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Micromachines
Volume 9
Issue 6
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Micromachines, Volume 9, Issue 6 (June 2018) – 58 articles

Cover Story (view full-size image): For inertial microfluidic systems, fluid flow and inertial particle focusing are highly dependent on the channel geometry. Flexible microfluidic systems can provide modulation of the inertial focusing and separations of microparticles. Newly developed PDMS-parylene hybrid microfluidics provide adjustable 3D channel geometry that leads to tunable cell separations. The superior mechanical properties of the thin-film parylene layer allow the cross-sectional shape preserved under channel bending and internal pressures. View this paper.
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11 pages, 2385 KiB  
Article
Frequency Tuning of Graphene Nanoelectromechanical Resonators via Electrostatic Gating
by Tengda Mei, Jaesung Lee, Yuehang Xu and Philip X.-L. Feng
Micromachines 2018, 9(6), 312; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9060312 - 20 Jun 2018
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 5421
Abstract
In this article, we report on a comprehensive modeling study of frequency tuning of graphene resonant nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) via electrostatic coupling forces induced by controlling the voltage of a capacitive gate. The model applies to both doubly clamped graphene membranes and circumference-clamped [...] Read more.
In this article, we report on a comprehensive modeling study of frequency tuning of graphene resonant nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) via electrostatic coupling forces induced by controlling the voltage of a capacitive gate. The model applies to both doubly clamped graphene membranes and circumference-clamped circular drumhead device structures. Frequency tuning of these devices can be predicted by considering both capacitive softening and elastic stiffening. It is shown that the built-in strain in the device strongly dictates the frequency tuning behavior and tuning range. We also find that doubly clamped graphene resonators can have a wider frequency tuning range, while circular drumhead devices have higher initial resonance frequency with same device characteristic parameters. Further, the parametric study in this work clearly shows that a smaller built-in strain, smaller depth of air gap or cavity, and larger device size or characteristic length (e.g., length for doubly clamped devices, and diameter for circular drumheads) help achieve a wider range of electrostatic frequency tunability. This study builds a solid foundation that can offer important device fabrication and design guidelines for achieving radio frequency components (e.g., voltage controlled oscillators and filters) with the desired frequencies and tuning ranges. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carbon Based Materials for MEMS/NEMS)
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16 pages, 5828 KiB  
Article
Design and Performance Test of an Ocean Turbulent Kinetic Energy Dissipation Rate Measurement Probe
by Bian Tian, Huafeng Li, Hua Yang, Yulong Zhao, Pei Chen and Dalei Song
Micromachines 2018, 9(6), 311; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9060311 - 20 Jun 2018
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3568
Abstract
Ocean turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate is an essential parameter in marine environmental monitoring. Numerous probes have been designed to measure the turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate in the past, and most of them utilize piezoelectric ceramics as the sensing element. In this [...] Read more.
Ocean turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate is an essential parameter in marine environmental monitoring. Numerous probes have been designed to measure the turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate in the past, and most of them utilize piezoelectric ceramics as the sensing element. In this paper, an ocean turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate measurement probe utilizing a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) piezoresistor as the sensing element has been designed and tested. The triangle cantilever beam and piezoresistive sensor chip are the core components of the designed probe. The triangle cantilever beam acts as a velocity-force signal transfer element, the piezoresistive sensor chip acts as a force-electrical signal transfer element, and the piezoresistive sensor chip is bonded on the triangle cantilever beam. One end of the triangle cantilever beam is a nylon sensing head which contacts with fluid directly, and the other end of it is a printed circuit board which processes the electrical signal. A finite element method has been used to study the effect of the cantilever beam on probe performance. The Taguchi optimization methodology is applied to optimize the structure parameters of the cantilever beam. An orthogonal array, signal-to-noise ratio, and analysis of variance are studied to analyze the effect of these parameters. Through the use of the designed probe, we can acquire the fluid flow velocity, and to obtain the ocean turbulent dissipation rate, an attached signal processing system has been designed. To verify the performance of the designed probe, tests in the laboratory and in the Bohai Sea are designed and implemented. The test results show that the designed probe has a measurement range of 10−8–10−4 W/kg and a sensitivity of 3.91 × 10−4 (Vms2)/kg. The power spectrum calculated from the measured velocities shows good agreement with the Nasmyth spectrum. The comparative analysis between the designed probe in this paper and the commonly used PNS probe has also been completed. The designed probe can be a strong candidate in marine environmental monitoring. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue MEMS Accelerometers)
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11 pages, 4141 KiB  
Article
Fatigue Assessment by Blink Detected with Attachable Optical Sensors of Dye-Sensitized Photovoltaic Cells
by Ryogo Horiuchi, Tomohito Ogasawara and Norihisa Miki
Micromachines 2018, 9(6), 310; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9060310 - 20 Jun 2018
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3714
Abstract
This paper demonstrates fatigue assessment based on eye blinks that are detected by dye-sensitized photovoltaic cells. In particular, the sensors were attached to the temple of eyeglasses and positioned at the lateral side of the eye. They are wearable, did not majorly disturb [...] Read more.
This paper demonstrates fatigue assessment based on eye blinks that are detected by dye-sensitized photovoltaic cells. In particular, the sensors were attached to the temple of eyeglasses and positioned at the lateral side of the eye. They are wearable, did not majorly disturb the user’s eyesight, and detected the position of the eyelid or the eye state. The optimal location of the sensor was experimentally investigated by evaluating the detection accuracy of blinks. We conducted fatigue assessment experiments using the developed wearable system, or smart glasses. Several parameters, including the frequency, duration, and velocity of eye blinks, were extracted as fatigue indices. Successful fatigue assessment by the proposed system will be of great benefit for maximizing performance and maintenance of physical/mental health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the 8th Symposium on Micro-Nano Science and Technology on Micromachines)
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17 pages, 4598 KiB  
Article
A Flexible Annular Sectorial Sensor for Detecting Contact Position Based on Constant Electric Field
by Haibin Wu, Haomiao Wang, Jianfeng Huang, Youzhi Zhang and Jinhua Ye
Micromachines 2018, 9(6), 309; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9060309 - 19 Jun 2018
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3143
Abstract
To achieve tactile detection on the irregular surface of a robot link, a flexible annular sectorial sensor with a five-layer structure was proposed that could be wrapped on the surface of a truncated cone-shaped link. The sensor was designed for the detection of [...] Read more.
