Caglar Ataman

Modeling and characterization of comb-actuated resonant microscanners

The dynamics of the out-of-plane comb-drive actuator used in a torsional resonant mode microscanner is discussed. The microscanner is fabricated using the standard SOI technology by Fraunhofer, IPMS and utilized in various display, barcode scanning, spectroscopy and other imaging applications. The device is a parametrically excited system and exhibits hysteretic frequency response, nonlinear transient response, subharmonic oscillations, multiple parametric resonances, and alternating-oscillation-frequency behavior. Analytical and numerical models are developed to predict the parametric system dynamics. The analytical model is based on the solution of the linear Mathieu equation and valid for small angular displacements. The numerical model is valid for both small and large deflection angles. The analytical and numerical models are validated with the experimental results under various ambient pressures and excitation schemes and successfully predict the dynamics of the parametric nature of the microscanner. As many as four parametric resonances are observed at 30 mTorr. The models developed in this paper can be used to optimize the structure and the actuator.

A Fourier transform spectrometer using resonant vertical comb actuators

The design, fabrication and characterization of a novel out-of-plane vertical comb-drive actuator based lamellar grating interferometer (LGI) is reported. The interferometer utilizes resonant mode vertical comb actuators, where comb fingers are simultaneously used for actuation and as a movable diffraction grating, making the device very compact. The Fourier transform of the zeroth order intensity pattern as a function of the optical path difference gives the spectrum of light. The main advantages offered by the proposed device are a long travel range (i.e. good spectral resolution), a large clear aperture (i.e. high light efficiency), and a very simple, robust and compact spectrometer structure. Peak-to-peak 106 µm out-of-plane deflection is observed in ambient pressure and at 28 V, corresponding to a theoretical spectral resolution of about 0.4 nm in the visible band and 3.6 nm at 1.5 µm. A simple CMOS compatible process based on bulk micromachining of a silicon-on-insulator wafer is used for the device fabrication.

Woven Temperature and Humidity Sensors on Flexible Plastic Substrates for E-Textile Applications

In this paper, a woven textile containing temperature and humidity sensors realized on flexible, plastic stripes is presented. The authors introduce two different sensors fabrication techniques: the first one consists of a conventional photolithography patterning technique; the second one, namely inkjet-printing, is here presented as an effective, low-cost alternative. In both cases, we obtain temperature and humidity sensors that can be easily integrated within a fabric by using a conventional weaving machine. All the sensors are fully characterized and the performances obtained with the two different fabrication techniques are compared and discussed, pointing out advantages and drawbacks resulting from each fabrication technique. The bending tests performed on these sensors show that they can be successfully woven without being damaged. A demonstrator, consisting of a mechanical support for the e-textile, a read-out electronic circuit, and a graphical PC interface to monitor the acquisition of humidity and temperature values, is also presented and described. This paper opens an avenue for real integration between printed electronics and traditional textile technology and materials. Printing techniques may be successfully used for the fabrication of e-textile devices, paving the way for the production of large area polymeric stripes and thus enabling new applications that, at the moment, cannot be developed with the standard lithography methods.

Nonlinear frequency response of comb-driven microscanners

Accurate prediction of the dynamic behavior of comb-driven MEMS microscanners is important to optimize the actuator and structure design. In this paper, a numerical and an analytical model for the dynamic analysis of comb-driven microscanners under different excitation schemes are presented. The numerical model is based on a second order nonlinear differential equation. Due to the nature of the torque function, this governing equation of motion is a parametric nonlinear ODE, which exhibits hysteretic frequency domain behavior and subharmonic oscillations. Experimental results and approximate analytical expressions for this nonlinear torque function of the comb-drive are presented. Amplitude and phase relationship between the excitation signal and the resultant oscillations at different excitation frequencies are measured and we show that they are in close agreement with the numerical simulations. Analytical model uses perturbation methods to reach approximate close-form expressions for the dynamic behavior of the device in the first parametric resonance region. It is also utilized to predict the stability regions on the frequency-excitation voltage plane, where the device exhibit hysterical characteristics. Analytical and numerical modeling approaches proposed in this paper provides a simple yet powerful way to analyze the nonlinear frequency response of comb-driven actuators and simplify the design process for a microscanner based system.

