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Force Sensing Optimization and Applications

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Advanced Materials and Technologies for Micro/Nano-Devices, Sensors and Actuators

Abstract

Piezoresistance is commonly used in micro-electro-mechanical systems for transducing force, pressure and acceleration. Silicon piezoresistors can be fabricated using ion implantation, diffusion or epitaxy and are widely used for their low cost and electronic readout. However, the design of piezoresistive cantilevers is not a straightforward problem due to coupling between the design parameters, constraints, process conditions and performance. Here we discuss the equations and design principles for piezoresistive cantilevers, and present results from cantilevers and systems that we have developed for probing, mechanics studies and sensing, especially for low stiffness or large bandwidth applications.

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Acknowledgements

Fabrication work was performed in part at the Stanford Nanofabrication Facility (a member of the National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network) supported by the NSF under Grant ECS-9731293, its lab members, and the industrial members of the Stanford Center for Integrated Systems. This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health under grant EB006745, and the National Science Foundation (NSF) under CAREER Award ECS-0449400, COINS NSF-NSEC ECS-0425914, CPN PHY-0425897, Sensors CTS-0428889 and NER ECCS-0708031. JCD was supported in part by a National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship and an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. S-JP was supported by a Samsung fellowship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA

    Joseph C. Doll, Sung-Jin Park, Ali J. Rastegar, Nahid Harjee, Joseph R. Mallon Jr., Ginel C. Hill, A. Alvin Barlian & Beth L. Pruitt

  2. Stanford University, 496 Lomita Mall, Durand Building Room 217, Stanford, CA, USA

    Beth L. Pruitt

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  1. Joseph C. Doll
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  2. Sung-Jin Park
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  3. Ali J. Rastegar
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  4. Nahid Harjee
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  5. Joseph R. Mallon Jr.
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  6. Ginel C. Hill
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  7. A. Alvin Barlian
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  8. Beth L. Pruitt
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Correspondence to Beth L. Pruitt .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Qualcomm MEMS Technologies, Inc., Junction Avenue 2581, San Jose, 95134, USA

    Evgeni Gusev

  2. Inst. Advanced Materials Devices &, Nanotechnology, Rutgers University, Taylor Road 610, Piscataway, 08854, USA

    Eric Garfunkel

  3. A.E Ioffe Physico-Technical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Polytekhnicheskaya ul. 26, St. Petersburg, 194021, Russian Federation

    Arthur Dideikin

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Doll, J.C. et al. (2010). Force Sensing Optimization and Applications. In: Gusev, E., Garfunkel, E., Dideikin, A. (eds) Advanced Materials and Technologies for Micro/Nano-Devices, Sensors and Actuators. NATO Science for Peace and Security Series B: Physics and Biophysics. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3807-4_23

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3807-4_23

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-481-3805-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-90-481-3807-4

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