To achieve tactile detection on the irregular surface of a robot link, a flexible annular sectorial sensor with a five-layer structure was proposed that could be wrapped on the surface of a truncated cone-shaped link. The sensor was designed for the detection of a contact position when robots collide with other objects during movement. The sensor obtains the coordinates of the contact position by exerting a constant electric field on the upper and lower conductive layers. The mathematical model linking the coordinates of the contact position and the corresponding electric potential on the conductive layer was established, based on the uniqueness of the electric field. The design of the sensor was simulated using COMSOL software, and the detection error of the contact position was discussed. A sensor sample was fabricated and wrapped on the mechanical arm. The results of the simulations and experiments indicated that the flexible sensor performed very well when wrapped on the robot link. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tactile Sensing for Soft Robotics and Wearables)
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15 pages, 2981 KiB  
Article
Rigid-Flex PCB Technology with Embedded Fluidic Cavities and Its Application in Electromagnetic Energy Harvesters
by Yi Chiu and Hao-Chiao Hong
Micromachines 2018, 9(6), 308; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9060308 - 19 Jun 2018
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 7402
Abstract
A technology platform based on commercial printed circuit boards (PCB) technology is developed and presented. It integrates rigid flame retardant (FR)-4 boards, flexible polyimide (PI) structures, and embedded cavities for micro- and meso-scale applications. The cavities or channels can be filled with fluids [...] Read more.
A technology platform based on commercial printed circuit boards (PCB) technology is developed and presented. It integrates rigid flame retardant (FR)-4 boards, flexible polyimide (PI) structures, and embedded cavities for micro- and meso-scale applications. The cavities or channels can be filled with fluids for microfluidic and lab-on-chip systems. In this study, an electromagnetic energy harvester with enhanced output was designed and implemented in the platform. To enhance harvester output, the embedded cavities were filled with ferrofluid (FF) to improve the overall magnetic circuit design and electromechanical coupling of the device. The fabricated PCB-based harvester had a dimension of 20 mm × 20 mm × 4 mm. Vibration tests of the harvesters were conducted with different magnet sizes and different FF. Test results showed up to a 70% enhancement of output voltage and a 195% enhancement of output power when the cavities were filled with oil-based FF as compared with harvesters without FF. When the cavities were filled with water-based FF, the enhancement of voltage and power increased to 25% and 50%, respectively. The maximum output power delivered to a matched load at a 196-Hz resonance frequency and 1 grms vibration was estimated to be 2.3 µW, corresponding to an area power density of 0.58 µW/cm2 and a volume power density of 1.4 µW/cm3, respectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microsystems for Power, Energy, and Actuation)
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16 pages, 4866 KiB  
Article
Self-Assembled Mucin-Containing Microcarriers via Hard Templating on CaCO3 Crystals
by Nadezhda G. Balabushevich, Ekaterina A. Sholina, Elena V. Mikhalchik, Lyubov Y. Filatova, Anna S. Vikulina and Dmitry Volodkin
Micromachines 2018, 9(6), 307; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9060307 - 19 Jun 2018
Cited by 40 | Viewed by 5535
Abstract
Porous vaterite crystals of CaCO3 are extensively used for the fabrication of self-assembled polymer-based microparticles (capsules, beads, etc.) utilized for drug delivery and controlled release. The nature of the polymer used plays a crucial role and discovery of new perspective biopolymers is [...] Read more.
Porous vaterite crystals of CaCO3 are extensively used for the fabrication of self-assembled polymer-based microparticles (capsules, beads, etc.) utilized for drug delivery and controlled release. The nature of the polymer used plays a crucial role and discovery of new perspective biopolymers is essential to assemble microparticles with desired characteristics, such as biocompatibility, drug loading efficiency/capacity, release rate, and stability. Glycoprotein mucin is tested here as a good candidate to assemble the microparticles because of high charge due to sialic acids, mucoadhesive properties, and a tendency to self-assemble, forming gels. Mucin loading into the crystals via co-synthesis is twice as effective as via adsorption into preformed crystals. Desialylated mucin has weaker binding to the crystals most probably due to electrostatic interactions between sialic acids and calcium ions on the crystal surface. Improved loading of low-molecular-weight inhibitor aprotinin into the mucin-containing crystals is demonstrated. Multilayer capsules (mucin/protamine)3 have been made by the layer-by-layer self-assembly. Interestingly, the deposition of single mucin layers (mucin/water)3 has also been proven, however, the capsules were unstable, most probably due to additional (to hydrogen bonding) electrostatic interactions in the case of the two polymers used. Finally, approaches to load biologically-active compounds (BACs) into the mucin-containing microparticles are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Self-Assembly of Polymers)
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12 pages, 2311 KiB  
Article
Rapid Detection and Trapping of Extracellular Vesicles by Electrokinetic Concentration for Liquid Biopsy on Chip
by Lucia S. Cheung, Sarah Sahloul, Ajymurat Orozaliev and Yong-Ak Song
Micromachines 2018, 9(6), 306; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9060306 - 19 Jun 2018
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 10068
Abstract
Exosomes have gained immense importance since their proteomic and genetic contents could potentially be used for disease diagnostics, monitoring of cancer progression, metastasis, and drug efficacy. However, establishing the clinical utility of exosomes has been restricted due to small sizes and high sample [...] Read more.
