Metal alloys have material properties that are very appealing for micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS), but present a challenge for process integration within a lithographic manufacturing sequence of the type used in the semiconductor industry. The batch-mode micro electrodischarge machining (μEDM) discussed here uses lithographically-fabricated electrode arrays with high density and high un...

In this paper, model-based precision force and position control of an ionic polymer metal composite (IPMC) is presented. A 23.8 mm×3.4 mm×0.16 mm IPMC strip was used as an actuator in a cantilever configuration. Open-loop force and position responses of an IPMC are not repeatable, and hence closed-loop precision control is of critical importance to ensure proper functioning, repeatability and r...

Microfluidic technologies enable in vitro studies to closely simulate in vivo microvessel environment with complexity. Such method overcomes certain constrains of the statically cultured endothelial monolayers and enables the cells grow under physiological range of shear flow with geometry similar to microvessels in vivo. However, there are still existing knowledge gaps and lack of convincing e...

The work of adhesion is an interfacial materials property that is often extracted from atomic force microscope (AFM) measurements of the pull-off force for tips in contact with flat substrates. Such measurements rely on the use of continuum contact mechanics models, which ignore the atomic structure and contain other assumptions that can be challenging to justify from experiments alone. In this...

This chapter presents an application of zero-power controlled magnetic levitation for active vibration control. Vibration isolation are strongly required in the field of high-resolution measurement and micromanufacturing, for instance, in the submicron semiconductor chip manufacturing, scanning probe microscopy, holographic interferometry, cofocal optical imaging, etc. to obtain precise and rep...