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The NanoGate: A device for nanometer
control of the separation between two plates Prof. Alex Slocum
Prof. Jeff Lang
Hong Ma
Alex Sprunt
James White
Xue’en Yang
Massachusetts Institute of Technologyhttp://pergatory.mit.edu [email protected]
June 28, 2002
Nanogate• The Nanogate is a device that precisely meters the flow of tiny amounts of fluid.
– Precise control of the flow restriction is accomplished by deflecting a highly polished cantilevered plate.
– The opening is adjustable on a sub-nanometer scale, limited by the roughness of the polished plates.
• The Nanogate can be fabricated on a macro-, meso- or micro- (MEMs) scale.
– This research grew out of understanding of flow metering garnered from years of hydrostatic bearing research
• This research was initially funded by an NSF award, number 9900792
• The Center for Bits and Atoms is funding the continued development of the Nanogate technology as it evolves into the FractureGate
Possible fuel injector application?
Surface Creation• Fracture
– Must be done slowly
– Surfaces will be matched (no plasticity)
– Even “mirror” regions not atomically smooth
• Stress Corrosion Cracking
– 0.12 nm surface roughness independent of crystal orientation
– K. Minoshima, S. Inoue, T. Terada, and K. Komai, “Influence of Specimen Size and Sub-Micron Notch on the Fracture Behavior of Single Crystal Silicon Microelements and Nanoscopic AFM Damage Evaluation,” Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Vol. 546, pp. 15-20, 1999.
Polished Stress Cracked
J. Connally and S. Brown, “Micromechanical Fatigue Testing,” Experimental Mechanics, Vol 33, No. 2 (June 1993)
Concept• Etch manifold wafer
• Bond wafers
• DRIE through
• Break w/external actuator– =FractureGate
In silicon, surfaces would be matable
F FG ate
C hannel
W afers
Bench Level Experiment• Insight into variables that affect
stress corrosion cracking, i.e. stress, humidity, temperature
• AFM study of the surfaces
Zipper
Specimen
FlexurePivot
ZipperElectrode
Beam
Pull-inAssist
Applications
• Microfluidics
• Variable Capacitor
• Physics in Gap Experiments
• Alternate Universes!?