SGER: Exploratory Research on Manufacturing of Advanced 3-D Micro-Actuators

这项探索性研究补助金为微观尺度三维部件制造工艺的基本方面和实际方面的研究提供支持。 此外，这项研究将包括所需的因素，有组件，因此制造，一起工作的三维微致动器。 用一个长度单位来表示构件的尺寸，已知构件的体积与长度单位的立方成正比，构件的面积与长度单位的平方成正比。 鉴于这一事实，随着人们从更好地理解的宏观制造世界转向相对未知的微观制造世界，作为组件一部分的表面决定行为将比组件的体积决定行为重要得多。 因此，这项研究将特别强调表面沿着材料的表面进行研究。 由于这些组件在组装形成致动器时有望可靠地一起工作，因此材料作为一个因素在研究中也很重要。 要研究的其他因素是测量方法，处理，存储，除其他外，微型组件。如果成功的话，这种探索性研究的结果将提高对微尺度三维部件制造过程的基本理解，以及当这些部件组装形成微致动器时需要考虑的因素。 可靠性是基本理解的一个主要因素，它将成为成功应用的基础。 希望上述知识将导致必要的方法，在微观尺度，特别是在真正的三维世界制造。

This exploratory research grant provides the support for studies, with respect to fundamental facets as well as practical facets, of manufacturing processes of three-dimensional components in the micro-scale. Moreover, the study will include factors required to have components, so fabricated, to work together as three-dimensional micro-actuators. Letting a length-measure to represent the size of component, it is known that the volume of the component is proportional to the cube of the length-measure, and the surface of the component is proportional to the square of the length-measure. Given this fact, as one move from the much better understood macro world of manufacturing to the relatively unknown world of manufacturing in the micro world, surface dictated behavior as a part of the component would be much more important than the volume dictated behavior of the component. As such this research will place special emphasis on surfaces along with the material whose surfaces are be studied. As these components are expected to work together reliably when assembled to form actuators, materials as a factor also looms large in the studies. Other factor to be studied are method of measurement, handling, storage, among others, of micro-scale components. If successful, the results of this exploratory research will improve the fundamental understanding of processes of manufacturing three-dimensional components in the micro-scale as well as factors which need to be taken into account when these components are assembled to form micro-actuators. A dominant factors in the fundamental understanding, which will be the bases for successful application, is reliability. The hope is that the aforementioned knowledge will lead to requisite methodologies for manufacturing in the micro-scale, especially in the truly three-dimensional world.