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

这个小型企业技术转让第一阶段项目涉及开发一种独特的表征系统，以增强依赖微流或纳米流的微电子机械系统(MEMS)。拟议的微流和纳米流表征系统(MINCS)结合了一套基于激光的微流体表征技术，这些技术将在第一阶段计划中演示。通过使用多光子共聚焦显微镜获取二维图像，将同时确定重要的量，如速度和物种浓度。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。将仪器和CFD代码融合到MINCS封装中，将改善仅基于这两种技术的MEMS器件的特性。在使用MINCS仪器进行验证后，CFD程序将更适用于微流动特性的预测，从而增强未来MEMS器件的设计。这一第一阶段计划有重要的次要好处；由于仪器和计算特性的改进，基于MEMS的设备将从改进的设计中受益。通过改进MEMS器件的制造，这一次要好处将产生更大的经济影响。因此，研究伙伴是一个拥有MEMS制造设施和用于分析化学应用的MEMS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.