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Title: Microelectromechanical pump utilizing porous silicon

Abstract

A microelectromechanical (MEM) pump is disclosed which includes a porous silicon region sandwiched between an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber. The porous silicon region is formed in a silicon substrate and contains a number of pores extending between the inlet and outlet chambers, with each pore having a cross-section dimension about equal to or smaller than a mean free path of a gas being pumped. A thermal gradient is provided along the length of each pore by a heat source which can be an electrical resistance heater or an integrated circuit (IC). A channel can be formed through the silicon substrate so that inlet and outlet ports can be formed on the same side of the substrate, or so that multiple MEM pumps can be connected in series to form a multi-stage MEM pump. The MEM pump has applications for use in gas-phase MEM chemical analysis systems, and can also be used for passive cooling of ICs.

Inventors:
 [1];  [2]
  1. Albuquerque, NM
  2. Norman, OK
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1021902
Patent Number(s):
7,980,828
Application Number:
11/739,716
Assignee:
Sandia Corporation (Albuquerque, NM)
DOE Contract Number:  
AC04-94AL85000
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY

Citation Formats

Lantz, Jeffrey W, and Stalford, Harold L. Microelectromechanical pump utilizing porous silicon. United States: N. p., 2011. Web.
Lantz, Jeffrey W, & Stalford, Harold L. Microelectromechanical pump utilizing porous silicon. United States.
Lantz, Jeffrey W, and Stalford, Harold L. 2011. "Microelectromechanical pump utilizing porous silicon". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1021902.
@article{osti_1021902,
title = {Microelectromechanical pump utilizing porous silicon},
author = {Lantz, Jeffrey W and Stalford, Harold L},
abstractNote = {A microelectromechanical (MEM) pump is disclosed which includes a porous silicon region sandwiched between an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber. The porous silicon region is formed in a silicon substrate and contains a number of pores extending between the inlet and outlet chambers, with each pore having a cross-section dimension about equal to or smaller than a mean free path of a gas being pumped. A thermal gradient is provided along the length of each pore by a heat source which can be an electrical resistance heater or an integrated circuit (IC). A channel can be formed through the silicon substrate so that inlet and outlet ports can be formed on the same side of the substrate, or so that multiple MEM pumps can be connected in series to form a multi-stage MEM pump. The MEM pump has applications for use in gas-phase MEM chemical analysis systems, and can also be used for passive cooling of ICs.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1021902}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Jul 19 00:00:00 EDT 2011},
month = {Tue Jul 19 00:00:00 EDT 2011}
}

Works referenced in this record:

On-chip vacuum generated by a micromachined Knudsen pump
journal, August 2005


Initial results from the first MEMS fabricated thermal transpiration-driven vacuum pump
conference, January 2001


Porous Silicon Formation in N−/N+/N− Doped Structures
journal, January 1991


Modeling of Thermal Transpiration Flows for Knudsen Compressor Optimization
conference, June 2012


Analysis of a micromachine based vacuum pump on a chip actuated by the thermal transpiration effect
journal, January 1999


Processing of Three-Dimensional Microstructures Using Macroporous n-Type Silicon
journal, January 1996