Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Design and characterization of MEMS-based flow-rate and flow-direction microsensor

  • Research Paper
  • Published:
Microfluidics and Nanofluidics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study designs and characterizes a novel MEMS-based flow-rate micro-sensor consisting of a platinum resistor deposited on a silicon nitride-coated silicon cantilever beam. Due to the difference between the thermal conductivities of the silicon nitride film and the silicon beam, the tip of the cantilever structure bends slightly in the upward direction. As air travels across the upper surface of the sensor, it interferes with the curved tip and displaces the beam in either the upward or the downward direction. The resulting change in the resistor signal is then used to calculate the velocity of the air. A flow-direction micro-sensor is constructed by arranging eight cantilever structures on an octagonal platform. Each cantilever is separated from its neighbors by a tapered baffle plate connected to a central octagonal pillar designed to attenuate the aerodynamic force acting on the cantilever beams. By measuring the resistor signals of each of the cantilever beams, the micro-sensor is capable of measuring both the flow rate and the flow direction of the air passing over the sensor. A numerical investigation is performed to examine the effects of the pillar height and pillar-to-tip gap on the airflow distribution, the pressure distribution, the bending moment acting on each beam, and the sensor sensitivity. The results show that the optimum sensor performance is obtained using a pillar height of 0.75 mm and a pillar-to-tip gap of 5 mm. Moreover, the sensitivity of the octagonal sensing platform is found to be approximately 90% that of a single cantilever beam.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abbaspour-Sani E, Javan D (2008) Analytical study of resistive MEM gas flow meters. Microsyst Technol 14:89–94

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Abedinov N, Popov C, Yordanov Z, Rangelow IW, Kulisch W (2004) Investigations of the sorption behaviour of amorphous nitrogen-rich carbon nitride films as sensitive layers for cantilever-based chemical sensors. Appl Phys A 79:531–536

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Adamovskii LA (2007) Vortex electromagnetic flow meters for liquid metal coolants. Meas Tech 50:58–65

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Binnig G, Quate CF (1986) Atomic force microscope. Phys Rev Lett 56:930–933

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen Q, Fang J, Ji HF, Varahramyan K (2008) Micromachined SiO2 microcantilever for high sensitive moisture sensor. Microsyst Technol 14:739–746

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Choudhury A, Hesketh PJ, Thundat T, Hu Z (2007) A piezoresistive microcantilever array for surface stress measurement: curvature model and fabrication. J Micromech Microeng 17:2065–2076

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fair RB (2007) Digital microfluidics: is a true lab-on-a-chip possible. Microfluid Nanofluid 3:245–281

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fu LM, Lin CH (2007) A novel fast DNA digestion system. Biomed Microdevices 9:277–286

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fu LM, Lee CY, Liao MH, Lin CH (2008) Fabrication and testing of high-performance detection sensor for capillary electrophoresis microchips. Biomed Microdevices 10:73–80

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Groß GA, Thyagarajan V, Kielpinski M, Henkel T, Köhler JM (2008) Viscosity-dependent enhancement of fluid resistance in water/glycerol micro fluid segments. Microfluid Nanofluid 5:281–287

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guillot P, Moulin T, Kötitz R, Guirardel M, Dodge A, Joanicot M, Colin A, Bruneau C, Colin T (2008) Towards a continuous microfluidic rheometer. Microfluid Nanofluid 5:619–630

    Google Scholar 

  • Gupta A, Denton JP, McNally H, Bashir R (2003) Novel fabrication method for surface micromachined thin single-crystal silicon cantilever beams. IEEE J Microelectromech Syst 12:185–192

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hsueh CH, Luttrell CR, Cui T (2006) Thermal stress analyses of multilayered films on substrates and cantilever beams for micro sensors and actuators. J Micromech Microeng 16:2509–2515

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim DK, Kang SG, Sim JH, Shin JK, Choi P, Lee JH (2000) Characteristics of piezoresistive mass flow sensors fabricated by porous silicon micromachining. Jpn J Appl Phys 39:7134–7137

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim S, Nam T, Park S (2004) Measurement of flow direction and velocity using a micromachined flow sensor. Sens Actuators A 114:312–318

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim YM, Yoon HC, Seo CT, Lee JH (2005) Fabrication of micro probe beam using MEMS technology for new vertical silicon probe card. Jpn J Appl Phys 44:5759–5763

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kjeang E, Roesch B, McKechnie J, Harrington DA, Djilali N, Sinton D (2007) Integrated electrochemical velocimetry for microfluidic devices. Microfluid Nanofluid 3:403–416

