It has been known for quite some time that materials and structures with small-scale dimensions do not behave in the same manner as their bulk counterparts. This aspect was first observed in thin films where certain defect structures were found to have deleterious effects on the film’s structural integrity and reliability. This became a significant concern because thin films are routinely emplo...

The continuous growth of the development and production of microand nano-scaled devices requires the employ of compatible measurement techniques which fulfill the increasing demands of this new field. Despite the several very well established microscopy techniques, the potentialities of measuring the dynamic behavior of devices like microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) or capacitive micromachi...

This work describes a power-efficient bio-potential acquisition device for long-term healthcare applications that is implemented using novel microelectromechanical dry electrodes (MDE) and a low power bio-potential processing chip. Using micromachining technology, an attempt is also made to enhance the sensing reliability and stability by fabricating a diamond-shaped MDE (DS-MDE) that has a sat...

This paper reports a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) resonant varifocal mirror integrated with piezoresistive focus sensor. The varifocal mirror is driven electrostatically at a resonant frequency of a mirror plate to obtain the wide scanning range of a focal length. A piezoresistor is used to monitor the focal length of the varifocal mirror. The device is made of a silicon-on-insulator (...

Implantable electronic devices such as pacemakers and neural implants are often used for electrical stimulation. The usage of microfabrication techniques to produce microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) has allowed engineers to address a wider range of clinical indications. A new direction in the area of MEMS technology is the goal of achieving pulsatile drug delivery. The digital capabilities ...

Heavily boron-doped silicon layers and boron etch-stop techniques have been widely used in the fabrication of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). This paper provides an introduction to the fabrication process of nanoscale silicon thermoelectric devices. Low-dimensional structures such as silicon nanowire (SiNW) have been considered as a promising alternative for thermoelectric applications i...

In this work we describe a one degree-of-freedom microelectromechanical thermal displacement sensor integrated with an actuated stage. The system was fabricated in the device layer of a silicon-on-insulator wafer using a single-mask process. The sensor is based on the temperature dependent electrical resistivity of silicon and the heat transfer by conduction through a thin layer of air. On a me...

Two problems of technological importance for microelectromechanical systems ~MEMS! and microelectronics industry are addressed: fatigue of thin films and nanoscale film cracking. A device is described that can ~1! conduct biaxial fatigue tests on thin films and ~2! be utilized to study fracture patterns in nanoscale coatings under biaxial stress state. Thin-film specimens, in the form of circul...

Imaging of the cells and microvasculature simultaneously is beneficial to the study of tumor angiogenesis and microenvironments. We designed and built a fiber-optic based photoacoustic microscopy (PAM) and confocal fluorescence microscopy (CFM) dual-modality imaging system. To explore the feasibility of this all-optical device for future endoscopic applications, a microelectromechanical systems...

Combined two-photon fluorescence microscopy and femtosecond laser microsurgery has many potential biomedical applications as a powerful "seek-and-treat" tool. Towards developing such a tool, we demonstrate a miniaturized probe which combines these techniques in a compact housing. The device is 10 x 15 x 40 mm(3) in size and uses an aircore photonic crystal fiber to deliver femtosecond laser pul...