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Micromachines
Volume 13
Issue 5
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Micromachines, Volume 13, Issue 5 (May 2022) – 172 articles

Cover Story (view full-size image): With the recent advancements in microfabrication, researchers have revisited magnetorheological micropump designs. In this study, Rubayet et al. propose a magnetorheological micropump featuring a duckbill valve. The proposed design can pump 2.45 µL of fluid during the first second and minimizes the backflow by nearly 7.5 times compared to a model without a valve. The reported model could potentially be used in a broad range of applications, such as an insulin dosing system for type 1 diabetic patients, artificial organs to transport blood, organ-on-chip applications, and so on. View this paper
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15 pages, 17110 KiB  
Article
Dynamic Characteristics and Experimental Research of Linear-Arch Bi-Stable Piezoelectric Energy Harvester
by Xuhui Zhang, Fulin Zhu, Luyang Chen, Xiaoyu Chen, Yan Guo and Hengtao Xu
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 814; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13050814 - 23 May 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1637
Abstract
Collecting vibration energy in the environment is expected to solve the problem of the self-power supply of wireless monitoring nodes in underground coal mines. By introducing nonlinear factors, a linear-arch bi-stable piezoelectric energy harvester (LBPEH) is designed. In order to reveal the influence [...] Read more.
Collecting vibration energy in the environment is expected to solve the problem of the self-power supply of wireless monitoring nodes in underground coal mines. By introducing nonlinear factors, a linear-arch bi-stable piezoelectric energy harvester (LBPEH) is designed. In order to reveal the influence of system parameters on the dynamic characteristics of LBPEH, the magnetic force model is established by the magnetizing current method, and the restoring force model is acquired through experimental measurement. The electromechanical coupling dynamics model of the system is established based on the Lagrange equation and Kirchhoff’s law. The influence of excitation amplitude and excitation frequency on the dynamic characteristics of the piezoelectric energy harvester is simulated and analyzed. Moreover, experiments are designed to verify the results of the simulation. The results reveal that the restoring force of the linear-arch beam is nonlinear, and the LBPEH constructed by the linear-arch beam has an asymmetric potential well. Changing the excitation frequency or excitation amplitude can make the system in the well chaotic and achieve a large periodic motion state. With the increase of excitation amplitude, it is beneficial for the system to realize large periodic motion. The research provides theoretical guidance for the design of piezoelectric energy harvesters for different excitation conditions. Full article
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20 pages, 6513 KiB  
Article
Study of the Influencing Factors on the Small-Quantity Fuel Injection of Piezoelectric Injector
by Zhenming Liu, Nan Liu and Jingbin Liu
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 813; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13050813 - 23 May 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2005
Abstract
The piezoelectric injection-system provides a reliable approach for precise small-quantity fuel injection due to its fast, dynamic response. Considering the nonlinearity of a piezoelectric actuator, the complete electro-mechanical-hydraulic model of the piezoelectric injector was established and verified experimentally, which showed that it could [...] Read more.
The piezoelectric injection-system provides a reliable approach for precise small-quantity fuel injection due to its fast, dynamic response. Considering the nonlinearity of a piezoelectric actuator, the complete electro-mechanical-hydraulic model of the piezoelectric injector was established and verified experimentally, which showed that it could accurately predict the fuel injection quantity. The small-quantity fuel injection with different driving voltages, pulse widths, and rail pressures was analyzed. The effects of key structural parameters of the injector on the delivery, control-chamber pressure fluctuation, and small-quantity injection characteristics were studied. The results show that the linearity of the curve of the injection volume with the pulse width was relatively poor, and there was a significant inflection point when the piezoelectric injector worked in the small pulse width region (PW < 0.6 ms). The bypass valve significantly accelerated the establishment of the control-chamber pressure, reduced the pressure fluctuation in the chamber, shortened the closing delay and duration of the needle valve, and reduced the rate of the fuel-quantity change so that it provided a greater control margin for the pulse width over the same fuel volume change interval. Under the condition of a small-quantity fuel injection of 20 mm3, decreasing the inlet orifice diameter and increasing the outlet orifice diameter shortened the minimum control pulse width and fuel injection duration required for the injector injection, which is beneficial for multiple and small-quantity fuel injection. However, these behaviors reduce the control margin for the pulse width, especially in small pulse width regions. Full article
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17 pages, 23820 KiB  
Article
Infrared Transmission Characteristics of Phase Transitioning VO2 on Various Substrates
by Samee Azad, Durga Gajula, Nawraj Sapkota, Apparao Rao and Goutam Koley
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 812; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13050812 - 23 May 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2163
Abstract
Infrared transmission characteristics of VO2 thin films synthesized on multiple substrates, using a low-pressure direct oxidation technique, have been characterized. Material characterization of these films indicates high material quality, which resulted in large variation of electrical and optical properties at phase transition. [...] Read more.
Infrared transmission characteristics of VO2 thin films synthesized on multiple substrates, using a low-pressure direct oxidation technique, have been characterized. Material characterization of these films indicates high material quality, which resulted in large variation of electrical and optical properties at phase transition. A change in optical transmissivity greater than 80% was observed for these films utilizing infrared (IR) laser illumination at 1550 nm. Phase transition enabled by temperature change induced by a pulsed high-power laser beam resulted in modulated IR laser transmission with a low time constant in VO2 on transparent quartz and muscovite substrates. Investigation of the effect of mechanical strain on phase transition in VO2 grown on flexible muscovite substrate indicate shift in transition temperature to higher for tensile and lower for compressive strains. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro and Smart Devices and Systems)
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8 pages, 2416 KiB  
Communication
Wavelength Modulation Characteristics of Metal Gratings on Si-Based Blocked-Impurity-Band (BIB) Terahertz Detectors
by Yulu Chen, Zuoru Dong, Yangzhou Zhou, Jiajia Tao, Wulin Tong, Yifei Wu, Wenhui Liu, Bingbing Wang, Xiaowan Dai and Xiaodong Wang
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 811; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13050811 - 23 May 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1445
Abstract
In this work, the wavelength selection characteristics of metal gratings on Si-based blocked-impurity-band (BIB) detectors in the terahertz band were studied by performing experiments and a finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulation. The transmission spectra of metal gratings with different periods on 130 [...] Read more.