Exosomes have gained immense importance since their proteomic and genetic contents could potentially be used for disease diagnostics, monitoring of cancer progression, metastasis, and drug efficacy. However, establishing the clinical utility of exosomes has been restricted due to small sizes and high sample loss from extensive sample preparation. Sample loss is particularly critical for body fluids limited in volume and difficult to access, e.g., cerebrospinal fluid. We present a microfluidic technique that locally enhances the concentration of extracellular vesicles extracted from MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cell lines by using an ion concentration polarization (ICP)-based electrokinetic concentrator. Our design incorporates a trapping mechanism near the conductive polymer membrane; therefore, we can preconcentrate and capture extracellular vesicles simultaneously. Compared with standard fluorescence detection, our method increased the limit of detection (LOD) of extracellular vesicles by two orders of magnitude in 30 min. Our concentrator increased the extracellular vesicle concentration for 5.0 × 107 particles/1 mL (LOD), 5.0 × 108 particles/1 mL, and 5.0 × 109 particles/1 mL by ~100-fold each within 30 min using 45 V. This study demonstrates an alternative platform to simultaneously preconcentrate and capture extracellular vesicles that can be incorporated as part of a liquid biopsy-on-a-chip system for the detection of exosomal biomarkers and analysis of their contents for early cancer diagnosis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Liquid Biopsy in a Microfluidic Chip for Rapid and Non-Invasive Point-of-Care Diagnostics)
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12 pages, 3634 KiB  
Article
A Generic Control Architecture for Hybrid Micro-Machines
by Xichun Luo, Wenbin Zhong and Wenlong Chang
Micromachines 2018, 9(6), 305; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9060305 - 19 Jun 2018
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 4421
Abstract
Hybrid micro-machining, which integrates several micro-manufacturing processes on one platform, has emerged as a solution to utilize the so-called “1 + 1 = 3” effect to tackle the manufacturing challenges for high value-added 3D micro-products. Hybrid micro-machines tend to integrate multiple functional modules [...] Read more.
Hybrid micro-machining, which integrates several micro-manufacturing processes on one platform, has emerged as a solution to utilize the so-called “1 + 1 = 3” effect to tackle the manufacturing challenges for high value-added 3D micro-products. Hybrid micro-machines tend to integrate multiple functional modules from different vendors for the best value and performance. However, the lack of plug-and-play solutions leads to tremendous difficulty in system integration. This paper proposes a novel three-layer control architecture for the first time for the system integration of hybrid micro-machines. The interaction of hardware is encapsulated into software components, while the data flow among different components is standardized. The proposed control architecture enhances the flexibility of the computer numerical control (CNC) system to accommodate a broad range of functional modules. The component design also improves the scalability and maintainability of the whole system. The effectiveness of the proposed control architecture has been successfully verified through the integration of a six-axis hybrid micro-machine. Thus, it provides invaluable guidelines for the development of next-generation CNC systems for hybrid micro-machines. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro-Machining: Challenges and Opportunities)
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12 pages, 1677 KiB  
Article
Manipulation of the Superhydrophobicity of Plasma-Etched Polymer Nanostructures
by Ke Du, Youhua Jiang, Yuyang Liu, Ishan Wathuthanthri and Chang-Hwan Choi
Micromachines 2018, 9(6), 304; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9060304 - 18 Jun 2018
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 5329
Abstract
The manipulation of droplet mobility on a nanotextured surface by oxygen plasma is demonstrated by modulating the modes of hydrophobic coatings and controlling the hierarchy of nanostructures. The spin-coating of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) allows for heterogeneous hydrophobization of the high-aspect-ratio nanostructures and provides the [...] Read more.
The manipulation of droplet mobility on a nanotextured surface by oxygen plasma is demonstrated by modulating the modes of hydrophobic coatings and controlling the hierarchy of nanostructures. The spin-coating of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) allows for heterogeneous hydrophobization of the high-aspect-ratio nanostructures and provides the nanostructured surface with “sticky hydrophobicity”, whereas the self-assembled monolayer coating of perfluorodecyltrichlorosilane (FDTS) results in homogeneous hydrophobization and “slippery superhydrophobicity”. While the high droplet adhesion (stickiness) on a nanostructured surface with the spin-coating of PTFE is maintained, the droplet contact angle is enhanced by creating hierarchical nanostructures via the combination of oxygen plasma etching with laser interference lithography to achieve “sticky superhydrophobicity”. Similarly, the droplet mobility on a slippery nanostructured surface with the self-assembled monolayer coating of FDTS is also enhanced by employing the hierarchical nanostructures to achieve “slippery superhydrophobicity” with modulated slipperiness. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plasma-Based Surface Engineering)
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10 pages, 2947 KiB  
Article
Formation of Branched and Chained Alginate Microfibers Using Theta-Glass Capillaries
by Keigo Nishimura, Yuya Morimoto, Nobuhito Mori and Shoji Takeuchi
Micromachines 2018, 9(6), 303; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9060303 - 17 Jun 2018
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 6807
Abstract
This study proposes a microfluidic spinning method to form alginate microfibers with branched and chained structures by controlling two streams of a sodium alginate solution extruded from a theta-glass capillary (a double-compartmented glass capillary). The two streams have three flow regimes: (i) a [...] Read more.
