Structural Layout Optimization for MEMS Sensors and Actuators via Coupled PDEs

微系统技术的设计过程在很大程度上仍然是基于直觉的。这与其他工程努力形成对比，主要归因于这样一个事实，即微传感器和微致动器组件本质上是多物理设备，因此通常在行为上违反直觉，并受到与复杂制造过程相关的设计限制。在这个项目中，我们希望为纠正这种情况做出贡献。基于一种将多物理场场景布局优化问题转化为一组偏微分方程的方法，使设计在时间上趋向最优。要解决的关键问题是对约束的灵活和一般处理，正确表达灵敏度分析，保持网格自适应的准确性，最后在制造设备上测试算法和程序的预测，为反馈提供物理测量数据。我们相信实现这些目标将极大地有利于微系统社区，并将为拓扑优化提供新的见解。

The design process in microsystem technology is still largely based on intuition. This is in contrast to other engineering endeavours, and is largely attributed to the fact that the component micro sensors and micro actuators are inherently multiphysical devices and hence often counter-intuitive in behaviour and subject to complex manufacturing process related design constraints. In this project we want to contribute to remedying this situation. Based on a method to cast the layout optimization problem of a multiphysics scenario in terms of a set of partial differential equations, we evolve the design in time towards optimality. Key questions to address are the flexible and general handling of constraints, expressing the sensitivity analysis correctly, maintaining accuracy with mesh adaptivity, and finally testing the predictions of the algorithms and procedures on manufactured devices which provide physical measurement data for feedback. We believe that achieving these goals will greatly benefit the microsystem community, and will provide new insights into topology optimization.