In this work, the wavelength selection characteristics of metal gratings on Si-based blocked-impurity-band (BIB) detectors in the terahertz band were studied by performing experiments and a finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulation. The transmission spectra of metal gratings with different periods on 130 μm intrinsic Si substrates were measured. When the metal grating period increased from 16 to 20 to 32 μm, the peak position of the spectrum moved from 21.71 to 24.50 to 36.59 μm, which is in good agreement with the FDTD simulation results. The structure with the period of 32 μm shows the best wavelength selective transmission characteristics. Then, the bare Si-based BIB devices and metal grating/Si-based BIB hybrid devices with different thicknesses of blocking layers of 2 and 5 μm were fabricated. By covering different periods of metal gratings for the devices with a thicker blocking layer of 2 μm, we obtained more effective wavelength selection characteristics and stronger response spectra enhancement ratios that were about 1.3, 2.4, or 1.9 times. This was mainly due to the localized optical field enhancement effect of the plasmons resonance in metal gratings, which decays exponentially in a vertical direction. Our results demonstrate a new approach for the Si-based BIB detector to realize multiband selective detection applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue THz On-Chip Devices and Their Applications)
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23 pages, 32020 KiB  
Article
Predicting Milling Stability Based on Composite Cotes-Based and Simpson’s 3/8-Based Methods
by Xu Du, Pengfei Ren and Junqiang Zheng
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 810; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13050810 - 23 May 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1564
Abstract
Avoiding chatter in milling processes is critical for obtaining machined parts with high surface quality. In this paper, we propose two methods for predicting the milling stability based on the composite Cotes and Simpson’s 3/8 formulas. First, a time-delay differential equation is established, [...] Read more.
Avoiding chatter in milling processes is critical for obtaining machined parts with high surface quality. In this paper, we propose two methods for predicting the milling stability based on the composite Cotes and Simpson’s 3/8 formulas. First, a time-delay differential equation is established, wherein the regenerative effects are considered. Subsequently, it is discretized into a series of integral equations. Based on these integral equations, a transition matrix is determined using the composite Cotes formula. Finally, the system stability is analyzed according to the Floquet theory to obtain the milling stability lobe diagrams. The simulation results demonstrate that for the single degree of freedom (single-DOF) model, the convergence speed of the composite Cotes-based method is higher than that of the semi-discrete method and the Simpson’s equation method. In addition, the composite Cotes-based method demonstrates high computational efficiency. Moreover, to further improve the convergence speed, a second method based on the Simpson’s 3/8 formula is proposed. The simulation results show that the Simpson’s 3/8-based method has the fastest convergence speed when the radial immersion ratio is large; for the two degrees of freedom (two-DOF) model, it performs better in terms of calculation accuracy and efficiency. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Manufacturing Technology and Systems)
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13 pages, 6541 KiB  
Article
A 66–76 GHz Wide Dynamic Range GaAs Transceiver for Channel Emulator Application
by Peigen Zhou, Chen Wang, Jin Sun, Zhe Chen, Jixin Chen and Wei Hong
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 809; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13050809 - 23 May 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1822
Abstract
In this study, we developed a single-channel channel emulator module with an operating frequency covering 66–67 GHz, including a 66–76 GHz wide dynamic range monolithic integrated circuit designed based on 0.1 µm pHEMT GaAs process, a printed circuit board (PCB) power supply bias [...] Read more.
In this study, we developed a single-channel channel emulator module with an operating frequency covering 66–67 GHz, including a 66–76 GHz wide dynamic range monolithic integrated circuit designed based on 0.1 µm pHEMT GaAs process, a printed circuit board (PCB) power supply bias network, and low-loss ridge microstrip line to WR12 (60–90 GHz) waveguide transition structure. Benefiting from the on-chip multistage band-pass filter integrated at the local oscillator (LO) and radio frequency (RF) ends, the module’s spurious components at the RF port were greatly suppressed, making the module’s output power dynamic range over 50 dB. Due to the frequency-selective filter integrated in the LO chain, each clutter suppression in the LO chain exceeds 40 dBc. Up and down conversion loss of the module is better than 14 dB over the 66–67 GHz band, the measured IF input P1 dB is better than 10 dBm, and the module consumes 129 mA from a 5 V low dropout supply. A low-loss ridged waveguide ladder transition was designed (less than 0.4 dB) so that the output interface of the module is a WR12 waveguide interface, which is convenient for direct connection with an instrument with E-band (60–90 GHz) waveguide interface. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Broadband Terahertz Devices and Communication Technologies)
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10 pages, 4211 KiB  
Article
Investigation of Negative Bias Temperature Instability Effect in Nano PDSOI PMOSFET
by Yafang Yang, Hongxia Liu, Kun Yang, Zihou Gao and Zixu Liu
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 808; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13050808 - 23 May 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1796
Abstract
The Negative Bias Temperature Instability (NBTI) effect of partially depleted silicon-on-insulator (PDSOI) PMOSFET based on 130 nm is investigated. First, the effect of NBTI on the IV characteristics and parameter degradation of T-Gate PDSOI PMOSFET was investigated by accelerated stress tests. The results [...] Read more.
The Negative Bias Temperature Instability (NBTI) effect of partially depleted silicon-on-insulator (PDSOI) PMOSFET based on 130 nm is investigated. First, the effect of NBTI on the IV characteristics and parameter degradation of T-Gate PDSOI PMOSFET was investigated by accelerated stress tests. The results show that NBTI leads to a threshold voltage negative shift, saturate drain current reduction and transconductance degradation of the PMOSFET. Next, the relationship between the threshold voltage shift and stress time, gate bias and temperature, and the channel length is investigated, and the NBTI lifetime prediction model is established. The results show that the NBTI lifetime of a 130 nm T-Gate PDSOI PMOSFET is approximately 18.7 years under the stress of VG = −1.2 V and T = 125 °C. Finally, the effect of the floating-body effect on NBTI of PDSOI PMOSFET is investigated. It is found that the NBTI degradation of T-Gate SOI devices is greater than that of the floating-body SOI devices, which indicates that the floating-body effect suppresses the NBTI degradation of SOI devices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section D1: Semiconductor Devices)
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8 pages, 4471 KiB  
Article
Hole Injection Effect and Dynamic Characteristic Analysis of Normally Off p-GaN HEMT with AlGaN Cap Layer on Low-Resistivity SiC Substrate
by Hsiang-Chun Wang, Chia-Hao Liu, Chong-Rong Huang, Hsien-Chin Chiu, Hsuan-Ling Kao and Xinke Liu
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 807; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13050807 - 22 May 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1956
Abstract
A p-GaN HEMT with an AlGaN cap layer was grown on a low resistance SiC substrate. The AlGaN cap layer had a wide band gap which can effectively suppress hole injection and improve gate reliability. In addition, we selected a 0° angle and [...] Read more.
