Northeastern University

The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.

Arete Associates

The Microoptical Corporation

Nicol E McGruer

Paul M Zavracky

Ahmed Busnaina

George G Adams

Sivasubramanian Somu

Xugang Xiong

Peter Ryan

Taehoon Kim

Marc Steven Weinberg

Matteo Rinaldi

Amy Elizabeth Duwel

Jonathan Jay Bernstein

David M Kane

Paul A Ward

Eugene H Cook

Noa More Rensing

Richard H Morrison, Jr

Carmine Vittoria

Cristian Cassella

Jeffrey A Hopwood

TaeHoon Kim

Robert Egri

Steven A Oliver

Keith Warner

Robert W McClelland

Rick H Morrison

An environmental physical sensor is provided that includes a power input terminal, a sensor output terminal, and a resonant switch. The resonant switch includes a mechanical element that is responsive to an environmental stimulus and is coupled to an electrical switch. The electrical switch is operable between an open position and a closed position and electrically connects the power input terminal to the sensor output terminal when in the closed position. The mechanical element is configured to intermittently actuate the electrical switch into the closed position responsive to the environmental stimulus.

Zero power sensors

A zero power radio frequency (RF) activated wake up device is provided. The device is based on a high-Q MEMS demodulator that filters an amplitude-modulated RF tone of interest from the entire spectrum while producing a much higher voltage signal suitable to trigger a high-Q MEMS resonant switch tuned to the modulation frequency of the RF tone.

Zero power radio frequency receiver

The present invention provides methods and tools for directed assembly of nanoelements across a large area using a nanosubstrate. The nanosubstrate has a substrate layer, an adhesive layer, a conductive layer, and an insulating layer that is interrupted by one or more nanotrenches or nanowells having a width of at least 20 nm. The nanosubstrate allows the rapid assembly of linear assemblies and arrays of single walled carbon nanotubes and nanoparticles by DC electrophoresis. The density of nanoelements assembled can be controlled by varying the voltage and trench size. Functionalized nanoparticles can be assembled into arrays useful, e.g., as biosensors.

Directed assembly of carbon nanotubes and nanoparticles using nanotemplates

A non-volatile bistable nano-electromechanical switch is provided for use in memory devices and microprocessors. The switch employs carbon nanotubes as the actuation element. A method has been developed for fabricating nanoswitches having one single-walled carbon nanotube as the actuator. The actuation of two different states can be achieved using the same low voltage for each state.

System and method for integrating a single nanowire into a nanocircuit

Method of integrating a single nanowire into a nanocircuit

Bistable nanoswitch

Processes for preparing contacts on microswitches have been invented. The first is a wet process, involving the use of one or more acids, bases and peroxides, in some formulations diluted in water, to flush the contacts. The second process involves exposing the contacts to plasmas of various gases, including (1) oxygen, (2) a mixture of carbon tetrafluoride and oxygen, or (3) argon.

Method of preparing electrical contacts used in switches

A gap in an optical guideway is occupied, when the switch is in its diverting condition, by a quantity of air or other gas. To change the switch to its through condition, an actuator forces a column of liquid against the gas to compress (and thereby displace) the gas in the gap with the liquid. The actuator includes a preferably wide reservoir of the liquid and a diaphragm which is flexed to force the liquid up the column against the gas. When the actuator is deactivated the compressed gas forces the column of liquid out of the gap to return the switch to the diverting condition.

High-speed, low-power optical modulation apparatus and method

Apparatus and methods for protecting devices such as micro-switches ( ) and micro-relays from adverse effects of electrostatic discharge (ESD). A protection device is provided that includes a two terminal switch ( ) that can be actuated by an ESD event to protect an EDS-sensitive micro-switch or micro-relay from potential malfunction and/or damage. The two terminal switch is configured to close in less time than the micro-switch or micro-relay it is protecting, thereby disipating the energy associated with the ESD event without causing damage to the micro-relays which are provided with increased immunity to the adverse effects of ESD events. The micro-switch includes respective drain/gate terminal pairs at respective ends of the device. The micro-relay includes at least two drain terminals ( ) and a gate terminal ( ) at respective ends of the device. The micro-switch and micro-relay are configured to be less sensitive to ESD events by using the gate terminal ( ) at one end of the device to latch that end of the device down, thereby increasing the gate or drain voltage required to generate a threshold electric field to pull the other end of the device down.

