This CAREER project adopts an integrated research and education strategy centered on the development of mechanically robust three-dimensional mechanisms. By taking advantage of recent developments in silicon-based fabrication, a new approach to the parallel manufacture of mechanically robust spatial micromechanisms has become feasible. Such micromechanisms, with dimensions ranging from several microns to several millimeters, are uniquely capable of coupling macro-scale forces and disturbances to precise micro-scale motions. This effort represents an integrated research and education strategy centered around the development of mechanically robust silicon micromechanisms. The research component of this work focuses on developing a fundamental understanding of the manufacturing and design issues involved in silicon micromechanism fabrication. Novel MEMS processing techniques will be employed to study the design, circuit integration, microactuation, and packaging of silicon micromechanisms. Systems-level issues will be addressed, including VLSI and MEMS integration using focused ion beam manufacturing, powering and sensing techniques, on-chip thermal microactuation, on-chip feedback position control, and packaging of fabricated devices. The educational component of this work will combine research-based education with an industrial outreach program. Specific tasks include undergraduate and graduate-level MEMS courses, an industrial short course on microfabrication, and a multi-user micromechanism foundry service. The development of supporting technologies for spatial silicon micromechanisms represents a significant advance in the field of MEMS. Micromechanisms with six degrees-of-freedom are feasible in the technology, allowing for a greatly extended design space compared to traditional devices. Potential applications include miniature robotics, high-precision medical tools, and arrays of large-displacement actuators for micro-scale manufacturing. The research is expected to extend the current design space for MEMS, and to contribute fundamental advances to micromechanism design and fabrication technology.
