MULTIFUNCTIONAL SENSOR BASED ON A PLANAR CAPACITOR FOR REMOTE SENSING

The article deals with the issues related to the technical implementation of environmental sensing using capacitive sensors. It proposes a design of a capacitive sensor of a planar type, and studies physical principles of its operation. The operation of the sensor in two main modes is analyzed: 1) determination of the distance to the object at known electrophysical characteristics of the object; 2) determination of the electrophysical characteristics of the object at a known distance to it. The article provides data of direct measurements of the sensor capacitance and its output signal level under various conditions.

Fixed Charge Control of Silylated Surface for Stiction-Free Drying with Surface Energy Reduction Process

Recently, a surface energy reduction process (SERP) for stiction-free drying is used for a high aspect pattern structure like shallow trench isolation (STI). The key technology of SERP is trimethylsilyl (TMS) groups termination of the device surface. To explain the electrical influence of TMS groups was found acceptable by measuring the planar capacitor flat-band voltage shift, and the threshold voltage characteristics of 1x-nm node MOS transistors.

Electrically charged droplet: case study of a simple generator

We studied the behavior of a simple apparatus that allows charging droplets by induction. We imposed the following constraints: (i) any liquid should be charged (more precisely whatever its surface tension and therefore whatever its wettability, capillary length, etc.); and (ii) the system is to remain as simple as possible. The design of the device results of a compromise regarding both constraints. The device developed is based on a planar capacitor in which the droplets are generated. The influence of the nature of the liquid (i.e., presence of ions in solution, polarity, surface tension, and conductivity) on the charge induced was measured and was found to be independent of the liquid properties (except for the silicone oil). We deduced that, in the considered configuration, fluids behave like a “perfect conductor” as soon as conductive relaxation time is smaller than the droplet ejection time. Under this condition, the charge has the time to move in the droplet to reach the electrostatic regime.