The fracture studies of polycrystalline silicon based MEMS

in EUROSIME 2013 (2013)

The advantages of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), such as low power requirement, miniaturized sizes and costs reduction, have already made significant impact in many technological fields. MEMS ... [more ▼]

The advantages of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), such as low power requirement, miniaturized sizes and costs reduction, have already made significant impact in many technological fields. MEMS are now widely used as accelerometers, pressure sensors, and resonators etc. However, the determination of the mechanical properties of MEMS devices with high accuracy is still a challenging task due to their small dimensions and often anisotropic behaviour. This paper focuses on the modelling and simulation of the fracture of a key MEMS component, which is a polycrystalline silicon beam, by discontinuous Galerkin (DG) formulation combined with an extrinsic cohesive law (ECL) to describe the fracture process. As the beam is modelled by plane-stress 2D elements, an analytical equation to compute the effective fracture strength and the effective critical strain energy release rate in terms of the through-the-thickness fracture mode and of the orientation of the facet with respect to the crystal is also developed. At the end, a model is simulated, and the results are verified as per the physics of the problem and experiments. [less ▲]

Hybrid material for electromagnetic absorption

Patent (2012)

The present invention relates to a hybrid material (10) for absorbing electromagnetic radiation (60) and a method for making such a material. The hybrid material (10) comprises at least one grid panel (20 ... [more ▼]

The present invention relates to a hybrid material (10) for absorbing electromagnetic radiation (60) and a method for making such a material. The hybrid material (10) comprises at least one grid panel (20) of thickness t 1 having holes (25) traversing said thickness t 1 , at least one polymer composite material (30) of thickness t 2 filling at least partially the holes (25) of the at least one grid panel (20), said at least one polymer composite material (30) including a polymer matrix (40) and conductive particles (50) dispersed into said polymer matrix (40), characterized in that the internal surface of the holes (25) of the at least one grid panel (20) is metallic. [less ▲]

Multifunctional hybrids for electromagnetic absorption

in Acta Materialia (2011), 59(8), 3255-3266

Electromagnetic (EM) interferences are ubiquitous in modern technologies and impact on the reliability of electronic devices and on living cells. Shielding by EM absorption, which is preferable over ... [more ▼]

Electromagnetic (EM) interferences are ubiquitous in modern technologies and impact on the reliability of electronic devices and on living cells. Shielding by EM absorption, which is preferable over reflection in certain instances, requires combining a low dielectric constant with high electrical conductivity, which are antagonist properties in the world of materials. A novel class of hybrid materials for EM absorption in the gigahertz range has been developed based on a hierarchical architecture involving a metallic honeycomb filled with a carbon nanotube-reinforced polymer foam. The waveguide characteristics of the honeycomb combined with the performance of the foam lead to unexpectedly large EM power absorption over a wide frequency range, superior to any known material. The peak absorption frequency can be tuned by varying the shape of the honeycomb unit cell. A closed form model of the EM reflection and absorption provides a tool for the optimization of the hybrid. This designed material sets the stage for a new class of sandwich panels combining high EM absorption with mass efficiency, stiffness and thermal management. [less ▲]