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Micromachines
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MEMS/NEMS Sensors and Actuators
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MEMS/NEMS Sensors and Actuators

A special issue of Micromachines (ISSN 2072-666X). This special issue belongs to the section "E：Engineering and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2022) | Viewed by 30049

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Yulong Zhao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Mechanical Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
Interests: MEMS; sensors; micro/nano fabrication
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Qi Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
Interests: micro/nano manufacturing; MEMS/NEMS sensors; measurements; carbon-based sensors; MoS2-based sensors; atomic simulation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

After the rise of MEMS/NEMS devices in the 1970s, the field of MEMS/NEMS sensors and actuators has grown immensely. Beginning in the 21st century, MEMS/NEMS sensors and actuators have been industrialized and applied not only to consumer markets such as mobile phones and games, but also to intelligent manufacturing, robots, aerospace and other fields. Compared with traditional machinery, MEMS/NEMS technology has the characteristics of being miniaturized, intelligent, multifunctional, highly integrated and suitable for mass-manufacturing processes.

Accordingly, this Special Issue seeks to showcase research papers, communications, and review articles that focus on: (1) Novel structural designs of MEMS/NEMS sensors and actuators, (2) Improved fabrication, packaging process and circuit design based on all kinds of MEMS/NEMS products, (3) New sensitive materials committed to a wider range of applications, such as polysilicon, graphene, carbon nanotubes, etc., (4) New developments of applying MEMS/NEMS sensors and actuators including, but are not limited to, MEMS/NEMS pressure sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes and microphones with capacitive, resonant, piezoelectric and piezoresistive mechanism.

We look forward to receiving your contributions!

Prof. Dr. Yulong Zhao
Dr. Qi Zhang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Micromachines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • MEMS/NEMS sensors: based on different principles--capacitive, resonant, piezoelectric, piezoresistive
  • MEMS/NEMS sensors: based on different physical quantities—pressure, force, acceleration, flow etc.
  • MEMS/NEMS actuators
  • MEMS/NEMS applications
  • MEMS/NEMS fabrication and packaging process
  • Novel sensitive materials
  • Novel structural designs

