Smart Structures and Systems

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Fabrication and packaging techniques for the application of MEMS strain sensors to wireless crack monitoring in ageing civil infrastructures

  • Ferri, Matteo (Institute of Microelectronics and Microsystems (IMM), National Research Council of Italy) ;
  • Mancarella, Fulvio (Institute of Microelectronics and Microsystems (IMM), National Research Council of Italy) ;
  • Seshia, Ashwin (Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge) ;
  • Ransley, James (Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge) ;
  • Soga, Kenichi (Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge) ;
  • Zalesky, Jan (Czech Technical University in Prague, Faculty of Civil Engineering) ;
  • Roncaglia, Alberto (Institute of Microelectronics and Microsystems (IMM), National Research Council of Italy)
  • Received : 2008.07.01
  • Accepted : 2009.07.01
  • Published : 2010.04.25
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Abstract

We report on the development of a new technology for the fabrication of Micro-Electro-Mechanical-System (MEMS) strain sensors to realize a novel type of crackmeter for health monitoring of ageing civil infrastructures. The fabrication of micromachined silicon MEMS sensors based on a Silicon On Insulator (SOI) technology, designed according to a Double Ended Tuning Fork (DETF) geometry is presented, using a novel process which includes a gap narrowing procedure suitable to fabricate sensors with low motional resistance. In order to employ these sensors for crack monitoring, techniques suited for bonding the MEMS sensors on a steel surface ensuring good strain transfer from steel to silicon and a packaging technique for the bonded sensors are proposed, conceived for realizing a low-power crackmeter for ageing infrastructure monitoring. Moreover, the design of a possible crackmeter geometry suited for detection of crack contraction and expansion with a resolution of $10{\mu}m$ and very low power consumption requirements (potentially suitable for wireless operation) is presented. In these sensors, the small crackmeter range for the first field use is related to long-term observation on existing cracks in underground tunnel test sections.

Keywords

References

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