Microfabricated electrospray emitter arrays with integrated extractor and accelerator electrodes for the propulsion of small spacecraft

Microfabricated electrospray thrusters could revolutionize the spacecraft industry by providing efficient propulsion capabilities to micro and nano satellites (1–100 kg). We present the modeling, design, fabrication and characterization of a new generation of devices, for the first time integrating in the fabrication process individual accelerator electrodes capable of focusing and accelerating the emitted sprays. Integrating these electrodes is a key milestone in the development of this technology; in addition to increasing the critical performance metrics of thrust, specific impulse and propulsive efficiency, the accelerators enable a number of new system features such as power tuning and thrust vectoring and balancing. Through microfabrication, we produced high density arrays (213 emitters cm−2) of capillary emitters, assembling them at wafer-level with an extractor/accelerator electrode pair separated by micro-sandblasted glass. Through IV measurements, we could confirm that acceleration could be decoupled from the extraction of the spray—an important element towards the flexibility of this technology. We present the largest reported internally fed microfabricated arrays operation, with 127 emitters spraying in parallel, for a total beam of 10–30 µA composed by 95% of ions. Effective beam focusing was also demonstrated, with plume half-angles being reduced from approximately 30° to 15° with 2000 V acceleration. Based on these results, we predict, with 3000 V acceleration, thrust per emitter of 38.4 nN, specific impulse of 1103 s and a propulsive efficiency of 22% with <1 mW/emitter power consumption.

Spherical aberration free liquid-filled tunable lens with variable thickness membrane

We present an iterative design method for liquid-tunable aspherical lenses capable of diffraction-limited performance over a wide focal length range. The lenses are formed by a thin elastomer meniscus with a variable thickness profile engineered to deform into an ideal asphere under uniform pressure load. Compared to their more conventional counterparts, the proposed lenses significantly reduce spherical aberration over a larger portion of the aperture. The design procedure begins with the semi-analytical calculation of the meniscus thickness profile using large-deflection thin plate theory. This initial profile is then further optimized using coupled finite element analysis and ray-tracing simulations iteratively. We apply the developed method to design a tunable aspherical lens with 3 mm clear aperture and 8 mm optimum focal length, and numerically demonstrate the improvement in optical performance over conventional tunable-lenses over a focal length range from 6 mm to 12 mm. Using 80% of the clear aperture, the lens has better than λ/4 RMS surface error over the focal length range from 7.7 mm to 8.5 mm, corresponding to 10% tuning of focal length with diffraction-limited performance. The sources of potential fabrication errors in a practical implementation of such a lens are also analyzed in detail in terms of their influence on optical performance.

High-resolution beam steering using microlens arrays.

Imaging or beam-steering systems employing a periodic array of microlenses or micromirrors suffer from diffraction problems resulting from the destructive interference of the beam segments produced by the array. Simple formulas are derived for beam steering with segmented apertures that do not suffer from diffraction problems because of the introduction of a moving linear phase shifter such as a prescan lens before the periodic structure. The technique substantially increases the resolution of imaging systems that employ microlens arrays or micromirror arrays. Theoretical, numerical, and experimental results demonstrating the high-resolution imaging concept using microlens arrays are presented.

Analysis of parametric resonances in comb-driven microscanners

Dynamic behavior of a comb-driven torsional microscanner is governed by a nonlinear parametric differential equation. Theoretically, such systems have multiple resonances located near the integer fractions of twice the mechanical resonance frequency. The number of observable parametric resonances strongly depends on the damping of the system, whereas the stable and unstable operating regions are determined by drive-voltage and drive-frequency. In atmospheric pressure, only first few of these parametric resonances are observable within the operation voltage range of the devices. This paper explores the effect of damping on the various characteristics of parametric resonances and some unusual scanner behavior rarely seen in mechanical structures. A numerical and an analytical model for comb-driven microscanners are presented. Frequency responses of various devices are experimentally measured inside a vacuum chamber at different ambient pressures ranging from atmospheric pressure to 30 mTorr. Experimental results are compared with analytical and simulation results.

Vertical Resonant Comb Actuators for Fourier Transform Spectroscopy

A Fourier transform spectrometer is implemented with resonant mode out-of-plane comb actuators which are used as movable diffraction gratings. 106 mum deflection is obtained at 28 V in ambient pressure at 1.2 KHz for a 3 mm clear aperture device

Two-axis MEMS scanner for display and imaging applications

Two-axis gimbaled scanner used in an SVGA display product with 58deg optical scan angle, 1.5 mm mirror size, and 21 KHz resonant frequency is reported. Scanner is actuated electromagnetically using a single coil on the outer frame and by mechanical coupling of outer frame motion into the inner mirror frame