Design, Fabrication, and Testing of a SOI-MEMS-Based Active Microprobe for Potential Cellular Force Sensing Applications

This paper presents the design, analysis, fabrication, and characterization of an electrostatically driven single-axis active probing device for the applications of cellular force sensing and materials characterization. The active microprobe is actuated by linear comb drivers to generate the motion...

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Main Authors: Li Zhang, Jingyan Dong
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2012-01-01
Series:Advances in Mechanical Engineering
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/785798
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author Li Zhang
Jingyan Dong
author_facet Li Zhang
Jingyan Dong
author_sort Li Zhang
collection DOAJ
description This paper presents the design, analysis, fabrication, and characterization of an electrostatically driven single-axis active probing device for the applications of cellular force sensing and materials characterization. The active microprobe is actuated by linear comb drivers to generate the motion in the probing direction. Both actuation and sensing comb-drive structures are designed for the probing stage. The sensing comb structures enable us to sense the probe displacement when the device is actuated, which enables applications of force-balanced sensing and provides the capability of closed-loop control towards better accuracy. The designed active probing device is fabricated on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate with a 10 μ m thick device layer through surface micromachining technologies and deep reactive-ion etching (DRIE) process. The handle layer beneath probe stage is etched away by DRIE process to decrease the film damping between the stage and the handle wafer thus achieving high-quality factor. The fabricated stage provides a motion range of 14 μ m at actuation voltage of 140 V. The measured natural frequency of the stage is 1.5 kHz under ambient conditions. A sensitivity of 6 fF/ μ m has been achieved. The proposed single-axis probe is aimed at sensing cellular force which ranges from a few nano-Newton to μ N and micromanipulation applications.
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spelling doaj.art-9c62adf6aba6413183e83bd840fb97742022-12-22T00:58:38ZengSAGE PublishingAdvances in Mechanical Engineering1687-81322012-01-01410.1155/2012/78579810.1155_2012/785798Design, Fabrication, and Testing of a SOI-MEMS-Based Active Microprobe for Potential Cellular Force Sensing ApplicationsLi ZhangJingyan DongThis paper presents the design, analysis, fabrication, and characterization of an electrostatically driven single-axis active probing device for the applications of cellular force sensing and materials characterization. The active microprobe is actuated by linear comb drivers to generate the motion in the probing direction. Both actuation and sensing comb-drive structures are designed for the probing stage. The sensing comb structures enable us to sense the probe displacement when the device is actuated, which enables applications of force-balanced sensing and provides the capability of closed-loop control towards better accuracy. The designed active probing device is fabricated on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate with a 10 μ m thick device layer through surface micromachining technologies and deep reactive-ion etching (DRIE) process. The handle layer beneath probe stage is etched away by DRIE process to decrease the film damping between the stage and the handle wafer thus achieving high-quality factor. The fabricated stage provides a motion range of 14 μ m at actuation voltage of 140 V. The measured natural frequency of the stage is 1.5 kHz under ambient conditions. A sensitivity of 6 fF/ μ m has been achieved. The proposed single-axis probe is aimed at sensing cellular force which ranges from a few nano-Newton to μ N and micromanipulation applications.https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/785798
spellingShingle Li Zhang
Jingyan Dong
Design, Fabrication, and Testing of a SOI-MEMS-Based Active Microprobe for Potential Cellular Force Sensing Applications
Advances in Mechanical Engineering
title Design, Fabrication, and Testing of a SOI-MEMS-Based Active Microprobe for Potential Cellular Force Sensing Applications
title_full Design, Fabrication, and Testing of a SOI-MEMS-Based Active Microprobe for Potential Cellular Force Sensing Applications
title_fullStr Design, Fabrication, and Testing of a SOI-MEMS-Based Active Microprobe for Potential Cellular Force Sensing Applications
title_full_unstemmed Design, Fabrication, and Testing of a SOI-MEMS-Based Active Microprobe for Potential Cellular Force Sensing Applications
title_short Design, Fabrication, and Testing of a SOI-MEMS-Based Active Microprobe for Potential Cellular Force Sensing Applications
title_sort design fabrication and testing of a soi mems based active microprobe for potential cellular force sensing applications
url https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/785798
work_keys_str_mv AT lizhang designfabricationandtestingofasoimemsbasedactivemicroprobeforpotentialcellularforcesensingapplications
AT jingyandong designfabricationandtestingofasoimemsbasedactivemicroprobeforpotentialcellularforcesensingapplications