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 5207 KiB  
Article
Design of a Double-Layer Electrothermal MEMS Safety and Arming Device with a Bistable Mechanism
by Kexin Wang, Tengjiang Hu, Yulong Zhao, Wei Ren and Jiakai Liu
Micromachines 2022, 13(7), 1076; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13071076 - 7 Jul 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1792
Abstract
Considering the safety of ammunition, safety and arming (S&A) devices are usually designed in pyrotechnics to control energy transfer through a movable barrier mechanism. To achieve both intelligence and miniaturization, electrothermal actuators are used in MEMS S&A devices, which can drive the barrier [...] Read more.
Considering the safety of ammunition, safety and arming (S&A) devices are usually designed in pyrotechnics to control energy transfer through a movable barrier mechanism. To achieve both intelligence and miniaturization, electrothermal actuators are used in MEMS S&A devices, which can drive the barrier to an arming position actively. However, only when the actuators’ energy input is continuous can the barrier be stably kept in the arming position to wait for ignition. Here, we propose the design and characterization of a double-layer electrothermal MEMS S&A Device with a bistable mechanism. The S&A device has a double-layer structure and four groups of bistable mechanisms. Each bistable mechanism consists of two V-shape electrothermal actuators to drive a semi-circular barrier and a pawl, respectively, and control their engagement according to a specific operation sequence. Then, the barrier can be kept in the safety or the arming position without energy input. To improve the device’s reliability, the four groups of bistable mechanisms are axisymmetrically placed in two layers to constitute a double-layer barrier structure. The test results show that the S&A device can use constant-voltage driving or the capacitor–discharge driving to drive the double-layer barrier to the safety or the arming position and keep it on the position passively by the bistable mechanism. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue MEMS/NEMS Sensors and Actuators)
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11 pages, 4400 KiB  
Article
Design of a Capacitive MEMS Accelerometer with Softened Beams
by Chenggang Wang, Yongcun Hao, Zheng Sun, Luhan Zu, Weizheng Yuan and Honglong Chang
Micromachines 2022, 13(3), 459; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13030459 - 17 Mar 2022
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4121
Abstract
Lower stiffness can improve the performance of capacitive-based microelectromechanical systems sensors. In this paper, softened beams, achieved by the electrostatic assembly approach, are proposed to lower the stiffness of a capacitive MEMS accelerometer. The experiments show that the stiffness of the accelerometer is [...] Read more.
Lower stiffness can improve the performance of capacitive-based microelectromechanical systems sensors. In this paper, softened beams, achieved by the electrostatic assembly approach, are proposed to lower the stiffness of a capacitive MEMS accelerometer. The experiments show that the stiffness of the accelerometer is reduced by 43% with softened beams and the sensitivity is increased by 72.6%. As a result, the noise of the accelerometer is reduced to 26.2 μg/√Hz with an improvement of 44.5%, and bias instability is reduced to 5.05 μg with an enhancement of 38.7%. The electrostatic assembly-based stiffness softening technique is proven to be effective and can be used in many types of MEMS devices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue MEMS/NEMS Sensors and Actuators)
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12 pages, 4667 KiB  
Article
Defects Produced during Wet Transfer Affect the Electrical Properties of Graphene
by Dongliang Zhang, Qi Zhang, Xiaoya Liang, Xing Pang and Yulong Zhao
Micromachines 2022, 13(2), 227; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13020227 - 29 Jan 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2945
Abstract
Graphene has been widely used due to its excellent electrical, mechanical and chemical properties. Defects produced during its transfer process will seriously affect the performance of graphene devices. In this paper, single-layer graphene was transferred onto glass and silicon dioxide (SiO2) [...] Read more.
Graphene has been widely used due to its excellent electrical, mechanical and chemical properties. Defects produced during its transfer process will seriously affect the performance of graphene devices. In this paper, single-layer graphene was transferred onto glass and silicon dioxide (SiO2) substrates by wet transfer technology, and the square resistances thereof were tested. Due to the different binding forces of the transferred graphene surfaces, there may have been pollutants present. PMMA residues, graphene laminations and other defects that occurred in the wet transfer process were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. These defects influenced the square resistance of the produced graphene films, and of these defects, PMMA residue was the most influential; square resistance increased with increasing PMMA residue. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue MEMS/NEMS Sensors and Actuators)
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15 pages, 5587 KiB  
Article
Design and Simulation of Flexible Underwater Acoustic Sensor Based on 3D Buckling Structure
by Guochang Liu, Wenping Cao, Guojun Zhang, Zhihao Wang, Haoyu Tan, Jinwei Miao, Zhaodong Li, Wendong Zhang and Renxin Wang
Micromachines 2021, 12(12), 1536; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi12121536 - 10 Dec 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2826
Abstract
The exploration of marine resources has become an essential part of the development of marine strategies of various countries. MEMS vector hydrophone has great application value in the exploration of marine resources. However, existing MEMS vector hydrophones have a narrow frequency bandwidth and [...] Read more.
The exploration of marine resources has become an essential part of the development of marine strategies of various countries. MEMS vector hydrophone has great application value in the exploration of marine resources. However, existing MEMS vector hydrophones have a narrow frequency bandwidth and are based on rigid substrates, which are not easy to be bent in the array of underwater robots. This paper introduces a new type of flexible buckling crossbeam–cilium flexible MEMS vector hydrophone, arranged on a curved surface by a flexible substrate. A hydrophone model in the fluid domain was established by COMSOL Multiphysics software. A flexible hydrophone with a bandwidth of 20~4992 Hz, a sensitivity of −193.7 dB, excellent “8” character directivity, and a depth of concave point of 41.5 dB was obtained through structured data optimization. This study plays a guiding role in the manufacture and application of flexible hydrophones and sheds light on a new way of marine exploration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue MEMS/NEMS Sensors and Actuators)
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13 pages, 3240 KiB  
Article
Application and Analysis of Discrete Fiber Probes in Determining Detonation Velocity of Microcharges
by Guodong Zhang, Yulong Zhao and Jing Sun
Micromachines 2021, 12(12), 1524; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi12121524 - 8 Dec 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2075
Abstract
This paper describes a method based on discrete fiber probes for measuring detonation velocity produced by microcharges. This method is simple to implement, scalable for multi-channel and requires minimal perturbation to the detonation wave. A simple experimental apparatus was established by using the [...] Read more.
This paper describes a method based on discrete fiber probes for measuring detonation velocity produced by microcharges. This method is simple to implement, scalable for multi-channel and requires minimal perturbation to the detonation wave. A simple experimental apparatus was established by using the oscilloscope, photodetectors, optical fibers, alignment device and initiation system. Four groups of experiments were carried out for analyzing the influence of probe spacing on detonation velocity. The experiment results suggest that a relatively appropriate distance between two adjacent fiber probes is 4 mm. In addition, the comparative experiments between ionization probes and fiber probes were performed, which shows that the standard deviation of detonation velocity obtained by fiber probes is smaller under the same measurement conditions. This research may be useful for the development of determining detonation velocity precisely of microcharges. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue MEMS/NEMS Sensors and Actuators)
