Underwater flexible shear-stress sensor skins

• Published in: 17th IEEE International Conference on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems. Maastricht MEMS 2004 Technical Digest pp. 833 - 836
• Main Authors: Yong Xu, Clendenen, J., Steve Tung, Fukang Jiang, Yu-Chong Tai
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Piscataway NJ IEEE 2004
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Fabrication; Instruments, apparatus, components and techniques common to several branches of physics and astronomy; Interference; Mechanical instruments, equipment and techniques; Micro- and nanoelectromechanical devices (mems/nems); Micromechanical devices and systems; Packaging; Physics; Plugs; Polyimides; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Sensor arrays; Silicon; Skin; Wafer bonding; Wire; Water tunnel; Polyimide; Shear stress; Silicon; Experimental study; Reliability; Microelectromechanical device
• ISBN: 078038265X; 9780780382657
• DOI: 10.1109/MEMS.2004.1290714

This paper reports the development of underwater flexible shear-stress sensor skins that enable not only the acquisition of shear-stress distributions on non-planar surfaces but also a reliable packaging scheme. The sensor skin fabrication consists of two steps: the fabrication of shear-stress sensors on silicon wafers and the fabrication of flexible skins by forming arrays of silicon islands sandwiched by two polyimide layers. The fabricated sensor skin has been packaged on a metal plug and bonding pads were folded to the back side through a slit on the plug. Wire bonding was performed on the back side to improve the reliability and minimize flow interference. The packaged sensor skin has been installed on a water tunnel and successfully tested.