Professor Mustafa Guvench receives NASA MEMS grant
Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) on a chip have revolutionized our ability to perform many tasks at a microscopic level. For several years Professor Guvench has been working on MEMS sensors based on the principle that a mechanical system vibrates most at its resonant frequency. A tuning fork is a common example. One of the determinants of the resonant freqency is the mass of the object. A tiny reed, the mass of which increases if it absorbs gas from the surroundings, vibrates at a lower frequency. The long-term goal of the research and development is to develop MEMS sensors that will detect, monitor and/or identify gases -for example, in a space vehicle or lunar habitat environment. Of course there are many earth-bound applications for such devices.
A MEMS resonator on a chip is shown on the left and an image of the resonance peak on the right.
Funding for the two-year project has been provided by the Maine Space Grant Consortium.
Phase I will focus on the proof of concepts and experimentation with different films for gas absorption on MEMS structures. Professsor Henry Tracy in the USM Chemistry department will assist with this work. Phase II will focus on multi-sensor integration and integration of sensors with circuits. Mathematics Professor Abou Aboueissa will provide assistance with statistical properties of gas sensing.
The project also has an education component. Undergraduate students will participate in the surface chemistry and the MEMS research and development. Engineering Professor James Smith will develop a general education course with the theme how our ability to detect and measure the very large and the very small alters our perceptions of the world and the universe. Faculty will incorporate concepts relating to MEMS into existing courses. Additional higher education projects are under development.
For further information contact: Professor Guvench.
