Thermally driven microvalve with buckling behaviour for pneumatic applications

Author

Lisec, T. ; Hoerschelmann, S. ; Quenzer, H.J. ; Wagner, B. ; Benecke, W.

Author_Institution

Fraunhofer-Inst. for Silicon Technol., Berlin, Germany

fYear

1994

fDate

6/16/1905 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

13

Lastpage

17

Abstract

The paper presents theoretical and experimental results of a new thermally driven microvalve. In contrast to earlier reported devices with bimorph composition this valve is based on the buckling effect of a heated pure silicon bridge structure. Simulation, fabrication and experimental results are presented. Analytical and finite-element calculations of the thermomechanical behaviour are performed. Prototypes of this first valve design operate with inlet pressures up to 1.0 bar showing flow rates of more than 700 ml/min. The measured switching time is about 15 ms which is extremely low for thermal principles. The power consumption of this valve is between 1 and 4 W

Keywords

buckling; finite element analysis; microactuators; pneumatic control equipment; silicon; valves; 1 bar; 1 to 4 W; 15 ms; Si; buckling behaviour; fabrication; heated pure Si bridge structure; pneumatic applications; switching time; thermally driven microvalve; thermomechanical behaviour; Bridges; Fabrication; Finite element methods; Microvalves; Performance analysis; Prototypes; Silicon; Thermomechanical processes; Time measurement; Valves;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Micro Electro Mechanical Systems, 1994, MEMS '94, Proceedings, IEEE Workshop on

Conference_Location

Oiso

Print_ISBN

0-7803-1833-1

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/MEMSYS.1994.555590

Filename

555590