated circuit processing techniques in use today. Consequently, using stable technology, today, microelectronic structures can be fully integrated with micro sensors to create micro scale mechatronics systems."

More papers on Micro Miniaturization:

• Research Paper # 24922 : "Miniaturization"
• Research Paper # 27498 : "Micro Machining"
• Research Paper # 117920 : "Injection Molding of Micro-Channel Architectures"

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