Micromachined fluidic apparatus

US6477901B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• Integrated Sensing Systems, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Srinivas Tadigadapa · State College, US
• Chialun Tsai · Thousand Oaks, US
• Yafan Zhang · Troy, US
• Nader Najafi · Ann Arbor, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 21, 1999
• Grant date: Nov 12, 2002
• Expiry date: Dec 21, 2019

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T29/49995
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Micromachine fluidic apparatus incorporates a free-standing tube section and electrodes to actuate or control the movement of the tube section, or to sense the movement of the tube section, or both. Electronic circuitry, which may be disposed on the same substrate as the fluidic portion of the apparatus, is used in conjunction with the tube and electrodes in conjunction with a variety of different applications, including fluid flow measurement, fluid density measurement, fluid viscosity measurement, fluid transport, separation and/or mixing. According to a particular embodiment, the free-standing section of the tube is resonated for fluid flow and density measurements according to the Coriolis effect. Capacitive/electrostatic actuation techniques are used to control or resonate the free-standing section of the tube, and to detect variations in tube movement. Different methods of fabricating micromachine fluidic apparatus are also disclosed, including the use of fusion bonding of non-conducting substrates, high-aspect ratio etching techniques, and anisotropic etching and refill techniques, preferably utilizing chevron-shaped slit openings to fabricate microtube sections.