Engineering polymer MEMS using combined microfluidic pervaporation and micro-molding

Abstract

In view of the extensive increase of flexible devices and wearable electronics, the development of polymer micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) is becoming more and more important since their potential to meet the multiple needs for sensing applications in flexible electronics is now clearly established. Nevertheless, polymer micromachining for MEMS applications is not yet as mature as its silicon counterpart, and innovative microfabrication techniques are still expected. We show in the present work an emerging and versatile microfabrication method to produce arbitrary organic, spatially resolved multilayer micro-structures, starting from dilute inks, and with possibly a large choice of materials. This approach consists in extending classical microfluidic pervaporation combined with MIcro-Molding In Capillaries. To illustrate the potential of this technique, bilayer polymer double-clamped resonators with integrated piezoresistive readout have been fabricated, characterized, and applied to humidity sensing. The present work opens new opportunities for the conception and integration of polymers in MEMS.

Advances in MEMS and Microfluidics‐Based Energy Harvesting Technologies

“…[ 3 ] Microfluidic devices are remarkably flexible and can be stretched in shape and size, allowing them to convert the deformation of the material into electricity. [ 4 ] It makes them capable of integrating the MEMS‐based energy harvesters in self‐powered sensors [ 5 ] located in various environments, such as the human body. [ 6 ] Also, microfluidics technology can be used for increasing the performance efficiency of energy harvesters by using as a heat exchanger [ 7 ] or embedding in the housing system.…”

Implementation of capacitance as simultaneous sensing and actuating tool in tapered microelectrode arrays for dielectrophoresis-on-a-chip application

“…The remarkable development in the micro-fabrication technology of micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) sensors, actuators and microfluidic devices has attracted great interest during recent decades (Barua et al, 2018;Thuau et al, 2018;Bedekar and Tantawi, 2017;Alveringh et al, 2017;Samiei et al, 2016). The advancement in micro-fabrication technology can benefit in the applications that relates to microand nano-size particles.…”

Hydrogel Microelectromechanical System (MEMS) Resonators: Beyond Cost‐Effective Sensing Platform

“…[10] It is clear that material requirements for stable oscillators and sensors are quite different and even contradictory. [27,28] A variety of available material choices aforementioned require specifically tailored manufacturing routes such as standard photo lithography, [17] injection molding, [29] nanoimprint lithography, [30] microfluidic platform, [31] and stereolithography. [11][12][13] One of the promising alternative candidate materials for MEMS resonators is polymer, a large molecule composed of many repeated subunits.…”

“…Materials used in seminal exemplary works include SU-8 photoresist, [14][15][16][17][18] polystyrene, [19] polyimide, [20] polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polycarbonate (PC), [21] polypropylene, polyvinylidenfluoride, [22] poly(L-lactide), [23] hexanediol diacrylate, [24] poly(vinylidenefluoride/trifluoroethylene), [25] polyethylene terephthalate, [26] and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). [27,28] A variety of available material choices aforementioned require specifically tailored manufacturing routes such as standard photo lithography, [17] injection molding, [29] nanoimprint lithography, [30] microfluidic platform, [31] and stereolithography. [32,33] Development of polymer MEMS resonators initially focuses on cost-effectiveness by reducing either materials' cost or Mechanical resonators have been used for various applications including timing references, filters, accelerometers, and inertial sensors.…”