This study proposes a microfluidic spinning method to form alginate microfibers with branched and chained structures by controlling two streams of a sodium alginate solution extruded from a theta-glass capillary (a double-compartmented glass capillary). The two streams have three flow regimes: (i) a combined flow regime (single-threaded stream), (ii) a separated flow regime (double-threaded stream), and (iii) a chained flow regime (stream of repeating single- and double-threaded streams). The flow rate of the sodium alginate solution and the tip diameter of the theta-glass capillary are the two parameters which decide the flow regime. By controlling the two parameters, we form branched (a Y-shaped structure composed of thick parent fiber and permanently divided two thin fibers) and chained (a repeating structure of single- and double-threaded fibers with constant frequency) alginate microfibers with various dimensions. Furthermore, we demonstrate the applicability of the alginate microfibers as sacrificial templates for the formation of chain-shaped microchannels with two inlets. Such microchannels could mimic the structure of blood vessels and are applicable for the research fields of fluidics including hemodynamics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the 8th Symposium on Micro-Nano Science and Technology on Micromachines)
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2 pages, 144 KiB  
Editorial
Editorial for the Special Issue on Advances in Optofluidics
by Xuming Zhang
Micromachines 2018, 9(6), 302; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9060302 - 15 Jun 2018
Viewed by 2442
Abstract
n/a Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Optofluidics)
10 pages, 5363 KiB  
Article
Miniaturization and High-Density Arrangement of Microcantilevers in Proximity and Tactile Sensor for Dexterous Gripping Control
by Ryoma Araki, Takashi Abe, Haruo Noma and Masayuki Sohgawa
Micromachines 2018, 9(6), 301; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9060301 - 15 Jun 2018
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3356
Abstract
In this paper, in order to perform delicate and advanced grip control like human, a proximity and tactile combination sensor using miniaturized microcantilevers one-fifth the size of previous one as the detection part was newly developed. Microcantilevers were arranged with higher spatial density [...] Read more.
In this paper, in order to perform delicate and advanced grip control like human, a proximity and tactile combination sensor using miniaturized microcantilevers one-fifth the size of previous one as the detection part was newly developed. Microcantilevers were arranged with higher spatial density than in previous works and an interdigitated array electrode to enhance light sensitivity was added. It is found that the interdigitated array electrode can detect light with 1.6 times higher sensitivity than that in previous works and the newly fabricated microcantilevers have enough sensitivity to applied normal and shear loads. Therefore, more accurate detection of proximity distance and spatial distribution of contact force become available for dexterous gripping control to prevent ‘overshooting’, ‘force control error’, and ‘slipping’. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the 8th Symposium on Micro-Nano Science and Technology on Micromachines)
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10 pages, 208 KiB  
Review
Liquid Biopsy in Colorectal Cancer-Current Status and Potential Clinical Applications
by Gregor Norcic
Micromachines 2018, 9(6), 300; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9060300 - 15 Jun 2018
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 3570
Abstract
Colorectal cancer is one of the most frequent solid malignancies worldwide. The treatment is either surgical or multimodal and depends on the stage of the disease at diagnosis. Accurate disease assessment is thus of great importance for choosing the most optimal treatment strategy. [...] Read more.
Colorectal cancer is one of the most frequent solid malignancies worldwide. The treatment is either surgical or multimodal and depends on the stage of the disease at diagnosis. Accurate disease assessment is thus of great importance for choosing the most optimal treatment strategy. However, the standard means of disease assessment by radiological imaging or histopathological analysis of the removed tumor tissue lack the sensitivity in detecting the early systemic spread of the disease. To overcome this deficiency, the concept of liquid biopsy from the peripheral blood of patients has emerged as a new, very promising diagnostic tool. In this article, we provide an overview of the current status of clinical research on liquid biopsy in colorectal cancer. We also highlight the clinical situations in which the concept might be of the greatest benefit for the management of colorectal cancer patients in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Liquid Biopsy in a Microfluidic Chip for Rapid and Non-Invasive Point-of-Care Diagnostics)
12 pages, 2936 KiB  
Article
Improving the Electrical Contact Performance for Amorphous Wire Magnetic Sensor by Employing MEMS Process
by Yulong Chen, Jianhua Li, Jianwen Chen and Lixin Xu
Micromachines 2018, 9(6), 299; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9060299 - 14 Jun 2018
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4053
Abstract
This paper presents a novel fabrication method for amorphous alloy wire giant magneto-impedance (GMI) magnetic sensor based on micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) technology. In this process, negative SU-8 thick photoresist was proposed as the solder mask due to its excellent properties, such [...] Read more.
This paper presents a novel fabrication method for amorphous alloy wire giant magneto-impedance (GMI) magnetic sensor based on micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) technology. In this process, negative SU-8 thick photoresist was proposed as the solder mask due to its excellent properties, such as good stability, mechanical properties, etc. The low melting temperature solder paste was used for the electrical connections with the amorphous alloy wire and the electrode pads. Compared with the conventional welding fabrication methods, the proposed micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) process in this paper showed the advantages of good impedance consistency, and can be fabricated at a low temperature of 150 °C. The amorphous alloy wire magnetic sensor made by the conventional method and by the micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) process were tested and compared, respectively. The minimum resistance value of the magnetic sensor made by the conventional welding method is 19.8 Ω and the maximum is 28.1 Ω. The variance of the resistance is 7.559 Ω2. The minimum resistance value of the magnetic sensor made by micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) process is 20.1 Ω and the maximum is 20.5 Ω. The variance of the resistance is 0.029 Ω2. The test results show that the impedance consistency by micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) process is better than that of the conventional method. The sensor sensitivity is around 150 mV/Oe and the nonlinearity is less than 0.92% F.S. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section A：Physics)
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11 pages, 4852 KiB  
Article
Multiscale Analysis of Size Effect of Surface Pit Defect in Nanoindentation
by Zhongli Zhang, Yushan Ni, Jinming Zhang, Can Wang and Xuedi Ren
Micromachines 2018, 9(6), 298; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9060298 - 13 Jun 2018
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3020
Abstract
The nanoindentation on a pit surface has been simulated using the quasicontinuum method in order to investigate the size effect of surface pit defect on the yield load of thin film. Various widths and heights of surface pit defect have been taken into [...] Read more.