A p-GaN HEMT with an AlGaN cap layer was grown on a low resistance SiC substrate. The AlGaN cap layer had a wide band gap which can effectively suppress hole injection and improve gate reliability. In addition, we selected a 0° angle and low resistance SiC substrate which not only substantially reduced the number of lattice dislocation defects caused by the heterogeneous junction but also greatly reduced the overall cost. The device exhibited a favorable gate voltage swing of 18.5 V (@IGS = 1 mA/mm) and an off-state breakdown voltage of 763 V. The device dynamic characteristics and hole injection behavior were analyzed using a pulse measurement system, and Ron was found to increase and VTH to shift under the gate lag effect. Full article
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12 pages, 2579 KiB  
Article
O-Doping Configurations Reduce the Adsorption Energy Barrier of K-Ions to Improve the Electrochemical Performance of Biomass-Derived Carbon
by Kai Zhao, Changdong Chen, Ming La and Chenghao Yang
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 806; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13050806 - 22 May 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1731
Abstract
In recent years, atomic-doping has been proven to significantly improve the electrochemical performance of biomass-derived carbon materials, which is a promising modification strategy. Among them, there are relatively few reports about O-doping. Here, porous carbon derived from orange peel was prepared by simple [...] Read more.
In recent years, atomic-doping has been proven to significantly improve the electrochemical performance of biomass-derived carbon materials, which is a promising modification strategy. Among them, there are relatively few reports about O-doping. Here, porous carbon derived from orange peel was prepared by simple carbonization and airflow-annealing processes. Under the coordination of microstructure and surface groups, the derived carbon had excellent electrochemical performance for the K-ion batteries’ anode, including a high reversible specific capacity of 320.8 mAh/g, high rate performance of 134.6 mAh/g at a current density of 2000 mA/g, and a retention rate of 79.5% even after 2000 long-term cycles, which shows great application potential. The K-ion storage mechanisms in different voltage ranges were discussed by using various characterization techniques, that is, the surface adsorbed of K-ionswas in the high-potential slope area, and the intercalation behavior corresponded to the low-potential quasi-plateau area. In addition, the density functional theory calculations further confirmed that O-doping can reduce the adsorption energy barrier of K-ions, change the charge density distribution, and promote the K-ion storage. In particular, the surface Faraday reaction between the C=O group and K-ions plays an important role in improving the electrochemical properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanomaterials for Energy Storage and Conversion Applications)
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14 pages, 7091 KiB  
Article
A Terahertz Optomechanical Detector Based on Metasurface and Bi-Material Micro-Cantilevers
by Hailiang Zhu, Kai Wang, Ganyu Liu, Gengchen Wang, Jinchao Mou, Weiwei Zhang and Gao Wei
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 805; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13050805 - 21 May 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1970
Abstract
Terahertz imaging technology has shown great potential in many fields. As the core component of terahertz imaging systems, terahertz detectors have received extensive attention. In this paper, a metasurface-based terahertz optomechanical detector is proposed, which is made of two fabrication-friendly materials: gold and [...] Read more.
Terahertz imaging technology has shown great potential in many fields. As the core component of terahertz imaging systems, terahertz detectors have received extensive attention. In this paper, a metasurface-based terahertz optomechanical detector is proposed, which is made of two fabrication-friendly materials: gold and silicon nitride. The optomechanical detector is essentially a thermal detector composed of metasurface absorber, bi-material micro-cantilevers and heat insulation pillars. Compared with traditional thermal terahertz detectors, the optomechanical detector employs a metasurface absorber as the terahertz radiation coupler and obtains an absorptivity higher than 90% from 3.24 to 3.98 THz, which is much higher than that of traditional terahertz detectors with absorbers made from natural materials. Furthermore, the detector is fabricated by MEMS process and its responsivity has been verified by a specifically designed optical read-out system; the measured optomechanical responsivity is 24.8 μm/μW, which agrees well with the multi-physics simulation. These results indicated that the detector can be employed as a pixel to form a terahertz focal plane array in the future, and further realize real-time terahertz imaging at room temperature. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Terahertz and Infrared Metamaterial Devices)
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7 pages, 1270 KiB  
Article
Characteristics of Activation Rate and Damage of Ion-Implanted Phosphorous in 4H-SiC after Different Annealing by Optical Absorption
by Jingmin Wu, Xiang Yang, Fengxuan Wang, Zhiyu Guo, Zhongchao Fan, Zhi He and Fuhua Yang
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 804; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13050804 - 21 May 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1691
Abstract
We investigated the ellipsometer-based characterization method being used to quickly evaluate the depth of the damage layer in ion-implanted 4H-SiC. This method had the advantages of low cost, convenience, and non-destructiveness. Optical absorption of n-type 4H-SiC substrate, P+ ion-implanted, laser-annealed, and conventional [...] Read more.
We investigated the ellipsometer-based characterization method being used to quickly evaluate the depth of the damage layer in ion-implanted 4H-SiC. This method had the advantages of low cost, convenience, and non-destructiveness. Optical absorption of n-type 4H-SiC substrate, P+ ion-implanted, laser-annealed, and conventional high-temperature annealed wafers were investigated at room temperature. Three peaks were observed in the absorption spectra collected for various samples. The degree of electrical activation after laser annealing or high-temperature annealing was evaluated qualitatively from the absorption peak intensity at 2.67 eV. The circular transmission line method (CTLM) results were consistent with the optical absorption results. However, it was found that the effective carrier concentration after laser annealing was significantly lower than that after high-temperature annealing. Full article
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9 pages, 2076 KiB  
Communication
A General, Label-Free and Homogeneous Electrochemical Strategy for Probing of Protease Activity and Screening of Inhibitor
by Yunxiao Feng, Gang Liu, Fan Zhang, Jianwen Liu, Ming La and Ning Xia
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 803; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13050803 - 21 May 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1582
Abstract
Proteases play a critical role in regulating various physiological processes from protein digestion to wound healing. Monitoring the activity of proteases and screening their inhibitors as potential drug molecules are of great importance for the early diagnosis and treatment of many diseases. In [...] Read more.
