@misc{ConradSchenkKaiseretal., author = {Conrad, Holger and Schenk, Harald and Kaiser, Bert and Langa, Sergiu and Gaudet, Matthieu and Schimmanz, Klaus and Stolz, Michael and Lenz, Miriam}, title = {A small-gap electrostatic micro-actuator for large deflections}, series = {Nature Communications}, journal = {Nature Communications}, number = {6}, issn = {2041-1723}, doi = {10.1038/ncomms10078}, pages = {10078}, language = {en} } @misc{KolkovskyStuebnerLangaetal., author = {Kolkovsky, Vladimir and St{\"u}bner, R. and Langa, Sergiu and Wende, U. and Kaiser, Bert and Conrad, Holger and Schenk, Harald}, title = {Influence of annealing in H atmosphere on the electrical properties of Al₃O₃ layers grown on p-type Si by the atomic layer deposition technique}, series = {Solid-State Electronics}, volume = {123}, journal = {Solid-State Electronics}, issn = {0038-1101}, doi = {10.1016/j.sse.2016.06.005}, pages = {89 -- 95}, language = {en} } @misc{ConradKaiserGaudetetal., author = {Conrad, Holger and Kaiser, Bert and Gaudet, Matthieu and Langa, Sergiu and Stolz, Michael and Uhlig, Sebastian and Schimmanz, Klaus and Schenk, Harald}, title = {A novel electrostatic actuator class}, series = {Procedia Engineering}, volume = {168}, journal = {Procedia Engineering}, issn = {1877-7058}, doi = {10.1016/j.proeng.2016.11.454}, pages = {1533 -- 1536}, language = {en} } @misc{LangaConradKaiseretal., author = {Langa, Sergiu and Conrad, Holger and Kaiser, Bert and Stolz, Michael and Gaudet, Matthieu and Uhlig, Sebastian and Schimmanz, Klaus and Schenk, Harald}, title = {Technological aspects of a new micro-electro-mechanical actuation principle: nano e-drive}, series = {Microsystem Technologies}, volume = {23}, journal = {Microsystem Technologies}, number = {1}, issn = {1432-1858}, doi = {10.1007/s00542-017-3360-6}, pages = {5697 -- 5708}, language = {en} } @misc{UhligGaudetLangaetal., author = {Uhlig, Sebastian and Gaudet, Matthieu and Langa, Sergiu and Schimmanz, Klaus and Conrad, Holger and Kaiser, Bert and Schenk, Harald}, title = {Electrostatically driven in-plane silicon micropump for modular configuration}, series = {Micromachines}, volume = {9}, journal = {Micromachines}, number = {4}, issn = {2072-666X}, doi = {10.3390/mi9040190}, pages = {15}, abstract = {In this paper, an in-plane reciprocating displacement micropump for liquids and gases which is actuated by a new class of electrostatic bending actuators is reported. The so-called "Nano Electrostatic Drive" is capable of deflecting beyond the electrode gap distance, enabling large generated forces and deflections. Depending on the requirements of the targeted system, the micropump can be modularly designed to meet the specified differential pressures and flow rates by a serial and parallel arrangement of equally working pumping base units. Two selected, medium specific micropump test structure devices for pumping air and isopropanol were designed and investigated. An analytical approach of the driving unit is presented and two-way Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) simulations of the micropump were carried out to determine the dynamic behavior. The simulation showed that the test structure device designed for air expected to overcome a total differential pressure of 130 kPa and deliver a flow rate of 0.11 sccm at a 265 Hz driving frequency. The isopropanol design is expected to generate 210 kPa and pump 0.01 sccm at 21 Hz. The device is monolithically fabricated by CMOS-compatible bulk micromachining processes under the use of standard materials only, such as crystalline silicon, silicon dioxide and alumina.}, language = {en} } @misc{KaiserLangaEhrigetal., author = {Kaiser, Bert and Langa, Sergiu and Ehrig, Lutz and Stolz, Michael and Schenk, Hermann and Conrad, Holger and Schenk, Harald and Schimmanz, Klaus and Schuffenhauer, David}, title = {Concept and proof for an all-silicon MEMS micro speaker utilizing air chambers}, series = {Microsystems and Nanoengineering}, journal = {Microsystems and Nanoengineering}, number = {5}, issn = {2055-7434}, doi = {10.1038/s41378-019-0095-9}, pages = {11}, abstract = {MEMS-based micro speakers are attractive candidates as sound transducers for smart devices, particularly wearables and hearables. For such devices, high sound pressure levels, low harmonic distortion and low power consumption are required for industrial, consumer and medical applications. The ability to integrate with microelectronic circuitry, as well as scalable batch production to enable low unit costs, are the key factors benchmarking a technology. The Nanoscopic Electrostatic Drive based, novel micro speaker concept presented in this work essentially comprises in-plane, electrostatic bending actuators, and uses the chip volume rather than the its surface for sound generation. We describe the principle, design, fabrication, and first characterization results. Various design options and governing equations are given and discussed. In a standard acoustical test setup (ear simulator), a MEMS micro speaker generated a sound pressure level of 69 dB at 500 Hz with a total harmonic distortion of 4.4\%, thus proving the concept. Further potential on sound pressure as well as linearity improvement is outlined. We expect that the described methods can be used to enhance and design other MEMS devices and foster modeling and simulation approaches.