The nanoindentation on a pit surface has been simulated using the quasicontinuum method in order to investigate the size effect of surface pit defect on the yield load of thin film. Various widths and heights of surface pit defect have been taken into account. The size coefficient has been defined as an index to express the influence of the width or height of surface pit defect. The results show that as the size coefficient of width (of height) increases, at first the yield load of thin film decreases extremely slowly, until the size coefficient of width equals approximately one unit (half unit), at which point the yield load experiences an obvious drop. When the size coefficient of width (of height) reaches approximately two units (one unit), the yield load is almost the same as that of the nanoindentation on a stepped surface. In addition, the height of surface pit defect has more influence than the width on the yield load of thin film. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Small Scale Deformation using Advanced Nanoindentation Techniques)
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18 pages, 6759 KiB  
Article
A Facile Interfacial Self-Assembly of Crystalline Colloidal Monolayers by Tension Gradient
by Dong Feng, Ding Weng and Jiadao Wang
Micromachines 2018, 9(6), 297; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9060297 - 13 Jun 2018
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 5198
Abstract
Many self-assembly approaches of colloidal monolayers have flourished but with some shortages, such as complexity, time-consumption, parameter sensitivity, and high-cost. This paper presents a facile, rapid, well-controlled, and low-cost method to prepare monolayers by directly adding silica particle suspensions containing water and ethanol [...] Read more.
Many self-assembly approaches of colloidal monolayers have flourished but with some shortages, such as complexity, time-consumption, parameter sensitivity, and high-cost. This paper presents a facile, rapid, well-controlled, and low-cost method to prepare monolayers by directly adding silica particle suspensions containing water and ethanol to different liquids. A detailed analysis of the self-assembly process was conducted. The particles dove into water firstly, then moved up under the effect of the buoyancy and the tension gradient. The tension gradient induced the Marangoni convection and the relative motion between the water and the particles. At last, the particles were adsorbed at the air-water interface to minimize the free energy. The quality of the monolayers depended on the addition of sodium dodecyl sulfonate or ethanol in the water subphase. An interfacial polymerization of ethyl 2-cyanoacrylate was used to determine the contact angles of the particles at different subphase surfaces. The value of the detachment energy was positively associated with the contact angle and the surface tension. When the detachment energy decreased to a certain value, some particles detached from the surface, leading to the formation of a quasi-double layer. We also observed that the content of ethanol in suspensions influenced the arrangement of particles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Self-Assembly of Polymers)
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18 pages, 5655 KiB  
Review
Progress in Photo-Responsive Polypeptide Derived Nano-Assemblies
by Lu Yang, Houliang Tang and Hao Sun
Micromachines 2018, 9(6), 296; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9060296 - 13 Jun 2018
Cited by 30 | Viewed by 7381
Abstract
Stimuli-responsive polymeric materials have attracted significant attention in a variety of high-value-added and industrial applications during the past decade. Among various stimuli, light is of particular interest as a stimulus because of its unique advantages, such as precisely spatiotemporal control, mild conditions, ease [...] Read more.
Stimuli-responsive polymeric materials have attracted significant attention in a variety of high-value-added and industrial applications during the past decade. Among various stimuli, light is of particular interest as a stimulus because of its unique advantages, such as precisely spatiotemporal control, mild conditions, ease of use, and tunability. In recent years, a lot of effort towards the synthesis of a biocompatible and biodegradable polypeptide has resulted in many examples of photo-responsive nanoparticles. Depending on the specific photochemistry, those polypeptide derived nano-assemblies are capable of crosslinking, disassembling, or morphing into other shapes upon light irradiation. In this mini-review, we aim to assess the current state of photo-responsive polypeptide based nanomaterials. Firstly, those ‘smart’ nanomaterials will be categorized by their photo-triggered events (i.e., crosslinking, degradation, and isomerization), which are inherently governed by photo-sensitive functionalities, including O-nitrobenzyl, coumarin, azobenzene, cinnamyl, and spiropyran. In addition, the properties and applications of those polypeptide nanomaterials will be highlighted as well. Finally, the current challenges and future directions of this subject will be evaluated. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Self-Assembly of Polymers)
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8 pages, 3454 KiB  
Article
Flexible Transparent Conductive Film Based on Random Networks of Silver Nanowires
by Hui Xie, Xing Yang, Dexi Du, Yuzhen Zhao and Yuehui Wang
Micromachines 2018, 9(6), 295; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9060295 - 13 Jun 2018
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4132
Abstract
We synthesized silver nanowires (AgNWs) with a mean diameter of about 120 nm and 20–70 μm in length using a polyol process. The flexible transparent conductive AgNWs films were prepared using the vacuum filtration-transferring process, in which random AgNWs networks were transferred to [...] Read more.
We synthesized silver nanowires (AgNWs) with a mean diameter of about 120 nm and 20–70 μm in length using a polyol process. The flexible transparent conductive AgNWs films were prepared using the vacuum filtration-transferring process, in which random AgNWs networks were transferred to a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate after being deposited on mixed cellulose esters (MCEs). Furthermore, the photoelectric and mechanical properties of the AgNWs films were studied. The scanning electron microscopy images show that the AgNWs randomly, uniformly distribute on the surface of the PET substrate, which indicates that the AgNWs structure was preserved well after the transfer process. The film with 81% transmittance at 550 nm and sheet resistance about 130 Ω·sq−1 can be obtained. It is sufficient to be used as a flexible transparent conductive film. However, the results of the bending test and tape test show that the adhesion of AgNWs and PET substrate is poor, because the sheet resistance of film increases during the bending test and tape test. The 0.06 W LED lamp with a series fixed on the surface of the AgNWs-PET electrode with conductive adhesive was luminous, and it was still luminous after bent. Full article
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8 pages, 2407 KiB  
Article
Micro-Fabricated Resonator Based on Inscribing a Meandered-Line Coupling Capacitor in an Air-Bridged Circular Spiral Inductor
by Eun Seong Kim and Nam Young Kim
Micromachines 2018, 9(6), 294; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9060294 - 12 Jun 2018
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4964
Abstract
This letter presents a high-performance micro-fabricated resonator based on inscribing a meandered-line square coupling capacitor in an air-bridged circular spiral inductor on the GaAs-integrated passive device (IPD) technology. The main advantages of the proposed method, which inserts a highly effective coupling capacitor between [...] Read more.
