SGER: Microfabrication Approaches for Microscale Permanent Magnets

该提案的长期技术目标是为微型传感器、致动器和功率转换器提供高性能、完全集成的微磁换能器。 磁性和电动换能器可以提供优于其他机电换能方法的显著性能优势（效率、可靠性），特别是对于需要高冲程和/或高功率密度的应用。 然而，目前，某些设计和制造问题阻碍了依赖于永磁体的微型换能器的实际实施。 大多数先前展示的微磁装置使用混合制造方法，其中常规制造的毫米级磁体组装成微机械结构。 这种方法限制了器件设计，限制了最小器件尺寸，并消除了晶圆级微制造的好处。 这些与制造相关的影响联合收割机阻碍了微磁transducers.This探索性的建议，专注于微制造工艺的发展努力，以克服这些制造和集成的挑战。 近期目标是推进最先进的微制造技术，以允许在更复杂的微机械结构中集成高性能永磁材料。 努力将集中在系统的和实际的实验，以开发强大的微加工程序的沉积，工艺集成，和高性能的永磁薄膜（电镀磁性合金膜和复合聚合物/磁性颗粒膜）在硅基微结构的图案化磁化。 解决这些与制造相关的问题是长期开发全集成、全微制造微磁传感器和执行器的必要和关键步骤。 本研究将为永磁厚膜的微加工和微磁化提供新的方法。 高性能永磁薄膜集成方法的发展将引发对微尺度磁传感器的新兴趣。 凭借良好的物理比例定律和数十年的成熟性能，小型化磁性器件仅受到实际微制造挑战的限制，特别是永磁薄膜。 这项研究将为MEMS永磁薄膜的集成提供路线图。 这将成为PI长期开发磁性微系统的基础和跳板，如微型扬声器、阀门、泵、电机、能量采集器等。 该研究计划将提供一个教育机会，培养具有实用工程设计和开发原则的研究生和本科生工程师。 PI计划最大限度地利用他与UF既定计划的持续关系，最大限度地提高代表性不足的群体的参与，如大学学者计划和NSF赞助的东南联盟研究生教育和教授（SEAGEP）计划。 将通过会议介绍、档案出版物和讲习班传播技术成果。 有了这些结果，将寻求与美国和欧洲的工业合作伙伴合作，开发和商业化新的微磁产品，用于生物医学，航空航天和消费电子应用。

The long-term technical goal of this proposal is to enable high-performance, fully-integrated, micromagnetic transducers for microscale sensors, actuators, and power converters. Magnetic and electrodynamic transducers can offer significant performance advantages (efficiency, reliability) over other electromechanical transduction approaches, especially for applications that demand high stroke and/or high power density. Currently however, certain design and fabrication issues prevent the practical implementation of microscale transducers that rely on permanent magnets. Most previously demonstrated micromagnetic devices use a hybrid fabrication approach, where conventionally-manufactured, mm-scale magnets are assembled into a micromachined structure. This approach constrains the device design, limits the minimum device size, and eliminates the benefits of wafer-scale microfabrication. These fabrication-related effects combine to hamper the performance and appeal of micromagnetic transducers.This exploratory proposal focuses on microfabrication process development efforts to overcome these fabrication and integration challenges. The immediate goal is to advance the state-of-the-art in microfabrication to permit the integration of high-performance permanent magnet materials within more complex micromachined structures. Efforts will focus on systematic and practical experiments to develop robust microfabrication procedures for deposition, process integration, and patterned-magnetization of high-performance permanent magnet films (electroplated magnetic alloy films and composite polymer/magnetic particle films) in silicon-based microstructures. Solving these fabrication-related issues is a necessary and critical step for the long-term development of fully-integrated, fully-microfabricated micromagnetic sensors and actuators.Intellectual Merit. This research will develop new microfabrication and micro-magnetization methods for permanent magnet thick-films. Development of robust integration methods for high-performance permanent magnet films will trigger an explosion of renewed interest in microscale magnetic transducers. With favorable physical scaling laws and decades of proven performance, miniaturized magnetic devices have only been limited by practical microfabrication challenges, specifically with permanent magnet films. This research will result in a roadmap for integration of permanent magnet films for MEMS. This will form the foundation and springboard for the PI's long-term development of magnetic microsystems such as microscale speakers, valves, pumps, motors, energy harvesters, etc.Broader Impact. The research program will provide an educational opportunity to train graduate and undergraduate engineers with practical engineering design and development principles. The PI plans to maximize the participation of underrepresented groups by leveraging his ongoing relationships with established programs at UF such as the University Scholars program and the NSF-sponsored South East Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (SEAGEP) program. Technical results will be disseminated through conference presentations, archival publications, and workshops. With these results, collaborations will be sought with US and European industrial partners to develop and commercialize new micromagnetic products for biomedical, aerospace, and consumer electronic applications.