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13 pages, 3625 KiB  
Article
High-Sensitivity Enzymatic Glucose Sensor Based on ZnO Urchin-like Nanostructure Modified with Fe3O4 Magnetic Particles
by Qi Mao, Weixuan Jing, Weizhuo Gao, Zhengying Wei, Bian Tian, Ming Liu, Wei Ren and Zhuangde Jiang
Micromachines 2021, 12(8), 977; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi12080977 - 18 Aug 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2834
Abstract
A novel and efficient enzymatic glucose sensor was fabricated based on Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4MNPs)-modified urchin-like ZnO nanoflowers (ZnONFs). ZnONFs were hydrothermally synthesizing on a flexible PET substrate. Fe3O4MNPs were deposited on [...] Read more.
A novel and efficient enzymatic glucose sensor was fabricated based on Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4MNPs)-modified urchin-like ZnO nanoflowers (ZnONFs). ZnONFs were hydrothermally synthesizing on a flexible PET substrate. Fe3O4MNPs were deposited on the surface of the ZnONFs by the drop-coating process. The results showed that the urchin-like ZnONFs provided strong support for enzyme adsorption. For Fe3O4MNPs, it significantly promoted the redox electron transfer from the active center of GOx to the ZnO nanoflowers beneath. More importantly, it promoted the hydrolysis of H2O2, the intermediate product of glucose catalytic reaction, and thus improved the electron yield. The sensitivity of the Nafion/GOx/Fe3O4MNPs/ZnONFs/Au/PET sensor was up to 4.52 μA·mM−1·cm−2, which was improved by 7.93 times more than the Nafion/GOx/ZnONFs/Au/PET sensors (0.57 μA·mM−1·cm−2). The detection limit and linear range were also improved. Additionally, the as-fabricated glucose sensors show strong anti-interference performance in the test environment containing organic compounds (such as urea, uric acid, and ascorbic acid) and inorganic salt (for instance, NaCl and KCl). The glucose sensor’s service life was evaluated, and it can still maintain about 80% detection performance when it was reused about 20 times. Compared with other existing sensors, the as-fabricated glucose sensor exhibits an ultrahigh sensitivity and wide detection range. In addition, the introduction of Fe3O4MNPs optimized the catalytic efficiency from the perspective of the reaction mechanism and provided potential ideas for improving the performance of other enzymatic biosensors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue MEMS/NEMS Sensors and Actuators)
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10 pages, 3383 KiB  
Article
High-Performance Temperature Sensor by Employing Screen Printing Technology
by Zhaojun Liu, Bian Tian, Bingfei Zhang, Zhongkai Zhang, Jiangjiang Liu, Libo Zhao, Peng Shi, Qijing Lin and Zhuangde Jiang
Micromachines 2021, 12(8), 924; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi12080924 - 2 Aug 2021
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3169
Abstract
In the present study, a high-performance n-type temperature sensor was developed by a new and facile synthesis approach, which could apply to ambient temperature applications. As impacted by the low sintering temperature of flexible polyimide substrates, a screen printing technology-based method to prepare [...] Read more.
In the present study, a high-performance n-type temperature sensor was developed by a new and facile synthesis approach, which could apply to ambient temperature applications. As impacted by the low sintering temperature of flexible polyimide substrates, a screen printing technology-based method to prepare thermoelectric materials and a low-temperature heat treatment process applying to polymer substrates were proposed and achieved. By regulating the preparation parameters of the high-performance n-type indium oxide material, the optimal proportioning method and the post-treatment process method were developed. The sensors based on thermoelectric effects exhibited a sensitivity of 162.5 μV/°C, as well as a wide range of temperature measurement from ambient temperature to 223.6 °C. Furthermore, it is expected to conduct temperature monitoring in different scenarios through a sensor prepared in masks and mechanical hands, laying a foundation for the large-scale manufacturing and widespread application of flexible electronic skin and devices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue MEMS/NEMS Sensors and Actuators)
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20 pages, 13167 KiB  
Article
Microfluidic Airborne Metal Particle Sensor Using Oil Microcirculation for Real-Time and Continuous Monitoring of Metal Particle Emission
by Jong-Seo Yoon, Jiwon Park, Hye-Rin Ahn, Seong-Jae Yoo and Yong-Jun Kim
Micromachines 2021, 12(7), 825; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi12070825 - 14 Jul 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3206
Abstract
Airborne metal particles (MPs; particle size > 10 μm) in workplaces result in a loss in production yield if not detected in time. The demand for compact and cost-efficient MP sensors to monitor airborne MP generation is increasing. However, contemporary instruments and laboratory-grade [...] Read more.
Airborne metal particles (MPs; particle size > 10 μm) in workplaces result in a loss in production yield if not detected in time. The demand for compact and cost-efficient MP sensors to monitor airborne MP generation is increasing. However, contemporary instruments and laboratory-grade sensors exhibit certain limitations in real-time and on-site monitoring of airborne MPs. This paper presents a microfluidic MP detection chip to address these limitations. By combining the proposed system with microcirculation-based particle-to-liquid collection and a capacitive sensing method, the continuous detection of airborne MPs can be achieved. A few microfabrication processes were realized, resulting in a compact system, which can be easily replaced after contamination with a low-priced microfluidic chip. In our experiments, the frequency-dependent capacitive changes were characterized using MP (aluminum) samples (sizes ranging from 10 μm to 40 μm). Performance evaluation of the proposed system under test-bed conditions indicated that it is capable of real-time and continuous monitoring of airborne MPs (minimum size 10 μm) under an optimal frequency, with superior sensitivity and responsivity. Therefore, the proposed system can be used as an on-site MP sensor for unexpected airborne MP generation in precise manufacturing facilities where metal sources are used. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue MEMS/NEMS Sensors and Actuators)
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7 pages, 1731 KiB  
Article
Macro Modeling of V-Shaped Electro-Thermal MEMS Actuator with Human Error Factor
by Dongpeng Zhang, Anjiang Cai, Yulong Zhao and Tengjiang Hu
Micromachines 2021, 12(6), 622; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi12060622 - 27 May 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2840
Abstract
The V-shaped electro-thermal MEMS actuator model, with the human error factor taken into account, is presented in this paper through the cascading ANSYS simulation model and the Fuzzy mathematics calculation model. The Fuzzy mathematics calculation model introduces the human error factor into the [...] Read more.
The V-shaped electro-thermal MEMS actuator model, with the human error factor taken into account, is presented in this paper through the cascading ANSYS simulation model and the Fuzzy mathematics calculation model. The Fuzzy mathematics calculation model introduces the human error factor into the MEMS actuator model by using the BP neural network, which effectively reduces the error between ANSYS simulation results and experimental results to less than 1%. Meanwhile, the V-shaped electro-thermal MEMS actuator model, with the human error factor included, will become more accurate as the database of the V-shaped electro-thermal actuator model grows. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue MEMS/NEMS Sensors and Actuators)
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Review

