Bimorph

About: Bimorph is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 3339 publications have been published within this topic receiving 51880 citations.

Angular velocity sensor and process for manufacturing the same

Abstract: An integral bimorph angular rate sensor is formed by directly bonding two tuning fork members in the thickness direction to enhance the detecting sensitivity of the angular velocity sensor. The individual tuning fork members are formed from a single crystalline piezoelectric material such as quartz and are bonded in the crystal axis direction as to establish a piezoelectric phenomenon wherein the piezoelectric materials of the bonded tuning fork members have inverse polarities in their width or thickness directions.

Piezoelectric Resonance Sensors of DC Magnetic Field

Abstract: The operational principle, methods of calculation, and designs of the dc magnetic field sensors using the combination of the Ampere force, the piezoelectricity, and the acoustic resonance have been described. The prototypes of the sensors based on a lead zirconate titanate ring and bimorph structures with radial or bending oscillations excited by the alternative current have been fabricated and investigated. The sensitivity of the sensors reached 245 V/(A·T) and the measured field range was from ~10-5 T up to several Teslas.

Neuralprobe and methods for manufacturing same

Abstract: A neural probe and method of fabricating same are provided. The probe comprises a plurality of frames connected to each other and to a substrate by respective bimorphs. A probe base is connected by another bimorph to the frames. A probe tip extends from the probe base. The probe can achieve a large vertical motion and out-of-plane curling. The probe can operate according to three modes. The first mode pertains to a large-signal motion for tuning in single-unit neuronal activity. The second pertains to a small-signal motion with lock-in amplifier that increases SNR. The third pertains to burst small-signal motion for clearing tissue responses. Fabrication of a neural probe begins with a processed CMOS chip. Post-CMOS processing incorporates self-aligned selective nickel plating and sacrifices two aluminum layers. The fabrication technique produces a neural probe in which the sensing elements are in close proximity to CMOS circuitry. The fabrication technique obviates the need for post-CMOS masks, alignment, or assembly.

Electrothermal actuation of silicon carbide ring resonators

Abstract: Silicon carbide (SiC) ring resonators have been designed, simulated, and fabricated in order to achieve higher resonant frequency compared to beam resonators. The resonant frequency as a function of the ring radius and central hole radius, as well as the influence of the electrode design on the actuation efficiency have been investigated. Aluminum (Al) electrodes have been fabricated on top of the structures in order to study the electrothermal actuation of the structures. The bimorph Al/SiC ring resonators have been constructed by etching the SiC in inductively coupled plasma. The release of the Si sacrificial layer has been performed with a XeF2 chemical etching. The radial release and area release have been characterized as a function of the central hole dimension at chamber pressure of 1 and 2 Torr, whereby the release rates have been found to increase as the hole dimensions and the etching pressure increases. In addition, the release process has shown to be governed by aperture effects. The rings fabricated with different dimensions have been actuated mechanically and electrothermally, and the resonant frequency detected optically. The resonant frequency has been shown to increase as the ring radius decreases and the hole radius increases, both theoretically and experimentally.

Optical switching system

Abstract: An optical switching device switches optical signals completely within optical media, from an arbitrary number of N input optical fibers to a set of M output optical fibers. The invention uses a thermally-activated bimorph optical switch to redirect optical radiation emitted by a laser light source, or from the end of an optical fiber, to an input end of another optical fiber. The modulated optical radiation from the input fiber optic bundle is collimated into parallel beams and projected in free space across the tops of an array of microcantilever bimorph optical switches. When selected, a particular switch is activated, thereby causing a first bimorph switch element to pop up, and intercept and reflect the optical radiation at an angle approximately 90° to the original optical path direction. This reflected radiation is intercepted by another essentially identical bimorph switch element, located above or below the first switch element, that directs the radiation in a plane essentially parallel to that of the original beam plane, but above or below the original plane, and at approximately right angles to the original beam direction. The optical radiation is directed by the second switch element to output optical fiber collimating optics. This radiation is then coupled into the selected output optical fiber.