Proteases play a critical role in regulating various physiological processes from protein digestion to wound healing. Monitoring the activity of proteases and screening their inhibitors as potential drug molecules are of great importance for the early diagnosis and treatment of many diseases. In this work, we reported a general, label-free and homogeneous electrochemical method for monitoring protease activity based on the peptide–copper interaction. Cleavage of peptide substrate results in the generation of a copper-binding chelator peptide with a histidine residue in the first or third position (His1 or His3) at the N-terminal. The redox potential and current of copper coordinated with the product are different from the free copper or the copper complex with the substrate, thus allowing for the detection of protease activity. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and thrombin were determined as the model analytes. The label-free and homogeneous electrochemical method can be used for screening protease inhibitors with high simplicity and sensitivity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Progress in Electrochemical Sensors for Health and Environmental Monitoring)
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12 pages, 3726 KiB  
Article
Optimization of Optical Phase Profile in Beam Deflector with Advanced Simulation Method for High Diffraction Efficiency
by Andrey Manko, Young Kim, Aleksander Morozov, Serguei Palto, Kanghee Won and Hong-Seok Lee
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 802; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13050802 - 21 May 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1831
Abstract
Controlling the phase of light with a high efficiency and precision is essential for applications in imaging, tunable devices, and optical systems. Spatial light modulators (SLMs) based on liquid crystals (LCs) have been regarded as one of the best choices for the generation [...] Read more.
Controlling the phase of light with a high efficiency and precision is essential for applications in imaging, tunable devices, and optical systems. Spatial light modulators (SLMs) based on liquid crystals (LCs) have been regarded as one of the best choices for the generation of phase profiles for the steering of light. The upper glass substrate has an unpatterned electrode for a common electrode, while the lower glass substrate has one-dimensional micro-patterned electrodes for controlling the single pixel level by the applied voltages. By applying different voltages to each electrode to create a sawtooth-shaped phase profile, the collimated input beam is deflected to the desired angle. To maximize the diffraction efficiency (DE) values, an advanced simulation method has been developed to find the optimized phase profile through the analysis of LC director distributions. The resulting diffraction patterns are investigated both computationally and experimentally, with a good agreement between the results obtained. Finally, the beam deflector (BD) system with an advanced driving algorithm has a high 1st order DE, about 60%, 37%, and 7.5% at 1°, 2.5°, and a maximum steering angle of 7.5°, respectively. The LC director distributions in relation to various diffraction angles are simulated and an experimental success in realizing enhanced DE for the beam steering device is presented. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Beam Steering via Arrayed Micromachines)
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10 pages, 5329 KiB  
Article
Gap Effect on Electric Field Enhancement and Photothermal Conversion in Gold Nanostructures
by Hirotomo Chiba, Kento Kodama, Koki Okada, Yoshiyasu Ichikawa and Masahiro Motosuke
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 801; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13050801 - 21 May 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1793
Abstract
Plasmonic optical tweezers and thermophoresis are promising tools for nanomaterial manipulation. When a gold nanostructure is irradiated with laser light, an electric field around the nanostructure is enhanced because of the localized surface plasmon resonance, which increases the optical radiation pressure applied to [...] Read more.
Plasmonic optical tweezers and thermophoresis are promising tools for nanomaterial manipulation. When a gold nanostructure is irradiated with laser light, an electric field around the nanostructure is enhanced because of the localized surface plasmon resonance, which increases the optical radiation pressure applied to the nanomaterials. In addition, a temperature gradient is also generated by the photothermal conversion, and thermophoretic force is then generated. This study numerically evaluated the electric and temperature fields induced by the localized surface plasmon resonance between two gold nanostructures. Here, we focused on the effect of the gap width between nanostructures on the optical radiation pressure and thermophoretic force. The simulation results show that the electric field is locally enhanced according to the gap width, but the effect on the temperature rise due to the photothermal heating is small. This fact suggests that the gap effect between the nanostructures is particularly dominant in nanomanipulation using optical force, whereas it has little effect in nanomanipulation using thermophoresis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the 12th Symposium on Micro-Nano Science and Technology on Micromachines)
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12 pages, 1920 KiB  
Article
Impact of the Semiconductor Defect Density on Solution-Processed Flexible Schottky Barrier Diodes
by Julio C. Tinoco, Samuel A. Hernandez, María de la Luz Olvera, Magali Estrada, Rodolfo García and Andrea G. Martinez-Lopez
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 800; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13050800 - 21 May 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1850
Abstract
Schottky barrier diodes, developed by low-cost techniques and low temperature processes (LTP-SBD), have gained attention for different kinds of novel applications, including flexible electronic fabrication. This work analyzes the behavior of the I–V characteristic of solution processed, ZnO Schottky barrier diodes, [...] Read more.
Schottky barrier diodes, developed by low-cost techniques and low temperature processes (LTP-SBD), have gained attention for different kinds of novel applications, including flexible electronic fabrication. This work analyzes the behavior of the I–V characteristic of solution processed, ZnO Schottky barrier diodes, fabricated at a low temperature. It is shown that the use of standard extraction methods to determine diode parameters in these devices produce significant dispersion of the ideality factor with values from 2.2 to 4.1, as well as a dependence on the diode area without physical meaning. The analysis of simulated I–V characteristic of LTP-SBD, and its comparison with experimental measurements, confirmed that it is necessary to consider the presence of a density of states (DOS) in the semiconductor gap, to understand specific changes observed in their performance, with respect to standard SBDs. These changes include increased values of Rs, as well as its dependence on bias, an important reduction of the diode current and small rectification values (RR). Additionally, it is shown that the standard extraction methodologies cannot be used to obtain diode parameters of LTP-SBD, as it is necessary to develop adequate parameter extraction methodologies for them. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Thin Film Electronic Devices)
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12 pages, 2926 KiB  
Article
Wireless Micro Soft Actuator without Payloads Using 3D Helical Coils
by Seonghyeon Lee, Woojun Jung, Kyungho Ko and Yongha Hwang
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 799; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13050799 - 20 May 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2609
Abstract
To receive a greater power and to demonstrate the soft bellows-shaped actuator’s wireless actuation, micro inductors were built for wireless power transfer and realized in a three-dimensional helical structure, which have previously been built in two-dimensional spiral structures. Although the three-dimensional helical inductor [...] Read more.