This letter presents a high-performance micro-fabricated resonator based on inscribing a meandered-line square coupling capacitor in an air-bridged circular spiral inductor on the GaAs-integrated passive device (IPD) technology. The main advantages of the proposed method, which inserts a highly effective coupling capacitor between the two halves of a circular spiral inductor, are the miniaturized size, enhanced coupling coefficient, and improved selectivity. Moreover, using an air-bridge structure utilizes the enhanced mutual inductance in which it maximizes the self-inductance by a stacking inductor layout to obtain a high coupling effect. The simulated and measured S-parameters of a prototype resonator with an effective overall circuit size of 1000 µm × 800 µm are in good agreement. The measured insertion and return losses of 0.41 and 24.21 dB, respectively, at a measured central frequency of 1.627 GHz, as well as an upper band transmission zero with a suppression level of 38.7 dB, indicate the excellent selectivity of the developed resonator. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro-Resonators: The Quest for Superior Performance)
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23 pages, 7921 KiB  
Article
Micro-Injection Moulding In-Line Quality Assurance Based on Product and Process Fingerprints
by Federico Baruffi, Matteo Calaon and Guido Tosello
Micromachines 2018, 9(6), 293; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9060293 - 11 Jun 2018
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 3885
Abstract
Micro-injection moulding (μIM) is a replication-based process enabling the cost-effective production of complex and net-shaped miniaturized plastic components. The micro-scaled size of such parts poses great challenges in assessing their dimensional quality and often leads to time-consuming and unprofitable off-line measurement procedures. In [...] Read more.
Micro-injection moulding (μIM) is a replication-based process enabling the cost-effective production of complex and net-shaped miniaturized plastic components. The micro-scaled size of such parts poses great challenges in assessing their dimensional quality and often leads to time-consuming and unprofitable off-line measurement procedures. In this work, the authors proposed a novel method to verify the quality of a three-dimensional micro moulded component (nominal volume equal to 0.07 mm3) based on the combination of optical micro metrology and injection moulding process monitoring. The most significant dimensional features of the micro part were measured using a focus variation microscope. Their dependency on the variation of µIM process parameters was studied with a Design of Experiments (DoE) statistical approach. A correlation study allowed the identification of the product fingerprint, i.e., the dimensional characteristic that was most linked to the overall part quality and critical for product functionality. Injection pressure and velocity curves were recorded during each moulding cycle to identify the process fingerprint, i.e., the most sensitive and quality-related process indicator. The results of the study showed that the dimensional quality of the micro component could be effectively controlled in-line by combining the two fingerprints, thus opening the door for future µIM in-line process optimization and quality assessment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Product/Process Fingerprint in Micro Manufacturing)
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10 pages, 3485 KiB  
Article
Magnetic Isotropy/Anisotropy in Layered Metal Phosphorous Trichalcogenide MPS3 (M = Mn, Fe)Single Crystals
by Zia Ur Rehman, Zahir Muhammad, Oyawale Adetunji Moses, Wen Zhu, Chuanqiang Wu, Qun He, Muhammad Habib and Li Song
Micromachines 2018, 9(6), 292; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9060292 - 11 Jun 2018
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 5743
Abstract
Despite the fact that two-dimensional layered magnetic materials hold immense potential applications in the field of spintronic devices, tunable magnetism is still a challenge due to the lack of controllable synthesis. Herein, high-quality single crystals MPS3 (M= Mn, Fe) of millimeter size [...] Read more.
Despite the fact that two-dimensional layered magnetic materials hold immense potential applications in the field of spintronic devices, tunable magnetism is still a challenge due to the lack of controllable synthesis. Herein, high-quality single crystals MPS3 (M= Mn, Fe) of millimeter size were synthesized through the chemical vapor transport method. After systemic structural characterizations, magnetic properties were studied on the bulk MPS3 layers through experiments, along with first principle theoretical calculations. The susceptibilities as well as the EPR results evidently revealed unique isotropic and anisotropic behavior in MnPS3 and FePS3 crystals, respectively. It is worth noting that both of these materials show antiferromagnetic states at measured temperatures. The estimated antiferromagnetic transition temperature is 78 K for bulk MnPS3 and 123 K for FePS3 crystals. The spin polarized density functional theory calculations confirmed that the band gap of the antiferromagnetic states could be generated owing to asymmetric response all over the energy range. The ferromagnetic state in MnPS3 and FePS3 is less stable as compared to the antiferromagnetic state, resulting in antiferromagnetic behavior. Additionally, frequency-dependent dielectric functions for parallel and perpendicular electric field component vectors, along with the absorption properties of MPS3, are thoroughly investigated. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Atomic Scale Materials for Electronic and Photonic Devices)
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8 pages, 2712 KiB  
Article
High Frequency Needle Ultrasonic Transducers Based on Lead-Free Co Doped Na0.5Bi4.5Ti4O15 Piezo-Ceramics
by Chunlong Fei, Tianlong Zhao, Danfeng Wang, Yi Quan, Pengfei Lin, Di Li, Yintang Yang, Jianzheng Cheng, Chunlei Wang, Chunming Wang and Qifa Zhou
Micromachines 2018, 9(6), 291; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9060291 - 10 Jun 2018
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3715
Abstract
This paper describes the design, fabrication, and characterization of tightly focused (ƒ-number close to 1) high frequency needle-type transducers based on lead-free Na0.5Bi4.5Ti3.975Co0.025O15 (NBT-Co) piezo-ceramics. The NBT-Co ceramics, are fabricated through solid-state reactions, have [...] Read more.
