Arrays of MEMS fabricated flow sensors inspired by the acoustic flow-sensitive hairs found on the cerci of crickets, have been designed, fabricated and characterized. The hairs consist of up to 1 mm long SU-8 structures mounted on suspended membranes with normal translational and rotational degrees of freedom. Electrodes on the membrane and on the substrate form variable capacitors allowing for capacitive read-out. Capacitance versus voltage, frequency dependency and directional sensitivity measurements have been successfully carried out on fabricated sensor arrays, showing the viability of the concept. The sensors form a model-system allowing for investigations on sensory acoustics by their arrayed nature, their adaptivity via electrostatic interaction (frequency tuning and parametric amplification) and their susceptibility to noise (stochastic resonance)

We present monolithically integrated high-density arrays of artificial hairs forflow pattern measurements based on drag force. A combined bulWsurface micromachining process has been developed to integrate the artificial hairs with capacitive read-out. First fabrication results show the possibility ta fabricate out-ofplane hairs without reverting to micro-assembly technologies. This enables realisation of high-density arrays of symmetrical sensors with twodimensional sensitivity.

No abstract

A micro-calorimeter array with superconducting transition-edge sensors read out by a SQUID-based frequency-domain multiplexer is under development for the X-ray imaging spectrometer on board ESA's X-ray Evolving Universe Spectroscopy (XEUS) mission. The XEUS requirements are 2 and 5 eV FWHM energy resolution for 2 and 7 keV X-rays, respectively. An array of 32 x 32 pixels with 250 micron square pixels is envisaged.SRON and MESA + have developed 5 x 5 imaging micro-calorimeter prototype arrays along a bulk micromachining and a surface micromachining route. The present state of array design and development with emphasis on pixel-to-pixel performance measurements of thermal and I-V characteristics, sensor noise and energy resolution are presented.SRON and VTT are developing frequency-domain multiplexing with SQUID current amplifiers to read out the 32 x 32 array. The concept for the frequency division multiplexing read-out will be presented and its performance characteristics discussed. Recent results of sensor operation under AC-bias (500 kHz) are presented.

This paper presents bistable microswitches with Au contacts with the aim to combine them with artificial hairs for flow sensing. The Au contacts are applied on both ends of a silicon nitride beam, suspended by a torsional bar at its center. The beam is provided with electrodes for electrostatic actuation, which were used for characterization and can also be used for adaptive control of the mechanical properties of the flow sensor. The electrodes have been actuated in antiphase to drive the microswitch similarly to an astable multivibrator. Single-sided switching has been measured up to 10 kHz actuation frequency.