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As copper is a rather difficult material to machine due to its ductility compared to aluminium, this study presents the approach of oxidizing the surface to improve the results of the grinding process. Therefore, batch manufactured flexible micro-grinding tools are used for grinding of copper and oxidized copper surfaces to machine microstructure or local areas of functional Abstract surfaces. Besides, we show a comparison of the performance of an abrasive layer made of silicon carbide (SiC) and cubic boron nitride (cBN). The tools are made of a polyimide-based abrasive layer and silicon as substrate and are fabricated by photolithography and deep reactive ion etching. The oxidation of copper surfaces is done by electrochemical processes and are directly machined with grinding tools. The surface quality is evaluated concerning the surface roughness by optical measurements with confocal microscopy. Lower roughness values are achieved on both, the pure copper and the oxidized copper by using SiC grinding tools. On pure copper this is reflected in a reduction of the arithmetical mean roughness value Ra to 0.04 µm. The unprocessed reference surface shows an Ra of 0.24 µm. In addition, the machined oxidized surfaces show a reduction of the mean roughness depth Rz from 7,60 µm to 1.10 µm, which is an optimization of factor 2 compared to the machined non-oxidized copper surfaces (2.32 µm). The machining of copper with cBN micro-grinding tools also shows improved roughness values, but in comparison to the SiC tools these are 50 % higher for machined copper surfaces and similar for machined oxidized copper surfaces. While the oxidation of the copper surface has a positive effect on the surface quality, no effect on tool wear can be observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of intelligent components in industrial applications in the automotive, energy or construction sector, sensor monitoring is crucial for security issues and to avoid long and costly downtimes. This article discusses component-inherent thin-film sensors for this purpose, which, in contrast to conventional sensor technology, can be applied inseparably onto the component's surface via sputtering, so that a maximum of information about the component's condition can be generated, especially regarding deformation. This article examines whether the sensors can continue to generate reliable measurement data even after critical component loads have been applied. This extends their field of use concerning plastic deformation behavior. Therefore, any change in sensor properties is necessary for ongoing elastic strain measurements. These novel fundamentals are established for thin-film constantan strain gauges and platinum temperature sensors on steel substrates. In general, a k-factor decrease and an increase in the temperature coefficient of resistance with increasing plastic deformation could be observed until a sensor failure above 0.5% plastic deformation (constantan) occurred (1.3% for platinum). Knowing these values makes it possible to continue measuring elastic strains after critical load conditions on a machine component in terms of plastic deformation. Additionally, a method of sensor-data fusion for the clear determination of plastic deformation and temperature change is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional thermal spraying processes are almost exclusively carried out in an air atmosphere, resulting in the oxidation of the particle surfaces and interfaces within the coating and between the substrate and coating. Furthermore, the initial process of surface activation conventionally takes place in an air atmosphere, preventing an oxide-free interfacial transition. Consequently, the application of spraying materials with high oxygen affinity represents a major challenge. To overcome these issues, the present study utilized silane-doped inert gases to create an environment in which the oxygen concentration was equivalent to the residual oxygen content in an extreme high vacuum. By transferring the corundum blasting and coating process (wire arc spraying) to this environment, materials with a high oxygen affinity can be applied without oxidation occurring. For industrial use, this is an interesting prospect, e.g., for repair coatings, as the homogeneity of the composite is improved by a non-oxidized coating. Using the example of arc-sprayed copper coatings, the microstructure and mechanical properties of the coatings were analysed. The results showed that the oxide-free, wire arc sprayed copper coatings exhibited an improved wetting behaviour resulting in a significant reduction of the coating porosity. Moreover, the improved wetting behaviour and led to an increase in the bonding rate and apparent Young's modulus. Contrary to expectations, the residual stresses decrease although relaxation mechanisms should be inhibited, and possible reasons for this are discussed in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The industrial use of quantum sensors requires further miniaturization of the experimental peripherals, i.e., the high vacuum chamber, laser technology, and control electronics. A central part of the high vacuum chamber is the maintenance of vacuum conditions. For this purpose, a prototype of a compact, i.e., miniaturized, ultrahigh vacuum pump in the form of a nonevaporable getter (NEG) pump at a wafer level (MEMS), is developed within the scope of this work. With regard to the basic conditions of the functionality of the NEG, a miniaturized heating plate with temperature sensors is analytically and numerically developed, constructed, and characterized in an ultrahigh vacuum test stand. This is followed by the integration of the NEG into the existing system, which, in connection with the characterization of material-specific parameters, enables a first correlation of heat input and pumping power. Thus, performance data of the getter-MEMS under high-vacuum confinement confirm its usability for quantum sensors. In addition, optimization potentials are shown with regard to all partial aspects of the MEMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photo-induced current through nanocomposite heterojunction structures consisting of a TiO2 coating activated with embedded gold nanoparticles on top of Si, SiO2, and columnar structured SiO2 is studied. The highest photo-activity in the visible part of the spectrum is found in the composite containing pillar-like silicon dioxide nanostructures. Experimental results were qualitatively explained on the basis of Franz-Keldysh effect taking into account the effects