This paper describes the design, fabrication, and characterization of tightly focused (ƒ-number close to 1) high frequency needle-type transducers based on lead-free Na0.5Bi4.5Ti3.975Co0.025O15 (NBT-Co) piezo-ceramics. The NBT-Co ceramics, are fabricated through solid-state reactions, have a piezoelectric coefficient d33 of 32 pC/N, and an electromechanical coupling factor kt of 35.3%. The high Curie temperature (670 °C) indicates a wide working temperature range. Characterization results show a center frequency of 70.4 MHz and a −6 dB bandwidth of 52.7%. Lateral resolution of 29.8 μm was achieved by scanning a 10 μm tungsten wire target, and axial resolution of 20.8 μm was calculated from the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the pulse length of the echo. This lead-free ultrasonic transducer has potential applications in high resolution biological imaging. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue MEMS Technology for Biomedical Imaging Applications)
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30 pages, 19452 KiB  
Article
Noise Source Visualization for Small DC Motors Using Current Reference without a Reference Microphone
by Yong Thung Cho
Micromachines 2018, 9(6), 290; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9060290 - 09 Jun 2018
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3371
Abstract
Noise and vibration sources from small direct current (DC) motors should be clearly visualized for optimal design of low noise motors. For accurate visualization, relatively good reference measurements at optimal locations are required. For some very small motors, the optimal position for a [...] Read more.
Noise and vibration sources from small direct current (DC) motors should be clearly visualized for optimal design of low noise motors. For accurate visualization, relatively good reference measurements at optimal locations are required. For some very small motors, the optimal position for a stationary reference microphone may not be accessible during measurement. However, strategies for small motor noise visualization without using a reference microphone have been developed in this study. Only scanning microphones and current measurements of a small motor were used to visualize sound sources. Scanning microphone signals combined with current measurements were used as moving reference signals. Motor noise visualization results based on different moving reference locations have been estimated and reported. Consistent motor noise visualization results from motor current and different, moving reference locations for the major electro-magnetic force excitation frequencies have been shown. Furthermore, for frequencies with relatively low current amplitude, clear motor noise visualization results have been produced for a moving reference located at the center of the motor. Also, the relationship between motor noise and current has been shown, and motor noise has been reduced by connecting an optimal capacitor to the motor power input. Full article
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13 pages, 7526 KiB  
Article
Chopper-Stabilized Instrumentation Amplifier with Automatic Frequency Tuning Loop
by Chen-Mao Wu, Hsiao-Chin Chen, Ming-Yu Yen and San-Ching Yang
Micromachines 2018, 9(6), 289; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9060289 - 08 Jun 2018
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 5097
Abstract
A variable-gain chopper-stabilized instrumentation amplifier (chopper IA), which employs a low pass filter (LPF) to attenuate the up-converted noise at the chopping frequency, is presented. The circuit is designed and fabricated with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) (Hsinchu, Taiwan) 0.18 μm complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor [...] Read more.
A variable-gain chopper-stabilized instrumentation amplifier (chopper IA), which employs a low pass filter (LPF) to attenuate the up-converted noise at the chopping frequency, is presented. The circuit is designed and fabricated with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) (Hsinchu, Taiwan) 0.18 μm complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology. Consuming 1.1 mW from a 1.2 V supply voltage, the chopper IA achieves a variable gain of 20.7–48.5 dB, with a minimum bandwidth of 6.7 kHz and a common-mode rejection ratio (CMRR) of 95 dB below 10 kHz. By using the chopper technique, the input-referred noise of the chopper IA can be reduced to 0.28 μVrms (0~96 kHz), with a chopping frequency of 83.3 kHz. An automatic frequency tuning loop (ATL) is employed to adjust the corner frequency of the LPF dynamically so that the frequency ratio between the chopping frequency and the LPF corner frequency is 8.3, ensuring a noise reduction of 36.7 dB. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interface Circuits for Microsensor Integrated Systems)
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7 pages, 3797 KiB  
Article
Miniaturized Optical Resolution Photoacoustic Microscope Based on a Microelectromechanical Systems Scanning Mirror
by Weizhi Qi, Qian Chen, Heng Guo, Huikai Xie and Lei Xi
Micromachines 2018, 9(6), 288; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9060288 - 07 Jun 2018
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4139
Abstract
In this paper, we report a miniaturized optical resolution photoacoustic microscopy system based on a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) scanning mirror. A two-dimensional MEMS scanning mirror was used to achieve raster scanning of the excitation optical focus. The wideband photoacoustic signals were detected by [...] Read more.
In this paper, we report a miniaturized optical resolution photoacoustic microscopy system based on a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) scanning mirror. A two-dimensional MEMS scanning mirror was used to achieve raster scanning of the excitation optical focus. The wideband photoacoustic signals were detected by a flat ultrasound transducer with a center frequency of 10 MHz and an active area of 2 mm in diameter. The size and weight of this device were 60 mm × 30 mm × 20 mm and 40 g, respectively. We evaluated this system using sharp blades, carbon fibers, and a silver strip target. In vivo experiments of imaging vasculatures in the mouse ear, brain, and human lip were completed to demonstrate its potential for biological and clinical applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue MEMS Technology for Biomedical Imaging Applications)
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14 pages, 2133 KiB  
Review
3D Integrated Circuit Cooling with Microfluidics
by Shaoxi Wang, Yue Yin, Chenxia Hu and Pouya Rezai
Micromachines 2018, 9(6), 287; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9060287 - 07 Jun 2018
Cited by 43 | Viewed by 9103
Abstract
Using microfluidic cooling to achieve thermal management of three-dimensional integrated circuits (ICs) is recognized as a promising method of extending Moore law progression in electronic components and systems. Since the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency launched Intra/Inter Chip Enhanced Cooling thermal packaging [...] Read more.