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Korotcenkov G (2007) Practical aspects in design of one-electrode semiconductor gas sensors: status report. Sens Actuators B 121:664–678

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Korsunsky AM, Cherian S, Raiteri R, Berger R (2007) On the micromechanics of micro-cantilever sensors: property analysis and eigenstrain modeling. Sens Actuators A 139:70–77

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee CY, Lee GB (2003) A microcantilever-based humidity sensor with temperature compensation. J Micromech Microeng 13:620–627

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee CY, Chen CM, Chang GL, Lin CH, Fu LM (2006a) Fabrication and characterization of semicircular detection electrodes for contactless conductivity detector–capillary electrophoresis microchips. Electrophoresis 27:5043–5050

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee CY, Lin CH, Chou PC, Fu LM, Hsieh PR, Chiang CM (2006b) MEMS-based formaldehyde gas sensor integrated with a micro-hotplate. Microsyst Technol 12:893–898

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ma RH, Ho MC, Lee CY, Wang YH, Fu LM (2006) Micromachined silicon cantilever paddle for high-flow-rate sensing. Sens Mater 18:405–417

    Google Scholar 

  • Mailly F, Giani A, Bonnot R, Temple-Boyer P, Pascal-Delannoy F, Foucaran A, Boyer A (2001) Anemometer with hot platinum thin film. Sens Actuators A 94:32–38

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Makinwa KAA, Huijsing JH (2002) Constant power operation of a two-dimensional flow sensor. IEEE Trans Instrum Meas 51:840–844

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mohr S, Zhang YH, Macaskill A, Day PJR, Barber RW, Goddard NJ, Emerson DR, Fielden PR (2007) Numerical and experimental study of a droplet-based PCR chip. Microfluid Nanofluid 3:611–621

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neda T, Nakmura K, Takumi T (1996) A polysilicon flow sensor for gas flow meters. Sens Actuators A 54:626–631

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patankar SV (1980) Numerical heat transfer and fluid flow. Hemisphere, Washington DC

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Shin WC, Besser RS (2006) A micromachined thin-film gas flow sensor for microchemical reactors. J Micromech Microeng 16:731–741

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Su Y, Evans AGR, Brunnschweile A, Ensell G (2002) Characterization of a highly sensitive ultra-thin piezoresistive silicon cantilever probe and its application in gas flow velocity sensing. J Micromech Microeng 12:780–785

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Svedin N, Stemme E, Stemme G (2003) IEEE J Microelectromech Syst 12:937–942

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tellier CR, Leblois TG (2006) On the design of GaAs (hhl) resonant cantilevers study of piezoelectric excitation, of piezoresistive sensing and of micromachined structure. Sens Actuators A 132:224–235

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tuomas PJ, Knowles TPJ, Shu W, Huber F, Lang HP, Gerber C, Dobson CM, Welland ME (2008) Label-free detection of amyloid growth with microcantilever sensors. Nanotechnology 19:384007

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Velanki S, Ji HF (2006) Detection of feline coronavirus using microcantilever sensors. Meas Sci Technol 17:2964–2968

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang YH, Lee CY, Lin CH, Fu LM (2008) Enhanced sensing characteristics in MEMS-based formaldehyde gas sensors. Microsyst Technol 14:995–1000

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yamazoe N (2005) Toward innovations of gas sensor technology. Sens Actuators B 108:2–14

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgment

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided to this study by the National Science Council of Taiwan under Grant NSC97-2320-B-020-001-MY3.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Engineering, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung, 912, Taiwan

    Chia-Yen Lee & Lung-Ming Fu

  2. Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, National Cheng-Kung University, Tainan, 701, Taiwan

    Chih-Yung Wen

  3. Department of Engineering Science, National Cheng-Kung University, Tainan, 701, Taiwan

    Hui-Hsiung Hou & Ruey-Jen Yang

  4. Department of Vehicle Engineering, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung, 912, Taiwan

    Chien-Hsiung Tsai

Authors
  1. Chia-Yen Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Chih-Yung Wen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Hui-Hsiung Hou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ruey-Jen Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Chien-Hsiung Tsai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Lung-Ming Fu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Chien-Hsiung Tsai or Lung-Ming Fu.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lee, CY., Wen, CY., Hou, HH. et al. Design and characterization of MEMS-based flow-rate and flow-direction microsensor. Microfluid Nanofluid 6, 363–371 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-008-0381-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-008-0381-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation