Abstract
This paper presents modeling, fabrication and testing results for a high flow rate and high frequency nickel titanium alloy (Nitinol) MEMS valve. ANSYS® is used to evaluate several Nitinol MEMS valve structural designs with the conclusion that a pentagonal flap with five legs produces higher frequencies and higher strengths without the inherent rotation problem present in four-leg designs. The Nitinol penta-leg design was fabricated using a novel bi-layer lift-off method. A polymethylglutarimide (PMGI) polymer layer is initially used as an underlayer while a chromium layer is used as a top layer to produce a non-rotational ortho-planar Nitinol MEMS valve array without the problems inherent in conventional Nitinol wet etching. The array consists of 65 microvalves with a single valve having dimensions of 1 mm circumference, 50 µm leg width and 8.2 µm Nitinol thickness. Each microvalve covers an orifice of 220 µm diameter and 500 µm in length and is capable of producing 150 µm vertical deflection. The Nitinol MEMS valve array was tested for flow rates in a hydraulic system as a function of applied pressure with a maximum water flow rate of 16.44 cc s−1.
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