Jump to: Research

28 pages, 12747 KiB  
Review
A Genosensor Based on the Modification of a Microcantilever: A Review
by He Zhang, Shuang Yang, Jian Zeng, Xin Li and Rongyan Chuai
Micromachines 2023, 14(2), 427; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi14020427 - 10 Feb 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2318
Abstract
When the free end of a microcantilever is modified by a genetic probe, this sensor can be used for a wider range of applications, such as for chemical analysis, biological testing, pharmaceutical screening, and environmental monitoring. In this paper, to clarify the preparation [...] Read more.
When the free end of a microcantilever is modified by a genetic probe, this sensor can be used for a wider range of applications, such as for chemical analysis, biological testing, pharmaceutical screening, and environmental monitoring. In this paper, to clarify the preparation and detection process of a microcantilever sensor with genetic probe modification, the core procedures, such as probe immobilization, complementary hybridization, and signal extraction and processing, are combined and compared. Then, to reveal the microcantilever’s detection mechanism and analysis, the influencing factors of testing results, the theoretical research, including the deflection principle, the establishment and verification of a detection model, as well as environmental influencing factors are summarized. Next, to demonstrate the application results of the genetic-probe-modified sensors, based on the classification of detection targets, the application status of other substances except nucleic acid, virus, bacteria and cells is not introduced. Finally, by enumerating the application results of a genetic-probe-modified microcantilever combined with a microfluidic chip, the future development direction of this technology is surveyed. It is hoped that this review will contribute to the future design of a genetic-probe-modified microcantilever, with further exploration of the sensitive mechanism, optimization of the design and processing methods, expansion of the application fields, and promotion of practical application. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue MEMS/NEMS Sensors and Actuators)
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