CAREER: Creating Nanostructured Gratings on Microstructures for Residual Strain/Stress Measurement in NEMS/MEMS and Traction Force Measurement in Cells

该学院早期职业发展（Career）计划项目旨在在微机械设备上创建纳米结构光栅（例如，1D纳米光栅线和2D纳米光栅点），用于MEMS（微机电系统）和NEMS（纳米机电系统）的残余应变/应力测量；在活细胞中实时测量生物牵引力。该研究项目是MEMS， NEMS，纳米光学，生物力学和纳米制造的独特结合。该项目涉及几个广泛但高度关联的微/纳米制造研究领域，所有这些领域都与将形态识别直接转化为薄膜、实时和/或活细胞中的微/纳米力学有关。本项目旨在基于当前新兴的纳米加工/纳米制造技术开发几种新型纳米结构光栅及其相应的测量技术。初步结果表明，该方法的灵敏度比通常用于残余应变/牵引力测量的其他技术至少高出三个数量级。理论和实验成果的影响将是显著的。通过仔细利用当前MEMS/NEMS制造和生物医学工艺的核心竞争力，该项目的完成将确保MEMS/NEMS结构和材料中的残余应变/应力直接成像，并快速估计其大小，更重要的是，准确测量活细胞不同区域产生的小牵引力的方向和大小，实时量化细胞不同区域下产生的最大牵引力。研究者选择将工作重点放在微/纳米制造科学与技术领域有四个原因：(1)MEMS/NEMS和纳米制造企业的广泛范围自然促进了跨学科研究；(2)研究者具有长期的专业知识记录，并直接参与这些系统和技术，使项目受益于对实际问题的透彻理解，以及宝贵的见解；(3) MEMS/NEMS和微/纳米制造的经济和技术重要性是不容置疑的，(4)研究者与MEMS/NEMS和微/纳米制造组织的联系将提供将研究成果转化为具体工具的机会。该研究项目的教育计划将包括课程开发和创新教学技术的开发。研究者参与了远程学习计划，该计划在课堂和在线上促进制造工程部门发挥重要作用，提供重要的工业联系，国际认可和重要的技术倡议。学生可以从设计、实现和操作完整的微/纳米系统的机会中受益匪浅。研究者最近创建了一个，并将进一步开发更多的微/纳米制造新课程，为学生提供这些机会。计划开展协作工作，并高度期待大学与行业之间更广泛的双向互动

This Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program project is intended to create nanostructured gratings (e.g., 1D nanograting lines and 2D nanograting dots) on micromachined devices for residual strain/stress measurements in MEMS (Microelectromechanical Systems) and NEMS (Nanoelectromechanical Systems); and, bio traction force measurements in real time and in live cells. This research project is a unique combination of MEMS, NEMS, nano-optics, biomechanics, and nanomanufacturing. This project involves several broad but highly interconnected areas of micro/nanomanufacturing research, all related to translating morphological recognition into micro/nanomechanics directly in thin films, in real time, and/or in live cells. This project aims at developing several novel nanostructured gratings and the corresponding measurement techniques based on the current emerging nanofabrication/nanomanufacturing technologies. Preliminary results show that the sensitivity of the methodology is at least three orders of magnitude higher than other techniques commonly used in residual strain/traction force measurements. The impact of the theoretical and experimental efforts would be significant. Through a careful leverage from current core competencies in MEMS/NEMS fabrication and biomedical processes, completion of this project will ensure that residual strain/stress in MEMS/NEMS structures and materials be directly imaged, and its magnitude quickly estimated, and more importantly, both direction and magnitude of small traction forces generated by different regions of a live cell be measured accurately and the maximum traction force generated under each of different regions of the cell be quantified in real time.The investigator has chosen to focus the work on the domain of micro/nanomanufacturing science and technology for four reasons: (1) wide scope of the MEMS/NEMS and nanomanufacturing enterprise naturally fosters interdisciplinary research; (2) the investigator has a long track record of expertise and direct involvement with such systems and technologies, giving the project the benefit of a thorough understanding of the real issues, as well as invaluable insights; (3) unquestionable economic and technological importance of MEMS/NEMS and micro/nanomanufacturing is compelling, (4) the investigator's connections with MEMS/NEMS and micro/nanomanufacturing organizations will afford opportunities to transform the research findings to concrete tools. The research project's educational program will encompass both curriculum development and development of innovation teaching techniques. The investigator is involved in a Distance Learning Program that plays an important role promoting the manufacturing engineering department in the classroom and online, providing important industrial connections, international recognition, and important technological initiatives. Students can benefit greatly from opportunities to design, implement and operate complete micro/nanosystems. The investigator has recently created one and will further develop one more micro/nanomanufacturing new courses that give students these opportunities. Collaborative work is planned and broader two-way interaction between the university and industry is highly anticipate