}, language = {en} } @misc{KaiserSchenkEhrigetal., author = {Kaiser, Bert and Schenk, Hermann A. G. and Ehrig, Lutz and Wall, Franziska and Monsalve Guaracao, Jorge Mario and Langa, Sergiu and Stolz, Michael and Melnikov, Anton and Conrad, Holger and Schuffenhauer, David and Schenk, Harald}, title = {The push-pull principle: an electrostatic actuator concept for low distortion acoustic transducers}, series = {Microsystems \& Nanoengineering}, volume = {Vol. 8}, journal = {Microsystems \& Nanoengineering}, issn = {2055-7434}, doi = {10.1038/s41378-022-00458-z}, abstract = {Electrostatic actuators are of particular interest for microsystems (MEMS), and in particular for MEMS audio transducers for use in advanced true wireless applications. They are attractive because of their typically low electrical capacitance and because they can be fabricated from materials that are compatible with standard complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. For high audio performance and in particular low harmonic distortion (THD) the implementation of the push-pull principle provides strong benefits. With an arrangement of three electrodes in a conjunct moving configuration on a beam, we demonstrate here for the first time a balanced bending actuator incarnating the push-pull principle operating at low voltages. Our first design already exhibits a harmonic distortion as low as 1.2\% at 79 dB using a signal voltage of only 6 Vp and a constant voltage of only ±10 Vdc in a standard acoustic measurement setup. Thus, exceeding our previously reported approach in all three key performance indications at the same time. We expect that our novel electrode configurations will stimulate innovative electrostatic actuator developments for a broad range of applications. In this paper we report the basic theory, the fabrication and the performance of our novel actuator design acting as an audio transducer.}, language = {en} } @misc{MonsalveGuaracaoMelnikovStolzetal., author = {Monsalve Guaracao, Jorge Mario and Melnikov, Anton and Stolz, Michael and Mrosk, Andreas and Jongmanns, Marcel and Wall, Franziska and Langa, Sergiu and Marica-Bercu, Ioana and Br{\"a}ndel, Tim and Kircher, Marco and Schenk, Hermann A. G. and Kaiser, Bert and Schenk, Harald}, title = {Proof of concept of an air-coupled electrostatic ultrasonic transducer based on lateral motion}, series = {Sensors and Actuators A: Physical}, volume = {Vol. 345}, journal = {Sensors and Actuators A: Physical}, issn = {1873-3069}, doi = {10.1016/j.sna.2022.113813}, abstract = {An alternative implementation of an electrostatic MUT (Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer), relying on multiple beams that displace along the chip's surface instead of a single membrane displacing perpendicular to it, is presented in this work. With this approach, a design requiring a low bias voltage (24 V) and occupying a small area (3.3×3.3 mm², 2D/λ≈0.77) was shown to generate a sound pressure level of 82 dB (re. 20 µPa-rms) at 40 kHz and a distance of 8.9 cm. The high level of damping allows this transducer to operate in a wide frequency range (35-63 kHz). The operation of this device as an ultrasonic receiver was also proven. An implementation of this transducer as a rangefinder requires a strong reduction in the noise level, particularly coming from radio-frequency interference, in order to increase its detection range.}, language = {en} } @misc{RuffertMonsalveGuaracaoVoelzetal., author = {Ruffert, Christine and Monsalve Guaracao, Jorge Mario and V{\"o}lz, Uwe and Jongmanns, Marcel and Betz, Bj{\"o}rn and Langa, Sergiu and Amelung, J{\"o}rg and Wiersig, Marcus}, title = {Rapid characterisation of mixtures of hydrogen and natural gas by means of ultrasonic time-delay estimation}, series = {Journal of Sensors and Sensor Systems}, volume = {13}, journal = {Journal of Sensors and Sensor Systems}, number = {2}, issn = {2194-878X}, doi = {10.5194/jsss-13-179-2024}, pages = {185}, abstract = {The implementation of the "power-to-gas" concept, where hydrogen and natural gas are blended and transported in the existing network, requires a quick, on-site method to monitor the content of hydrogen in the mixture. We evaluate a rapid characterisation of this mixture based on the measurement of the speed of sound, using micromachined ultrasonic transducers (MUTs). Two MUT-based prototypes were implemented to analyse a mixture of natural gas and hydrogen under controlled conditions. Changes in the hydrogen content below 2 mol \% (in a mixture that was adjusted between 6 mol \% and 16 mol \%) were discriminated by both devices, including the uncertainty due to the temperature compensation and the time-delay estimation. The obtained values of the speed of sound were consistent with those calculated from independent, non-acoustic measurements performed with a gas chromatograph and a density sensor. An MUT-based flow meter is thus capable of reporting both gas intake and the molar fraction of hydrogen, provided that the source of natural gas is kept constant.