Publications

This paper describes the design and design issues associated with silicon surface micromachined device design Some of the tools described are adaptations of macro analysis tools. Design issues in the microdomain differ greatly from design issues encountered in the macrodomain. Microdomain forces caused by electrostatic attraction, surface tension, Van der Walls forces, and others can be more significant than inertia, friction, or gravity. Design and analysis tools developed for macrodomain devices are inadequate in most cases for microdomain devices. Microdomain specific design and analysis tools are being developed, but are still immature and lack adequate functionality. The fundamental design process for surface micromachined devices is significantly different than the design process employed in the design of macro-sized devices. In this paper, MEMS design will be discussed as well as the tools used to develop the designs and the issues relating fabrication processes to design. Design and analysis of MEMS devices is directly coupled to the silicon micromachining processes used to fabricate the devices. These processes introduce significant design limitations and must be well understood before designs can be successfully developed. In addition, some silicon micromachining fabrication processes facilitate the integration of silicon micromachines with microelectronics on-chip. For devices requiring on-chip electronics, the fabrication processes introduce additional design constraints that must be taken into account during design and analysis.

Micromachining technologies enable the development of low-cost devices capable of sensing motion in a reliable and accurate manner. The development of various surface micromachined accelerometers and gyroscopes to sense motion is an ongoing activity at Sandia National Laboratories. In addition, Sandia has developed a fabrication process for integrating both the micromechanical structures and microelectronics circuitry of Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) on the same chip. This integrated surface micromachining process provides substantial performance and reliability advantages in the development of MEMS accelerometers and gyros. A Sandia MEMS team developed a single-axis, micromachined silicon accelerometer capable of surviving and measuring very high accelerations, up to 50,000 times the acceleration due to gravity or 50 k-G (actually measured to 46,000 G). The Sandia integrated surface micromachining process was selected for fabrication of the sensor due to the extreme measurement sensitivity potential associated with integrated microelectronics. Measurement electronics capable of measuring at to Farad (10{sup {minus}18} Farad) changes in capacitance were required due to the very small accelerometer proof mass (< 200 {times} 10{sup {minus}9} gram) used in this surface micromachining process. The small proof mass corresponded to small sensor deflections which in turn required very sensitive electronics to enable accurate acceleration measurement over a range of 1 to 50 k-G. A prototype sensor, based on a suspended plate mass configuration, was developed and the details of the design, modeling, and validation of the device will be presented in this paper. The device was analyzed using both conventional lumped parameter modeling techniques and finite element analysis tools. The device was tested and performed well over its design range.

Micromachining technologies, or Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS), enable the develop of low-cost devices capable of sensing motion in a reliable and accurate manner. Sandia has developed a MEMS fabrication process for integrating both the micromechanical structures and microelectronics circuitry of surface micromachined sensors, such as silicon accelerometers, on the same chip. Integration of the micromechanical sensor elements with microelectronics provides substantial performance and reliability advantages for MEMS accelerometers. A design team at Sandia was assembled to develop a micromachined silicon accelerometer capable of surviving and measuring very high accelerations (up to 50,000 times the acceleration due to gravity). The Sandia integrated surface micromachining process was selected for fabrication of the sensor due to the extreme measurement sensitivity potential associated with integrated microelectronics. Very fine measurement sensitivity was required due to the very small accelerometer proof mass (< 200 {times} 10{sup {minus}9} gram) obtainable with this surface micromachining process. The small proof mass corresponded to small sensor deflections which required very sensitive electronics to enable accurate acceleration measurement over a range of 1,000 to 50,000 times the acceleration due to gravity. Several prototype sensors, based on a suspended plate mass configuration, were developed and the details of the design, modeling, fabrication and validation of the device will be presented in this paper. The device was analyzed using both conventional lumped parameter modeling techniques and finite element analysis tools. The device was tested and performed well over its design range (the device was tested over a range of a few thousand G to 46,000 G, where 1 G equals the acceleration due to gravity).

MEMS is an enabling technology that may provide low-cost devices capable of sensing motion in a reliable and accurate manner. This paper describes preliminary work in MEMS contact fuse development at Sandia National Laboratories. This work leverages a process for integrating both the micromechanical structures and microelectronics circuitry of a MEMS devices on the same chip. The design and test results of an integrated MEMS high-g accelerometer will be detailed. This design could be readily modified to create a high-g switching device suitable for a contact fuse. A potential design for a low-g acceleration measurement device (suitable for such fusing operations as path length measurement device of both whole path length or safe separation distance) for artillery rounds and earth penetrator devices will also be discussed in this document (where 1 g {approx} 9.81 m/s{sup 2}).

The Virtual Collaborative Environment (VCE) and Distributed Collaborative Workbench (DCW) are new technologies that make it possible for diverse users to synthesize and share mechatronic, sensor, and information resources. Using these technologies, university researchers, manufacturers, design firms, and others can directly access and reconfigure systems located throughout the world. The architecture for implementing VCE and DCW has been developed based on the proposed National Information Infrastructure or Information Highway and a tool kit of Sandia-developed software. Further enhancements to the VCE and DCW technologies will facilitate access to other mechatronic resources. This report describes characteristics of VCE and DCW and also includes background information about the evolution of these technologies.

Sandia National Laboratories has developed an approach to the design, evaluation, deployment and operation of intelligent systems which is called System Composer. This toolkit provides an infrastructure and architecture for robot and automation system users to readily integrate system components and share mechatronic, sensor, and information resources over networks. The technology described in this paper provides a framework for real-time collaboration between researchers, manufacturing entities, design entities, and others without regard to relative location. An overview of the toolkit including its elements and architecture is provided along with examples of its use.