Using microfluidic cooling to achieve thermal management of three-dimensional integrated circuits (ICs) is recognized as a promising method of extending Moore law progression in electronic components and systems. Since the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency launched Intra/Inter Chip Enhanced Cooling thermal packaging program, the method of using microfluidic cooling in 3D ICs has been under continuous development. This paper presents an analysis of all publications available about the microfluidic cooling technologies used in 3D IC thermal management, and summarized these research works into six categories: cooling structure design, co-design issues, through silicon via (TSV) influence, specific chip applications, thermal models, and non-uniform heating and hotspots. The details of these research works are given, future works are suggested. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section B：Biology and Biomedicine)
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12 pages, 2864 KiB  
Article
Nanoliter Centrifugal Liquid Dispenser Coupled with Superhydrophobic Microwell Array Chips for High-Throughput Cell Assays
by Yuyi Wang, Yushuai Wu, Yue Chen, Jianxiong Zhang, Xiaofang Chen and Peng Liu
Micromachines 2018, 9(6), 286; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9060286 - 06 Jun 2018
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4942
Abstract
Microfluidic systems have been regarded as a potential platform for high-throughput screening technology in drug discovery due to their low sample consumption, high integration, and easy operation. The handling of small-volume liquid is an essential operation in microfluidic systems, especially in investigating large-scale [...] Read more.
Microfluidic systems have been regarded as a potential platform for high-throughput screening technology in drug discovery due to their low sample consumption, high integration, and easy operation. The handling of small-volume liquid is an essential operation in microfluidic systems, especially in investigating large-scale combination conditions. Here, we develop a nanoliter centrifugal liquid dispenser (NanoCLD) coupled with superhydrophobic microwell array chips for high-throughput cell-based assays in the nanoliter scale. The NanoCLD consists of a plastic stock block with an array of drilled through holes, a reagent microwell array chip (reagent chip), and an alignment bottom assembled together in a fixture. A simple centrifugation at 800 rpm can dispense ~160 nL reagents into microwells in 5 min. The dispensed reagents are then delivered to cells by sandwiching the reagent chip upside down with another microwell array chip (cell chip) on which cells are cultured. A gradient of doxorubicin is then dispensed to the cell chip using the NanoCLD for validating the feasibility of performing drug tests on our microchip platform. This novel nanoliter-volume liquid dispensing method is simple, easy to operate, and especially suitable for repeatedly dispensing many different reagents simultaneously to microwells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microfluidics for Cell-Based Assays)
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27 pages, 7653 KiB  
Review
Fab on a Package: LTCC Microfluidic Devices Applied to Chemical Process Miniaturization
by Houari Cobas Gomez, Roberta Mansini Cardoso, Juliana De Novais Schianti, Adriano Marim de Oliveira and Mario Ricardo Gongora-Rubio
Micromachines 2018, 9(6), 285; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9060285 - 05 Jun 2018
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 5163
Abstract
Microfluidics has brought diverse advantages to chemical processes, allowing higher control of reactions and economy of reagents and energy. Low temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC) have additional advantages as material for fabrication of microfluidic devices, such as high compatibility with chemical reagents with typical [...] Read more.
Microfluidics has brought diverse advantages to chemical processes, allowing higher control of reactions and economy of reagents and energy. Low temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC) have additional advantages as material for fabrication of microfluidic devices, such as high compatibility with chemical reagents with typical average surface roughness of 0.3154 μm, easy scaling, and microfabrication. The conjugation of LTCC technology with microfluidics allows the development of micrometric-sized channels and reactors exploiting the advantages of fast and controlled mixing and heat transfer processes, essential for the synthesis and surface functionalization of nanoparticles. Since the chemical process area is evolving toward miniaturization and continuous flow processing, we verify that microfluidic devices based on LTCC technology have a relevant role in implementing several chemical processes. The present work reviews various LTCC microfluidic devices, developed in our laboratory, applied to chemical process miniaturization, with different geometries to implement processes such as ionic gelation, emulsification, nanoprecipitation, solvent extraction, nanoparticle synthesis and functionalization, and emulsion-diffusion/solvent extraction process. All fabricated microfluidics structures can operate in a flow range of mL/min, indicating that LTCC technology provides a means to enhance micro- and nanoparticle production yield. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Microfluidics for Chemical Synthesis and Analysis)
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2 pages, 147 KiB  
Editorial
Selected Papers from the 2017 International Conference on Micro/Nanomachines
by Fangzhi Mou and Jianguo Guan
Micromachines 2018, 9(6), 284; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9060284 - 04 Jun 2018
Viewed by 2482
Abstract
Thanks to their capabilities of converting various energy into motions, micro/nanomachines are believed to bring about revolutionary changes in many fields[...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from 2017 International Conference on Micro/Nanomachines)
12 pages, 2973 KiB  
Article
Design and Experimental Research of a Miniature Digital Hydraulic Valve
by Junhui Zhang, Meisheng Yang and Bing Xu
Micromachines 2018, 9(6), 283; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9060283 - 04 Jun 2018
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 5474
Abstract
A digital hydraulic valve is an important component of the digital hydraulic system, and its performance is directly related to the system function. In order to make the valve system more competitive in dimension, digital valve miniaturization is an important research point. A [...] Read more.
A digital hydraulic valve is an important component of the digital hydraulic system, and its performance is directly related to the system function. In order to make the valve system more competitive in dimension, digital valve miniaturization is an important research point. A new micro digital valve is designed, which is analyzed from the mechanical structure and magnetic circuit mechanism, and the design difficulties are also expounded. The four subsystems and switching characteristics of the valve are theoretically analyzed and simulated. In order to test the performance of the valve, a test system is designed, and performance of the new micro valve is tested. The test results show that the switch characteristic analysis of the valve is correct. The comparison between the test curve and the simulation curve is carried out, which demonstrates that the accuracy of the simulation model is reasonable. The theoretical analysis of the new micro digital valve is consistent with experiments. Full article
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