}, language = {en} } @misc{UhligGaudetLangaetal., author = {Uhlig, Sebastian and Gaudet, Matthieu and Langa, Sergiu and Ruffert, Christine and Jongmanns, Marcel and Schenk, Harald}, title = {Highly integrable silicon micropumps using lateral electrostatic bending actuators}, series = {Microsystem Technologies}, volume = {30}, journal = {Microsystem Technologies}, number = {8}, publisher = {Springer Science and Business Media LLC}, issn = {0946-7076}, doi = {10.1007/s00542-024-05635-w}, pages = {949 -- 960}, abstract = {We present the design, fabrication, and characterization of an innovative silicon-based micropump with high potential for portable lab-on-chip (LoC) as well as point-of-care (PoC) applications. The actuators of the pump are electrostatic driven in-plane bending devices, which were presented earlier (Borcia et al. in Phys Rev Fluids 3(8): 084202, 2018. 10.1103/PhysRevFluids.3.084202; Uhlig et al. in Micromachines, 9(4), 2018. 10.3390/mi9040190). This paper presents the characterization results achieved with the micropump. The dielectric non-polar liquid Novec7100™ was used as a test liquid due to its adequate physical properties. When applying a periodic voltage of 130 V, a flow rate of up to 80 µL/min was detected. The counter pressure amounts up to 30 kPa and the correspondent fluidic power (volumetric flow rate times the counter pressure) was calculated to 10 µW. The pump contains passive flap valves at the inlet and outlet, which are based on a bending cantilever design. Depending on the application requirements, the micropump can be designed modularly to adjust the specific parameters by an adequate arrangement of pump base units. In this paper, the proof of principle is shown using a single base unit with different number of stacked NED-actuator beams, as well as the serial arrangement of base units. Both modular concepts target the increase of backpressure of the NED-micropump in an inherently different way compared to conventional membrane micropumps.}, language = {en} } @misc{GuaracoLangaStolzetal., author = {Guaraco, Jorge Mario Monsalve and Langa, Sergiu and Stolz, Michael and Mrosk, Andreas and Kaiser, Bert and Schenk, Harald}, title = {Design of micromachines under uncertainty with the sample-average approximation method}, series = {Journal of Advanced Mechanical Design, Systems, and Manufacturing}, volume = {18 (2024)}, journal = {Journal of Advanced Mechanical Design, Systems, and Manufacturing}, number = {2}, publisher = {Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers}, issn = {1881-3054}, doi = {10.1299/jamdsm.2024jamdsm0018}, language = {en} } @misc{MelnikovSchenkMonsalveGuaracaoetal., author = {Melnikov, Anton and Schenk, Hermann A. G. and Monsalve Guaracao, Jorge Mario and Wall, Franziska and Stolz, Michael and Mrosk, Andreas and Langa, Sergiu and Kaiser, Bert}, title = {Coulomb-actuated microbeams revisited: experimental and numerical modal decomposition of the saddle-node bifurcation}, series = {Microsystems \& Nanoengineering}, volume = {7}, journal = {Microsystems \& Nanoengineering}, number = {1}, issn = {2055-7434}, doi = {10.1038/s41378-021-00265-y}, abstract = {Electrostatic micromechanical actuators have numerous applications in science and technology. In many applications, they are operated in a narrow frequency range close to resonance and at a drive voltage of low variation. Recently, new applications, such as microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) microspeakers (µSpeakers), have emerged that require operation over a wide frequency and dynamic range. Simulating the dynamic performance under such circumstances is still highly cumbersome. State-of-the-art finite element analysis struggles with pull-in instability and does not deliver the necessary information about unstable equilibrium states accordingly. Convincing lumped-parameter models amenable to direct physical interpretation are missing. This inhibits the indispensable in-depth analysis of the dynamic stability of such systems. In this paper, we take a major step towards mending the situation. By combining the finite element method (FEM) with an arc-length solver, we obtain the full bifurcation diagram for electrostatic actuators based on prismatic Euler-Bernoulli beams. A subsequent modal analysis then shows that within very narrow error margins, it is exclusively the lowest Euler-Bernoulli eigenmode that dominates the beam physics over the entire relevant drive voltage range. An experiment directly recording the deflection profile of a MEMS microbeam is performed and confirms the numerical findings with astonishing precision. This enables modeling the system using a single spatial degree of freedom.}, language = {en} }