Computer Microvision for Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS)

摘要

This effort successfully addressed a critical need related to the early design and evaluation of Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) by developing tools and methods for testing and characterizing MEMS devices that enabled in situ visualization of the motions of internal structures in MEMS by combining light microscopy, video imaging, and machine vision. A series of MEMS test bed platforms were developed under this project that used stroboscopic illumination to produce temporal sequences of images of microelectromechanical systems that were magnified with a microscope, projected onto a CCD camera, and recorded at multiple planes of focus. These images could be viewed at playback speeds chosen to facilitate human interpretation of the motions, and they could be analyzed using methods originally conceived for robot vision to determine quantitative device performance parameters. One platform was replicated at a number of major MEMS research Universities, and another was transitioned as a commercial product. A number of collaborations with MEMS developers provided critical measurements and functional MEMS performance evaluations. Additional work developed a patented multi-beam interferometric method for imaging MEMS, launched a collaborative Computer Microvision Remote Test Facility using DARPA's Next Generation Internet, and produced a high-end animation to communicate the complexity and importance of MEMS fabrication.