Using the Compromise Decision Support Problem in Microsystem Design: A Formulation for a Miniature Parylene Gas Chromatographic Column

The concurrent consideration of design and manufacturing requirements at the early stages of design is one of the cited challenges in microsystem design. In this paper, we take the first steps, through an example, towards addressing these issues through the use of the compromise Decision Support Problem (cDSP). The cDSP is a domain-independent hybrid multiobjective decision support formulation utilized in engineering design. The design of a parylene microchannel for a microscale gas chromatography system is refined using the cDSP. The objective is to adjust the geometry of the microchannel to create a satisficing design for one fabrication goal and two performance goals. The cDSP is utilized for five scenarios, one in which all three goals are given equal priority, one for each of three goals when they are given first priority, and one in which the performance goals are given equal priority. We are more interested in demonstrating the method than the results per se. Our goal is to show how microsystem designers can use the cDSP to gain some insight into how these goals interact and how design decisions can be made with this insight.