of electrical inhomogeneities appearing at charged nanoparticles. It is established that processes at the interface between silicon and noble metal nanoparticles play an important role in charge carrier photo-generation which opens a new opportunity to tune the photo-response of a nanocomposite via changing heterostructure topology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the design, fabrication, and characterization on silicon integrated magnetics for high-frequency power applications. The presented device achieves superior characteristics in terms of energy density, electrical resistance, current capability, and inductance versus frequency stability. In order to demonstrate the effectiveness of use of the presented device for high-frequency power applications, it is tested with two different buck point of load (PoL) dc–dc converters, one of them is off-shelf chipset and the other is designed specifically for the microdevice. Experimental measurements show that the microdevices achieve a maximum inductance of about 50 nH, electrical resistance of 300 mΩ, rated current capabilities up to 1 A, and stable L versus f characteristics up to 100 MHz. Also, the PoL buck converters with the microdevices achieve a peak efficiency of up to 82% with a flat efficiency curve at switching frequencies up to 30 MHz while providing tight output voltage regulation (<0.2%) and low temperature rise (40 °C) at the rated current. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the information age, the storage and accessibility of data is of vital importance. There are several possibilities to fulfill this task. Magnetic storage of data is a well‐established method and the range of materials used is continuously extended. In this study, the magnetic remanence of thermally sprayed tungsten carbide–cobalt (WCCo)‐coatings in dependence of their thickness is examined. Two magnetic fields differing in value and geometry are imprinted into the coatings and the resulting remanence field is measured. It is found that there are two effects, which in combination determine the effective value of the magnetic remanence usable for magnetic data storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Most implantable hearing aids currently available were developed to compensate the sensorineural hearing loss by driving middle ear structures (e.g., the ossicles). These devices are successfully used in round window (RW) stimulation clinically, although this was initially not the intended use. Here, a novel microactuator, specifically designed for RW stimulation, was tested in human temporal bones to determine actuator performance and applicability. Methods. Stapes footplate response to RW stimulation was determined experimentally in human temporal bones and the obtained sound pressure output level was estimated. Results. The actuator had a flat displacement response between 0.125 and 4 kHz, a resonance between 4 and 7 kHz, and a roll-off above. At increasing contact force, the stapes footplate displacement decreased by 5–10 dB re μm for forces ≥ 2 mN. The equivalent sound pressure level between 0.125 and 4 kHz amounted to 87–97 eq dB SPL and increased to 117 eq dB SPL for frequencies of 4–7 kHz. The total harmonic distortion (THD) of the actuator ranged within 15–40% for static forces of 5 mN. Conclusion. The feasibility of an electromagnetic actuator that may be placed into the RW niche was demonstrated but requires further optimization in terms of THD and static force sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LaF3/SrF2multilayer heterostructures with thicknesses of individual layers in the range 5–100 nm have been grown on MgO(100) substrates using molecular beam epitaxy. The longitudinal conductivity of the films has been measured using impedance spectroscopy in the frequency range 10−1–106 Hz and a temperature range 300–570 K. The ionic DC conductivities have been determined from Nyquist impedance diagrams and activation energies from the Arrhenius–Frenkel equation. An increase of the DC conductivity has been observed to accompany decreased layer thickness for various thicknesses as small as 25 nm. The greatest conductivity has been shown for a multilayer heterostructure having thicknesses of 25 nm per layer. The structure has a conductivity two orders of magnitude greater than pure LaF3bulk material. The increasing conductivity can be understood as a redistribution of charge carriers through the interface due to differing chemical potentials of the materials, by strong lattice-constant mismatch, and/or by formation of a solid La1-xSrxF3-xsolution at the interface during the growth process. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Nanocrystalline soft magnetic Ni–Fe–W alloy films are electroplated by applying different substrate temperatures. In this paper, the effect of substrate temperatures on the magnetic properties is investigated. The morphology and the composition of the plated layers are determined by atomic force microscope and scanning electron microscope equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy detector, respectively. Structure and average grain size are characterized by the X-ray diffraction analysis. Magnetic properties of the plated alloy are determined by using the vibrating sample magnetometer. The results show that the coercivity and relative permeability of the plated films can be optimized by changing the substrate temperature. The lowest coercivity value of 257 A/m and the high relative permeability value of 487 are obtained at the substrate temperature value of 5 °C. Plated alloy films have face centered cubic structure. In addition, an increase in the substrate temperature results in an increase in the strain and roughness. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The research and development in the field of magnetoresistive sensors has played an important role in the last few decades. Here, the authors give an introduction to the fundamentals of the anisotropic magnetoresistive (AMR) and the giant magnetoresistive (GMR) effect as well as an overview of various types of sensors in industrial applications. In addition, the authors present their recent work in this field, ranging from sensor systems fabricated on traditional substrate materials like silicon (Si), over new fabrication techniques for magnetoresistive sensors on flexible substrates for special applications, e.g., a flexible write head for component integrated data storage, micro-stamping of sensors on arbitrary surfaces or three dimensional sensing under extreme conditions (restricted mounting space in motor air gap, high temperatures during geothermal drilling). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contrast to existing microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), this paper describes the development, fabrication, and testing of an anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) microsensor using a 7 \mum thick polymer foil as substrate material. The modular magnetic field micro sensors are fabricated on a standard 4 in Si Wafer due to handling purposes during the sensor fabrication process. To enable a release of the micro sensors at the end of the fabrication process, initial investigations concentrated on the proof of principle applying a deep reactive-ion etching (DRIE) process to structure the Si wafer. The DRIE process was used to structure Si frames, which serve as carriers for the modular magnetic field micro sensors. For the evaluation of the fabricated modular magnetic field micro sensors, electrical resistance measurements were accomplished. The aim of these investigations was the characterization of the magnetic field dependence of the electrical resistance. The electrical output signal of the AMR sensors were subsequently compared to electrical resistance measurements of AMR sensors fabricated on a Si substrate and served as reference. The measurement results show a marginal effect of the substrate material on the characteristics of the AMR sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to provide a contactless measurement technique to examine products during the fabrication process, a modular design of an eddy current micro sensor was developed and fabricated in thin-film technology. The sensor consists of two parts, a single-turn excitation coil and an anisotropic magneto-resistance (AMR) sensor. The AMR sensor detects the change of the magnetic field induced in a sample by the excitation coil. Initial investigations were conducted to prove the capability of the completed eddy current micro sensor. A defect was created on the surface of a Cu probe. The electrical output signal of the AMR sensor was subsequently compared to optical measurements of the surface profile of the crack. There is a high correlation between the optical measurements and to those of the eddy current micro sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small-scale optical components with micron or submicron features have grown in popularity in recent years. High-quality, high-efficient, and cost-effective processing approaches for polymer optics mass production are an urgent need. In this study, ultrasonic vibration will be introduced in embossing. The major advantage is that the required energy can be provided for process times ranging from a few hundred milliseconds to a few seconds, and that the process energy is provided at exactly the required location so that the structures in the surrounding area are not affected. Due to the strong correlation between electrical impedance and the temperature of the material, a novel impedance-based control strategy has been utilized for precisely controlling ultrasonic vibration during the embossing process. The investigation used two types of stamps with grating line widths of 4 µm and 500 nm, respectively. As a result, an embossing time of less than a few seconds was accomplished and a uniform embossed surface with an average fill rate of more than 75% could be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The detection of exceedingly small masses still presents a large challenge, and even though very high sensitivities have been archived, the fabrication of those setups is still difficult. In this paper, a novel approach for a co-resonant mass detector is theoretically presented, where simple fabrication is addressed in this early concept phase. To simplify the setup, longitudinal and bending vibrations were combined for the first time. The direct integration of an aluminum nitride (AlN) piezoelectric element for simultaneous excitation and sensing further simplified the setup. The feasibility of this concept is shown by a model-based approach, and the underlying parameter dependencies are presented with an equivalent model. To include the geometrical and material aspects, a finite element model that supports the concept as a very promising approach for future nano-mass detectors is established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New sensor and sensor manufacturing technologies are identified as a key factor for a successful digitalisation and are therefore economically important for manufacturers and industry. To address various requirements, a new sputter coating system has been invented at the Institute of Micro Production Technology. It enables the deposition of sensor systems directly onto technical surfaces. Compared to commercially available systems, it has no spatial limitations concerning the maximum coatable component size. Moreover, it enables a simultaneous structuring of deposited layers. Within this paper, characterisation techniques, results and challenges concerning directly deposited thin film strain gauges with the new sputter coating system are presented. Constantan (CuNiMn 54/45/1) and NiCr 80/20 are used as sensor materials. The initial resistance, temperature coefficient of resistance and gauge factor/k-factor of quarter-bridge strain gauges are characterised. The influence of a protective layer on sensor behaviour and layer adhesion is investigated as well. Moreover, the temperature compensation quality of directly deposited half-bridge strain gauges is evaluated, optimised with an external trimming technology and benchmarked against commercial strain gauges. Finally, the suitability for high-temperature strain measurement is investigated. Results show a maximum operation temperature of at least 400 °C, which is above the current state-of-the-art of commercial foil-based metal strain gauges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the fabrication and characterization of a microtransformer device for high-frequency power applications using electroplating and photolithography techniques. These devices are realized on an oxidized silicon wafer. They have the identical geometry on the primary and the secondary side combined with a core thickness value of 6 μm. The device consists of six coils (three coils on the primary side and three coils on the secondary side) and each coil has nine numbers of turns. The copper coil winding and the Ni-Fe-W alloy magnetic core are fabricated by electroplating. The fabricated microtransformer has an inductance ranging from 25 nH to 74 nH. An optimum quality factor of 4.5 is obtained at 70 MHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]