CAREER: Investigations into Nonlinear Phenomena in Electrostatic MEMS and their Potential for Smart Sensors and Actuators

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。拟议的教师早期职业发展（Career）项目的主要目标是提高对静电驱动微机电系统（MEMS）非线性动力学的认识和理解。本项目将研究逃逸势阱、分形动力学、次谐波激励和内部共振等非线性现象，并探索利用这些非线性现象来实现具有独特特性的新器件。智能传感器可以作为机电开关，例如检测危险气体或地震活动，然后发出警告信号，这是将被探索的潜在应用之一。详细的理论和实验工作将进行电容传感器，微梁，微加工浅拱。分析模型和方法，如微扰技术和降阶模型，将用于进行局部和全局动态调查，包括吸引力盆地和工程完整性分析，以帮助了解这些结构的稳定性及其实际应用。在检测到低水平加速度和病毒、细菌、爆炸物等危险分析物时，可以触发传感器和开关的组合概念将进行实验测试和理论分析，以阐明其实用性和潜力。该研究还将探索电驱动浅拱的丰富非线性动力学及其在实现新型带通滤波器、灵敏质量检测器和低功率致动器方面的潜力。这个项目可以在各个方面对社会产生重大影响。研究的主要主题是探索基于简单结构（梁和拱）的智能设备的新思路。它们聪明的功能是由于它们有趣的动态，而不是因为形状或几何的复杂性。这一事实意味着它们简单且易于制造，使它们具有潜在的低成本。因此，它们可以部署在许多地方，以加强健康、安全和保障。这些令人兴奋的研究成果将激发和激励各个层次的学生学习和研究非线性动力学、振动和MEMS领域。本研究将为学生提供良好的培训经验。学生将在一个由多学科研究人员和教授组成的团队中接受建模、仿真和测试MEMS器件的培训。本研究的知识将支持MEMS动力学新研究生和本科课程的发展，并将增加和更新线性/非线性动力学和振动课程的材料。此外，该项目将在项目期间与宾厄姆顿成功计划协调培训本科少数民族学生。从这项研究中获得的知识也将通过组织教师研讨会、课程开发和令人兴奋的课堂演示转移到当地学校。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The main objective of the proposed Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Project is to advance knowledge and understanding of the nonlinear dynamics of electrostatically actuated micro-electro-mechanical systems MEMS. This project will investigate nonlinear phenomena, including escape-from-potential-well, fractal dynamics, subharmonic excitation, and internal resonance, and explore their utilization to realize new devices of unique characteristics, which are made possible due to these nonlinear phenomena. Smart sensors, which can function as electromechanical switches, such as to detect a dangerous gas or earthquakes activities and then send a warning signal, are among the potential applications that will be explored. Detailed theoretical and experimental works will be conducted on capacitive sensors, microbeams, and micromachined shallow arches. Analytical models and approaches, such as perturbation techniques and reduced-order models, will be utilized to conduct local and global dynamic investigations, including basin-of-attraction and engineering-integrity analysis, to help understand the stability of these structures and their practical use. Concepts of combined sensors and switches, which can be triggered when detecting low-level acceleration and dangerous analytes, such as viruses, bacteria, and explosives, will be tested experimentally and analyzed theoretically to shed light on their usefulness and potential. The research will also explore the rich nonlinear dynamics of electrically actuated shallow arches and its potential to realize new band-pass filters, sensitive mass detectors, and low-power actuators.This project can have significant impact on society in various aspects. The major theme of the research is the exploration of new ideas of smart devices based on simple structures (beams and arches). Their smart functionality is a result of their interesting dynamics and not because of complexity in shape or geometry. This fact means that they are simple and easy to fabricate, making them of potentially low cost. Hence, they can be deployed in many places to enhance health, safety, and security. The exciting applications of this research will be used to inspire and motivate students from all levels to study and investigate the fields of Nonlinear Dynamics, Vibrations, and MEMS. This research will provide excellent training experience for students. The students will be trained on modeling, simulating, and testing MEMS devices in a team of multi-disciplinary researchers and professors. Knowledge from this research will support the development of new graduate and undergraduate courses in MEMS dynamics and will add and update on the material of the courses of linear/nonlinear dynamics and vibrations. Also, this project will train undergraduate minority students over the duration of the project in coordination with the Binghamton Success Program. Knowledge from this research will also be transferred to local schools through organized workshops for teachers, curriculum developments, and exciting in-class demonstrations.