Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a new method for mems hardware. Such micro-electromechanical systems are used as motion sensors.
Gyroscopes in smartphones or tablets, but also g-sensors in hard disk drives and accelerometers in mobile hardware generally use mems technology. Micro-electromechanical systems are made with very small moving parts, for example, a gyroscope to achieve. Mems chips, however, were still mainly lithographic produced, using the same technique for chips is used, the mechanical parts out of silicon to be etched. Easier to edit materials are not as resistant to different temperatures, like silicon; the mems hardware is therefore predominantly two-dimensional.
The researchers from the Aeronautics and Astronautics department of MIT have however developed a method for three-dimensional mems devices to produce, but the well-known methods to use. They knew making clever use of structural tensions in silica, which occur as the material is processed. For example, the wegetsen of material around a structure, a certain vervormingsspanning therein cause.
With an algorithm to calculate the researchers, the mechanical tension necessary for the desired shape bending of the structures. Through the manufacturing process to match the necessary residual stresses in the silicon, formed the material itself until the desired shape has been reached. Also, can the dimensions be varied by different materials, with different vervormingsspanningen. The researchers knew as mems accelerometers to build in ruimtevaartnavigatie can be used.
