ME 586

Mechanics and dynamics of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS); scaling laws in electrostatics, magnetics, and fluidics; analytical models for thin-film growth and etching; effect of surface tension in small dimensions in relations to stability of MEMS during web fabrication; size effects on mechanical properties of MEMS materials; equations of motion for MEMS, involving coupled elastic and electric fields that give rise to nonlinear dynamical behavior; Mathieu behavior and chaotic systems. Course Information: Prerequisite: ME 485.

MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) is an evolving field and is highly interdisciplinary in nature. This course will examine a few fundamental issues related to MEMS materials, forces and dynamics. These issues derive their attributes from the small size scale - whether it is the dimension of MEMS, or the proximity between neighboring entities, or the characteristic length of the micro structure of materials - and hence they are shared by a large class of MEMS irrespective of their applications. The goal of the course is to provide fundamental understanding of MEMS necessary for advanced MEMS design and analysis.

There is no text book for the course, but several books and articles will be referred.

Grading will be based on five home works, one mid term exam, and a final project.

Pre-requisite: consent of the instructor.

Topics:

Overview of sensors and actuators:

- early small mechanical systems to modern MEMS

MEMS materials:

- Overview of fabrication processes and materials

Scaling laws:

- electrostatics, magnetics, fluidics and elastodynamics

Thin films for MEMS

- Kinetics of growth and etching, Silicon dioxide: a case study

- Mechanical behavior of thin films:

|bull; residual/intrinsic stress

|bull; strength - a size effect

|bull; Experimental studies of thin films using MEMS instruments

Surface forces and stability of MEMS

- Surface tension

- Electrostatic force

- Stiction, a case study

9/25/2018