To receive a greater power and to demonstrate the soft bellows-shaped actuator’s wireless actuation, micro inductors were built for wireless power transfer and realized in a three-dimensional helical structure, which have previously been built in two-dimensional spiral structures. Although the three-dimensional helical inductor has the advantage of acquiring more magnetic flux linkage than the two-dimensional spiral inductor, the existing microfabrication technique produces a device on a two-dimensional plane, as it has a limit to building a complete three-dimensional structure. In this study, by using a three-dimensional printed soluble mold technique, a three-dimensional heater with helical coils, which have a larger heating area than a two-dimensional heater, was fabricated with three-dimensional receiving inductors for enhanced wireless power transfer. The three-dimensional heater connected to the three-dimensional helical inductor increased the temperature of the liquid and gas inside the bellows-shaped actuator while reaching 176.1% higher temperature than the heater connected to the two-dimensional spiral inductor. Thereby it enables a stroke of the actuator up to 522% longer than when it is connected to the spiral inductor. Therefore, three-dimensional micro coils can offer a significant approach to the development of wireless micro soft robots without incurring heavy and bulky parts such as batteries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Fabrication Approaches for Soft Robotics)
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11 pages, 2535 KiB  
Article
Stop-Flow Lithography for the Continuous Production of Degradable Hydrogel Achiral Crescent Microswimmers
by Junfeng Xiong, Xiaoxia Song, Yuhang Cai, Jiahe Liu, Yangyuan Li, Yaqiang Ji, Liang Guo and U Kei Cheang
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 798; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13050798 - 20 May 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2248
Abstract
The small size of robotic microswimmers makes them suitable for performing biomedical tasks in tiny, enclosed spaces. Considering the effects of potentially long-term retention of microswimmers in biological tissues and the environment, the degradability of microswimmers has become one of the pressing issues [...] Read more.
The small size of robotic microswimmers makes them suitable for performing biomedical tasks in tiny, enclosed spaces. Considering the effects of potentially long-term retention of microswimmers in biological tissues and the environment, the degradability of microswimmers has become one of the pressing issues in this field. While degradable hydrogel was successfully used to prepare microswimmers in previous reports, most hydrogel microswimmers could only be fabricated using two-photon polymerization (TPP) due to their 3D structures, resulting in costly robotic microswimmers solution. This limits the potential of hydrogel microswimmers to be used in applications where a large number of microswimmers are needed. Here, we proposed a new type of preparation method for degradable hydrogel achiral crescent microswimmers using a custom-built stop-flow lithography (SFL) setup. The degradability of the hydrogel crescent microswimmers was quantitatively analyzed, and the degradation rate in sodium hydroxide solution (NaOH) of different concentrations was investigated. Cytotoxicity assays showed the hydrogel crescent microswimmers had good biocompatibility. The hydrogel crescent microswimmers were magnetically actuated using a 3D Helmholtz coil system and were able to obtain a swimming efficiency on par with previously reported microswimmers. The results herein demonstrated the potential for the degradable hydrogel achiral microswimmers to become a candidate for microscale applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro/Nanorobotics)
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16 pages, 4248 KiB  
Article
High-Efficiency Flicker-Free LED Driver with Soft-Switching Feature
by Hung-Liang Cheng, Lain-Chyr Hwang, Heidi H. Chang, Qi-You Wang and Chun-An Cheng
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 797; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13050797 - 20 May 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1664
Abstract
A novel interleaved DC-DC buck converter is proposed to drive high-brightness light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The circuit configuration mainly consists of two buck converters, which are connected in parallel and use interleaved operation. Through interleaved operation, the power capability of the converter is doubled. [...] Read more.
A novel interleaved DC-DC buck converter is proposed to drive high-brightness light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The circuit configuration mainly consists of two buck converters, which are connected in parallel and use interleaved operation. Through interleaved operation, the power capability of the converter is doubled. Traditionally, two individual inductors are used in the two buck converters. The difference between conventional parallel-operated buck converters using two energy storage inductors and the proposed circuit is that the proposed circuit uses two small inductors and a coupled inductor that replace the two inductors of the buck converters. In this way, both buck converters can be designed to operate in discontinuous-current mode (DCM), even if the magnetizing inductance of the coupled inductor is large. Therefore, the freewheeling diodes can achieve zero-current switching off (ZCS). Applying the principle of conservation of magnetic flux, the magnetizing current is converted between the two windings of the coupled inductor. Because nearly constant magnetizing current continuously flows into the output, the output voltage ripple can be effectively reduced without the use of large-value electrolytic capacitors. In addition, each winding current can drop from positive to negative, and this reverse current can discharge the parasitic capacitor of the active switch to zero volts. In this way, the active switches can operate at zero-voltage switching on (ZVS), leading to low switching losses. A 180 W prototype LED driver was built and tested. Our experimental results show satisfactory performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section D：Materials and Processing)
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10 pages, 4351 KiB  
Article
THz Multi-Mode Q-Plate with a Fixed Rate of Change of the Optical Axis Using Form Birefringence
by Can Koral, Zahra Mazaheri and Antonello Andreone
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 796; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13050796 - 20 May 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1844
Abstract
We report the design, fabrication and experimental validation of a THz all-dielectric multi-mode q-plate having a fixed rate of change of the optical axis. The device consists of space-variant birefringent slabs manufactured by 3D printing using melt-extruded Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS). The desired [...] Read more.
