STTR Phase I: Microflow and Nanoflow Characterization System (MINCS) for Micro-Electromechanical Systems (MEMS) Devices

这个小企业技术转移第一阶段项目涉及开发一种独特的表征系统，用于增强依赖微流或纳米流的微机电系统（MEMS）。拟议的微流和纳米流表征系统（MINCS）包含一套基于激光的微流表征技术，将在第一阶段项目中进行演示。重要的数量，如速度和物种浓度将确定同时通过获取二维图像使用多光子共聚焦显微镜。包括化学反应在内的计算流体动力学（CFD）代码将被整合到仪器中。将仪器仪表和CFD代码融合到MINCS封装中，将改善仅基于任一技术的MEMS器件的特性。经过MINCS仪器的验证，CFD代码将更适用于微流特性的预测，从而提高未来MEMS器件的设计水平。这个第一阶段的项目有重要的次要好处；基于mems的器件将受益于改进的设计，因为改进了仪器和计算表征。通过增强MEMS器件的制造，这一次要好处将产生更大的经济影响。因此，研究合作伙伴是一个拥有MEMS制造设施和MEMS分析化学应用仪器设计设施的财团。

This Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I project concerns the development of a unique characterization system for the enhancement of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) that rely on microflows or nanoflows. The proposed Microflow and Nanoflow Characterization System (MINCS) incorporates a suite of laser-based microfluidcharacterization techniques that will be demonstrated during the Phase I program. Important quantities such as velocity and species concentration will be determined simultaneously by acquiring two-dimensional images using multiphoton confocal microscopy. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code including chemical reactions will be incorporated into the instrument. The fusion of the instrumentation and CFD code into the MINCS package will improve the characterization of MEMS devices based on either technique alone. Upon validation using the MINCS instruments, the CFD code will be more applicable to the prediction of microflow characteristics, thereby enhancing the design of future MEMS devices. This Phase I program has important secondary benefits; MEMS-based devices will benefit from improved designs as a result of improved instrumental and computational characterization. This secondary benefit will have a larger economic impact through enhanced manufacturing of MEMS devices. For this reason, the research partners are a consortium possessing MEMS manufacturing facilities and design facilities for MEMS instruments for analytical-chemistry applications.