chapter 8: Modeling, Brains, Packaging, Sample Preparation and New MEMS Materials

8.1. Describe the process of silicon to glass anodic bonding. Make a sketch of the setup and describe typical conditions required. What is the process that takes place on the molecular level?

Professor Peter Hesketh, Georgia Tech

8.2. What is meant by bottom-up and top-down artificial intelligence approaches? Which approach makes most sense for the development of smart MEMS?

8.3. What are the most attractive properties of quartz and porous alumina as micromachining materials?

8.4. What are some of the advantages of a silicon-silicon bonding process over anodic bonding? Are there any disadvantages?

Professor Peter Hesketh, Georgia Tech

8.5. Review the various steps in a typical finite element analysis (FEA) (e.g., a stress/strain problem).

8.6. Compare the function of a set of neurons in the brain with an artificial neural net. Find some real-life examples where neural nets are used today.

8.7. Present a definition of biocompatibility. Design a MEMS structure that might help in deconvoluting the contributions of topography and chemistry to biocompatibility.

8.8. List examples of emergent properties of complex systems.

8.9. Detail several processes to create vacuum shells in a solid. Detail several processes to entrap a hydrogel or liquid in a solid.

8.10. List the functions of the package and interface electronic circuitry for microsensors.

8.11. Which is easier to package, an absolute pressure sensor or an accelerometer? A pressure sensor or a pH sensor?

8.12. Describe and compare different wafer bonding techniques.

8.13. What is likely to be a major concern with DNA-assisted assembly? How could you improve the situation?

8.14. Describe different methods to levitate and move a biological cell to a desired spot on a glass slide.

8.15. Do you know any man-made materials or devices that feature self-repair? Suggest some MEMS approaches to incorporate self-repair of a biological implant.

8.16. Describe the steps typically involved in the sample preparation of whole blood to DNA for a DNA hybridization experiment. Design a complete integrated system for a sample to answer from blood to an SNP assay.