Microfabrication methods have been applied to the fabrication of wire arrays suitable for use in Z. Self-curling GaAs/AlGaAs supports were fabricated as an initial route to make small wire arrays (4mm diameter). A strain relief structure that could be integrated with the wire was designed to allow displacements of the anode/cathode connections in Z. Electroplated gold wire arrays with integrated anode/cathode bus connections were found to be sufficiently robust to allow direct handling. Platinum and copper plating processes were also investigated. A process to fabricate wire arrays on any substrate with wire thickness up to 35 microns was developed. Methods to handle and mount these arrays were developed. Fabrication of wire arrays of 20mm diameter was demonstrated, and the path to 40mm array fabrication is clear. With some final investment to show array mounting into Z hardware, the entire process to produce a microfabricated wire array will have been demonstrated.
Many MEMS-based components require optical monitoring techniques using optoelectronic devices for converting mechanical position information into useful electronic signals. While the constituent piece-parts of such hybrid opto-MEMS components can be separately optimized, the resulting component performance, size, ruggedness and cost are substantially compromised due to assembly and packaging limitations. GaAs MOEMS offers the possibility of monolithically integrating high-performance optoelectronics with simple mechanical structures built in very low-stress epitaxial layers with a resulting component performance determined only by GaAs microfabrication technology limitations. GaAs MOEMS implicitly integrates the capability for radiation-hardened optical communications into the MEMS sensor or actuator component, a vital step towards rugged integrated autonomous microsystems that sense, act, and communicate. This project establishes a new foundational technology that monolithically combines GaAs optoelectronics with simple mechanics. Critical process issues addressed include selectivity, electrochemical characteristics, and anisotropy of the release chemistry, and post-release drying and coating processes. Several types of devices incorporating this novel technology are demonstrated.