We report the design, fabrication and experimental validation of a THz all-dielectric multi-mode q-plate having a fixed rate of change of the optical axis. The device consists of space-variant birefringent slabs manufactured by 3D printing using melt-extruded Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS). The desired form birefringence is analytically evaluated and experimentally measured by the THz time domain spectroscopy technique. The manufactured q-plate design is characterized using a polarization-sensitive imaging setup. The full electric field spatial maps are acquired from the beam propagating through the q-plate. The device enables the realization of both radial and azimuthal vector beams at discrete frequency intervals by controlling the space-dependent orientation of the ordinary and extraordinary axes in the transverse plane with a multi-mode sequence. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Sensing and Devices)
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20 pages, 5124 KiB  
Article
Single-Pixel Near-Infrared 3D Image Reconstruction in Outdoor Conditions
by C. Osorio Quero, D. Durini, J. Rangel-Magdaleno, J. Martinez-Carranza and R. Ramos-Garcia
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 795; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13050795 - 20 May 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2708
Abstract
In the last decade, the vision systems have improved their capabilities to capture 3D images in bad weather scenarios. Currently, there exist several techniques for image acquisition in foggy or rainy scenarios that use infrared (IR) sensors. Due to the reduced light scattering [...] Read more.
In the last decade, the vision systems have improved their capabilities to capture 3D images in bad weather scenarios. Currently, there exist several techniques for image acquisition in foggy or rainy scenarios that use infrared (IR) sensors. Due to the reduced light scattering at the IR spectra it is possible to discriminate the objects in a scene compared with the images obtained in the visible spectrum. Therefore, in this work, we proposed 3D image generation in foggy conditions using the single-pixel imaging (SPI) active illumination approach in combination with the Time-of-Flight technique (ToF) at 1550 nm wavelength. For the generation of 3D images, we make use of space-filling projection with compressed sensing (CS-SRCNN) and depth information based on ToF. To evaluate the performance, the vision system included a designed test chamber to simulate different fog and background illumination environments and calculate the parameters related to image quality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers of Micromachines in Physics 2022)
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11 pages, 3748 KiB  
Article
Microgripper Using Soft Microactuators for Manipulation of Living Cells
by Shunnosuke Kodera, Tomoki Watanabe, Yoshiyuki Yokoyama and Takeshi Hayakawa
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 794; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13050794 - 20 May 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2068
Abstract
We present a microgripper actuated by a soft microactuator for manipulating a single living cell. Soft actuators have attracted attention in recent years because their compliance which can adapt to soft targets. In this study, we propose a microgripper actuated by soft thermoresponsive [...] Read more.
We present a microgripper actuated by a soft microactuator for manipulating a single living cell. Soft actuators have attracted attention in recent years because their compliance which can adapt to soft targets. In this study, we propose a microgripper actuated by soft thermoresponsive hydrogels. The thermoresponsive gel swells in water when the temperature is low and shrinks when the temperature is high. Therefore, the microgripper can be driven by controlling the temperature of the thermoresponsive gel. The gels are actuated by irradiating with infrared (IR) laser to localize heating. The actuation characteristics of the gripper were theoretically analyzed and we designed a gripper that gripped a ≈10 µm size cell. Additionally, we succeeded in actuating the fabricated microgripper with laser irradiation and gripping a single living cell. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Fabrication Approaches for Soft Robotics)
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10 pages, 5652 KiB  
Article
A Wideband High-Efficiency GaN MMIC Power Amplifier for Sub-6-GHz Applications
by Liulin Hu, Xuejie Liao, Fan Zhang, Haifeng Wu, Shenglin Ma, Qian Lin and Xiaohong Tang
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 793; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13050793 - 20 May 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3282
Abstract
The monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) power amplifiers serve an essential and critical role in RF transmit/receive (T/R) modules of phased array radar systems, mobile communication systems and satellite systems. Over recent years, there has been an increasing requirement to develop wideband high-efficiency [...] Read more.
The monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) power amplifiers serve an essential and critical role in RF transmit/receive (T/R) modules of phased array radar systems, mobile communication systems and satellite systems. Over recent years, there has been an increasing requirement to develop wideband high-efficiency MMIC high power amplifiers (HPAs) to accommodate wideband operation and reduce power consumption. This paper presents a wideband high efficiency MMIC HPA for Sub-6-GHz applications using a 0.25-μm gate-length D-mode GaN/SiC high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) process. The amplifier consists of two stages with two HEMT cells for the driver stage and eight HEMT cells for the power stage. To obtain a flat gain while maintaining the wideband characteristic, a gain equalization technique is employed in the inter-stage matching circuit. Meanwhile, a low-loss output matching network is utilized to ensure high efficiency. The fabricated HPA occupies a compact chip area of 14.35 mm2 including testing pads. Over the frequency range of 2–6 GHz, measured results of this HPA show a saturated continuous wave (CW) output power of 44.4–45.2 dBm, a power added efficiency (PAE) of 35.8–51.3%, a small signal gain of 24–25.5 dB, and maximum input and output return losses of 14.5 and 10 dB, respectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wide Bandgap Based Devices: Design, Fabrication and Applications, Volume III)
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14 pages, 2497 KiB  
Article
Microfluidics Temperature Compensating and Monitoring Based on Liquid Metal Heat Transfer
by Jiyu Meng, Chengzhuang Yu, Shanshan Li, Chunyang Wei, Shijie Dai, Hui Li and Junwei Li
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 792; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13050792 - 19 May 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2243
Abstract
Microfluidic devices offer excellent heat transfer, enabling the biochemical reactions to be more efficient. However, the precision of temperature sensing and control of microfluids is limited by the size effect. Here in this work, the relationship between the microfluids and the glass substrate [...] Read more.
Microfluidic devices offer excellent heat transfer, enabling the biochemical reactions to be more efficient. However, the precision of temperature sensing and control of microfluids is limited by the size effect. Here in this work, the relationship between the microfluids and the glass substrate of a typical microfluidic device is investigated. With an intelligent structure design and liquid metal, we demonstrated that a millimeter-scale industrial temperature sensor could be utilized for temperature sensing of micro-scale fluids. We proposed a heat transfer model based on this design, where the local correlations between the macro-scale temperature sensor and the micro-scale fluids were investigated. As a demonstration, a set of temperature-sensitive nucleic acid amplification tests were taken to show the precision of temperature control for micro-scale reagents. Comparations of theoretical and experimental data further verify the effectiveness of our heat transfer model. With the presented compensation approach, the slight fluorescent intensity changes caused by isothermal amplification polymerase chain reaction (PCR) temperature could be distinguished. For instance, the probability distribution plots of fluorescent intensity are significant from each other, even if the amplification temperature has a difference of 1 °C. Thus, this method may serve as a universal approach for micro–macro interface sensing and is helpful beyond microfluidic applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Heat and Mass Transfer in Micro/Nano Systems)
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12 pages, 6165 KiB  
Article
Investigation on the Effect of Annealing Temperature on the Side Ohmic Contact Characteristics for Double Channel GaN/AlGaN Epitaxial Layer
by Qingzhi Meng, Qijing Lin, Weixuan Jing, Na Zhao, Ping Yang and Dejiang Lu
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 791; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13050791 - 19 May 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1777
Abstract
A side ohmic contact mode for the double channel GaN/AlGaN epitaxial layer is proposed in this paper. Rectangle transmission line model (TLM) electrodes are prepared, and the specific contact resistance is tested at the annealing temperatures from 700 °C to 850 °C. The [...] Read more.
A side ohmic contact mode for the double channel GaN/AlGaN epitaxial layer is proposed in this paper. Rectangle transmission line model (TLM) electrodes are prepared, and the specific contact resistance is tested at the annealing temperatures from 700 °C to 850 °C. The results show that the minimum specific contact resistance is 2.58 × 10−7 Ω·cm2 at the annealing temperature of 750 °C, which is three to four times lower than the surface contact mode. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), and atomic force microscope (AFM) were carried out for the analysis of the morphology, element composition, and the height fluctuation at the contact edge. With the increase in the annealing temperature, the specific contact resistance decreases due to the alloying of electrodes and the raised number of N vacancies. However, when the annealing temperature exceeds 800 °C, the state of the stress in the electrode films transforms from compressive stress to tensile stress. Besides, the volume expansion of metal electrode film and the increase in the roughness at the contact edge leads to the degradation of the side ohmic contact characteristics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Manufacturing Technology and Systems)
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17 pages, 6604 KiB  
Article
Implementation of Micro-EDM Monitoring System to Fabricate Antimicrobial Nanosilver Colloid
by Kuo-Hsiung Tseng, Meng-Yun Chung and Juei-Long Chiu
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 790; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13050790 - 18 May 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1358
Abstract
This study implemented a discharge energy and success-rate monitoring system to replace the traditional oscillograph observation method and conducted a microbial control test for a nanosilver colloid prepared by an Electrical Discharge Machine (EDM). The advantage of this system is that the discharge [...] Read more.
This study implemented a discharge energy and success-rate monitoring system to replace the traditional oscillograph observation method and conducted a microbial control test for a nanosilver colloid prepared by an Electrical Discharge Machine (EDM). The advantage of this system is that the discharge conditions can be instantly and continuously observed, and the optimized discharge parameter settings can be recorded. The monitoring system can use the arcing rate to control the energy consumption of the electrodes to standardize the nanosilver colloid. The results show that the arcing rate, electrode weight loss, and absorption peak wavelength are very accurate. The nanosilver colloid prepared by EDM is free of any chemical additive, and in comparison to other preparation methods, it is more applicable to biotechnology, even to the human body. The microbial control test for the nanosilver colloid included a Bathroom sample, Penicillium, Aspergillus niger, and Aspergillus flavus. In test solution NO.1 (prepared by micro-EDM), the effects of all four samples were inhibited at 14mm in a metal ring experiment, and in the cotton pad experiment, Penicillium was inhibited at 17 mm. In the metal ring experiment, test solution NO. 2 (prepared by EDM) had an effect at 20 mm on the bathroom samples, but at only 15 mm on flavus. In the cotton pad experiment, the inhibited effect was more effective in Penicillium and Aspergillus Niger; both inhibited effects occurred at 25 mm. Test solutions NO.3 (prepared by micro-EDM) and NO.4 (32 ppm Ag+) had a 14–15 mm effect on all samples in the metal ring experiment. In the cotton pad experiment, NO.3 had an effect on Penicillium at 19 mm while the effect on the others occurred at 14 mm, and NO.4 had an effect at 25 mm in Penicillium and Aspergillus Niger, and only at 14 mm in the bathroom and Aspergillus flavus samples. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro-Electro Discharge Machining: Principles, Recent Advancements and Applications, Volume II)
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26 pages, 728 KiB  
Review
Progress of Research on the Application of Nanoelectronic Smelling in the Field of Food
by Junjiang Sha, Chong Xu and Ke Xu
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 789; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13050789 - 18 May 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1704
Abstract
In the past 20 years, the development of an artificial olfactory system has made great progress and improvements. In recent years, as a new type of sensor, nanoelectronic smelling has been widely used in the food and drug industry because of its advantages [...] Read more.
In the past 20 years, the development of an artificial olfactory system has made great progress and improvements. In recent years, as a new type of sensor, nanoelectronic smelling has been widely used in the food and drug industry because of its advantages of accurate sensitivity and good selectivity. This paper reviews the latest applications and progress of nanoelectronic smelling in animal-, plant-, and microbial-based foods. This includes an analysis of the status of nanoelectronic smelling in animal-based foods, an analysis of its harmful composition in plant-based foods, and an analysis of the microorganism quantity in microbial-based foods. We also conduct a flavor component analysis and an assessment of the advantages of nanoelectronic smelling. On this basis, the principles and structures of nanoelectronic smelling are also analyzed. Finally, the limitations and challenges of nanoelectronic smelling are summarized, and the future development of nanoelectronic smelling is proposed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tactile Sensing Technology and Systems, Volume II)
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12 pages, 2546 KiB  
Article
Felodipine Determination by a CdTe Quantum Dot-Based Fluorescent Probe
by Yuguang Lv, Yuqing Cheng, Kuilin Lv, Guoliang Zhang and Jiang Wu
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 788; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13050788 - 18 May 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1721
Abstract
In this work, a CdTe quantum dot-based fluorescent probe was synthesized to determine felodipine (FEL). The synthesis conditions, structure, and interaction conditions with FEL of CdTe quantum dots were analysed by fluorescence spectrophotometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–visible spectroscopy, [...] Read more.