Electrostatic discharge protection for eletrostatically actuated microrelays

A micro-electromechanical optical switch assembly is provided for an optical network. The switch assembly includes arrays of input and output optical fibers and optical components for selecting light paths that connect any selected pair of input and output fibers. The optical components include optical switching elements, such as torsionally supported micromechanical mirrors that are electrostatically actuated to rotate to direct the light beam along the desired light path. The mirrors are bulk micromachined into a semiconductor wafer, preserving their optical qualities, and formed into a chip mated to a cover. The package incorporates alignment elements to ensure correct position and orientation of the optical components in the package.

Micro-electromechanical optical switch assembly for optical data networks

A method of creating plastically deformed devices which have a three dimensional aspect. Micromechanical structures are created from a material which is plastically deformable and then a section of the structure is bent to an out-of-plane position and can be maintained there without being supported by other mechanical devices such as latches or hinges. The bending of the structures may be done mechanically, by electrostatic forces or by magnetic forces. The bending can also be done in a batch mode where a plurality of devices are bent at the same time as part of the same process. Fuses can be utilized to allow only a predetermined number of devices to be bent in batch mode. The fuses are later blown, thereby providing a plurality of devices which are relatively parallel to the substrate as well as a plurality of devices which are generally out-of-plane with respect to the substrate.

Method of forming plastically deformable microstructures

Flow, tactile and orientation sensors using deformable microelectrical mechanical sensors

A micromechanical switch or relay in accordance with the invention includes a substrate, a source electrode, a gate electrode, a drain electrode, and various style beams. In one embodiment the beam is relatively long and includes flexures on at least one end, and has a small activation voltage. Additional embodiments include a relay wherein the beam has an insulator and an isolated contactor wherein the interface between the beam and the insulator is more mechanically robust by having the insulator fill recesses in the end of the beam; a switch or relay wherein the drain contacts are collinear with the source contacts so that the strain gradient of the mechanical material does not affect performance of the device; a snap action switch in which the beam acts a leaf spring such that an initial voltage places the beam close to the contact, and a small additional voltage results in a large beam force for closing the switch contact; a switch or relay wherein the beam includes a hinge and is therefore more easily deflectable; and a single pole double throw switch or relay wherein the beam is deflectable in a first direction to provide a first connection and also deflectable in a second direction to provide a second connection. The switches and relays can be ganged together in order to switch high currents, and can be fabricated to have a single large beam, a single large gate contact, a single large source contact, a single large drain contact, or combinations thereof. Additionally, the switches and relays can be used to form logic circuits such as NAND gates, NOR gates, inverters and the like.

Micromechanical switching devices

A method for the fabrication complex-transition metal oxide (CTMO)/semiconductor or dielectric substrate integrated devices includes the separation of the CTMO film growth process from the CTMO-film/semiconductor or dielectric substrate integration process. The CTMO-film is transferred from the native substrate to the final substrate for fabrication into devices. The CTMO-film is grown onto a native substrate under growth conditions chosen to provide a CTMO-film having desirable properties and thickness. No restrictions are placed upon the native substrate used, the growth method used, or on the growth conditions required. The CTMO-film is then joined to the semiconductor or dielectric substrate and the native substrate is removed, providing the basis for an integrated electronics, photonics, or MEMS device. Techniques fully compatible with semiconductor processing can be used to fabricate monolithically integrated CTMO/semiconductor devices in a first embodiment.

Method of fabricating an integrated complex-transition metal oxide device

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Dover, MA, United States of America

Nicol E McGruer