MEMS to Replace Quartz Oscillators as Frequency Sources

Research on microelectromechanical system (MEMS) resonators dates back to the mid-1960s, but MEMS timing references are only now being introduced commercially. In this time, two...

Deformable Mirror to be Used in Space

Micromachined deformable mirror (DM)
Boston Micromachines Corp.
Watertown, MA
617-926-4178
www.bostonmicromachines.com

Semiautonomous Avionics-and-Sensors System for a UAV

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) — autonomous or remotely controlled pilotless aircraft — have been recently thrust into the spotlight for military applications, for homeland security,...

Dr. Walter Merrill, Associate for Business Development, John H. Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH

Dr. Walter Merrill is involved in a variety of programs aimed at forming partnerships with private and public entities. For the past five...

Infrared Emitter Combines Photonic Crystal Technology With MEMS Manufacturing

In one of the first real-world applications of photonic crystals, two companies partnered to produce a photonic crystal enhanced (PCE) micro-hotplate device with...

Printed Antennas Made Reconfigurable by Use of MEMS Switches

A class of reconfigurable microwave antennas now undergoing development comprise fairly conventional printed-circuit feed elements and radiating patches integrated with novel...

Nanofluidic Size-Exclusion Chromatograph

Efforts are under way to develop a nanofluidic size-exclusion chromatograph (SEC), which would be a compact, robust, lightweight instrument for separating molecules of interest according to their...

Multisensor Arrays for Greater Reliability and Accuracy

Arrays of multiple, nominally identical sensors with sensor-output-processing electronic hardware and software are being developed in order to obtain accuracy, reliability, and lifetime...

COTS MEMS Flow-Measurement Probes

As an alternative to conventional tubing instrumentation for measuring airflow, designers and technicians at Glenn Research Center have been fabricating packaging components and assembling a set of unique...

UV Lasers for MEMS & MOEMS Micro-Machining

Controlled Ultraviolet (UV) laser ablation is a viable method of micro-machining micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) and micro-optical-electro-mechanical systems (MOEMS). It enables users to...

Piezoelectrically Actuated Microvalve for Liquid Effluents

Modifications have been proposed to effect further improvement of the device described in “Improved Piezo- electrically Actuated Microvalve” (NPO-30158), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol....

MEMS-Based Piezoelectric/Electrostatic Inchworm Actuator

A proposed inchworm actuator, to be designed and fabricated according to the principles of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), would effect linear motion characterized by steps as...

Combining Multiple Gyroscope Outputs for Increased Accuracy

A proposed method of processing the outputs of multiple gyroscopes to increase the accuracy of rate (that is, angular- velocity) readings has been developed theoretically and...

Arrays of Carbon Nanotubes as RF Filters in Waveguides

Brushlike arrays of carbon nanotubes embedded in microstrip waveguides provide highly efficient (high-Q) mechanical resonators that will enable ultra-miniature radio-frequency (RF)...

Miniature Inchworm Actuators Fabricated by Use of LIGA

Wafer-Level Membrane-Transfer Process for Fabricating MEMS

A process for transferring an entire wafer-level micromachined silicon structure for mating with and bonding to another such structure has been devised. This process is intended...

Pressure-Sensor Assembly Technique

Nielsen Engineering & Research (NEAR) recently developed an ultrathin data acquisition system for use in turbomachinery testing at NASA Glenn Research Center. This system integrates a microelectro-...

Silicon Membrane Mirrors With Electrostatic Shape Actuators

Efforts are under way to develop deformable mirrors equipped with microscopic electrostatic actuators that would be used to maintain their reflective surfaces in precise shapes...

Micro-Ball-Lens Optical Switch Driven by SMA Actuator

The figure is a simplified cross section of a microscopic optical switch that was partially developed at the time of reporting the information for this article. In a fully developed...

Miniature, Feedback-Stabilized, Broad-Band Light Sources

Lithographic Fabrication of Mesoscale Electromagnet Coils

A partly lithographic method of fabrication is being developed to enable the economical mass production of mesoscale electrically conductive coils for miniature electro- magnets,...

Improved Piezoelectrically Actuated Microvalve

Efforts are underway to implement an improved design of the device described in "Normally Closed, Piezoelectrically Actuated Microvalve" (NPO-20782), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 25, No. 1 (January...