In this work, a CdTe quantum dot-based fluorescent probe was synthesized to determine felodipine (FEL). The synthesis conditions, structure, and interaction conditions with FEL of CdTe quantum dots were analysed by fluorescence spectrophotometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–visible spectroscopy, and TEM. The CdTe QD concentration was 2.0 × 10−4 mol/L. The amount of quantum dots controlled in the experiment was 0.8 mL. The controlled feeding ratio of N (Cd2+):N (Te2−):N (TGA) was 2:1:4, the heating temperature was 140 °C, the heating time was 60 min, and the pH of the QD precursor was adjusted to 11 for subsequent experiments. The UV–visible spectrum showed that the emission wavelength of CdTe quantum dots at 545 nm was the strongest and symmetric. The particle size of the synthesized quantum dots was approximately 5 nm. In the interaction of CdTe quantum dots with FEL, the FEL dosage was 1.0 mL, the optimal pH value of Tris-HCl buffer was 8.2, the amount of buffer was 1.5 mL, and the reaction time was 20 min. The standard curve of FEL was determined under the optimal synthesis conditions of CdTe quantum dots and reaction of CdTe quantum dots with FEL. The linear equation was Y = 3.9448x + 50.068, the correlation coefficient R2 was 0.9986, and the linear range was 5 × 10−6–1.1 × 10−4 mol/L. A CdTe quantum dot-based fluorescent probe was successfully constructed and could be used to determine the FEL tablet content. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the 23rd Annual Conference and 12th International Conference of Chinese Society of Micro-Nano Technology (CSMNT 2021))
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17 pages, 8165 KiB  
Article
Design of Chopsticks-Shaped Heating Resistors for a Thermal Inkjet: Based on TaN Film
by Anjiang Lu, Xishun Peng, Qiliang Sun, Jin Cheng, Naitao Xu, Yibo Xie, Jie Ding, Pangyue Li, Ji’an Long and Jiawen Wu
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 787; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13050787 - 18 May 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1948
Abstract
Efficient printing frequency is critical for thermal bubble inkjet printing, while the difficulty lies in the structural design and material selection of the heating resistors. In this paper, a TaN film was used as the main material of the heating resistors, and two [...] Read more.
Efficient printing frequency is critical for thermal bubble inkjet printing, while the difficulty lies in the structural design and material selection of the heating resistors. In this paper, a TaN film was used as the main material of the heating resistors, and two TaN films were placed in parallel to form the chopsticks-shaped structure. The heating time was divided into two sections, in which 0–0.1 μs was the preheating and 1.2–1.8 μs was the primary heating. At 1.8 μs, the maximum temperature of the Si3N4 film could reach about 1100 °C. At the same time, the SiO2 film was added between the TaN film and Si3N4 film as a buffer layer, which effectively avoided the rupture of the Si3N4 film due to excessive thermal stress. Inside the inkjet print head, the maximum temperature of the chamber reached about 680 °C at 2.5 μs. Due to the high power of the heating resistors, the working time was greatly reduced and the frequency of the inkjet printing was effectively increased. At the interface between the back of the chip and the cartridge, the SiO2 film was used to connect to ensure a timely ink supply. Under the condition of 12 V at 40 kHz, the inkjet chip could print efficiently with 10 nozzles at the same time. The inkjet chip proposed in this paper is not limited to only office printing, but also provides a new reference for 3D printing, cell printing, and vegetable and fruit printing. Full article
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13 pages, 3642 KiB  
Article
Design and Analysis of a Hybrid-Type RF MEMS Phase Detector in X-Band
by Juzheng Han and Dazhi Ding
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 786; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13050786 - 18 May 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1586
Abstract
In this paper, we have designed, analyzed, and characterized a hybrid-type MEMS device for X-band phase shift measurement. The signal related to a phase shift of the inputs is fractionally in-line coupled by a MEMS beam and delivered to a thermoelectric power sensor, [...] Read more.
In this paper, we have designed, analyzed, and characterized a hybrid-type MEMS device for X-band phase shift measurement. The signal related to a phase shift of the inputs is fractionally in-line coupled by a MEMS beam and delivered to a thermoelectric power sensor, where the phase is ultimately converted into DC voltage output. With the hybrid of the MEMS beam and the thermoelectric power sensor, both in-line detection process and phase-DC voltage conversion is reserved, which is a benefit for large power capacity, good linearity property, and high-level integration density. In order to get a deep insight into the physical mechanisms involved in the phase detection process, a comprehensive analysis model is presented. The beam is modeled as a precise RLC circuit component, where the capacitance is related to the input power. The fabrication is compatible with GaAs monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) technology. Experimental results show that return loss is smaller than −11.3 dB and isolation is better than −9.3 dB over X-band. Phase shift detection from 0 to 180 degrees is verified for a large power range of 200–1600 mW (23–32 dBm). The perfect linearity property of the phase-detection sensitivity is demonstrated in the same power range. Low intermodulation distortion is also confirmed through measurement. It is revealed from the comparison between this work and other published results in the literature that this presented hybrid-type structure shows superiorities in both power handling ability and phase-detection linearity. It can be adopted in medium power signal applications with a high level of integration. Full article
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22 pages, 8503 KiB  
Article
Efficient Water-Assisted Glass Cutting with 355 nm Picosecond Laser Pulses
by Edgaras Markauskas, Laimis Zubauskas, Bogdan Voisiat and Paulius Gečys
Micromachines 2022, 13(5), 785; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13050785 - 18 May 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1846
Abstract
In this study, the cutting of borosilicate glass plates in ambient air and water with a 355 nm wavelength picosecond laser was carried out. Low (2.1–2.75 W) and high (15.5 W) average laser power cutting regimes were studied. Thorough attention was paid to [...] Read more.
In this study, the cutting of borosilicate glass plates in ambient air and water with a 355 nm wavelength picosecond laser was carried out. Low (2.1–2.75 W) and high (15.5 W) average laser power cutting regimes were studied. Thorough attention was paid to the effect of the hatch distance on the cutting quality and characteristic strength of glass strips cut in both environments. At optimal cutting parameters, ablation efficiency and cutting rates were the highest but cut sidewalls were covered with periodically recurring ridges. Transition to smaller hatch values improved the cut sidewall quality by suppressing the ridge formation, but negatively affected the ablation efficiency and overall strength of glass strips. Glass strips cut in water in the low-laser-power regime had the highest characteristic strength of 117.6 and 107.3 MPa for the front and back sides, respectively. Cutting in a high-laser-power regime was only carried out in water. At 15.5 W, the ablation efficiency and effective cutting speed per incident laser power increased by 16% and 22%, respectively, compared with cutting in water in a low-laser-power regime. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Ultra-Precision Machining, Volume II)
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