SIMULATION AND FABRICATION OF MICROMACHINED CANTILEVER VALVES

This paper reports the fabrication and simulation of micromachined can tilever valves. The simulation is achieved by coupling the finite-elem ent method (FEM) package ANSYS and the computational fluid dynamics (C FD) package FLOW3D. It is based on iterative runs for the defection of the cantilever (ANSYS) and the fluid flow in the duct/cantilever area (FLOW3D). A macro programme controls the data flow between the simula tors and the convergence of the simulation. With the coupled simulatio n, flow rates for cantilever valves at given pressures are calculated. These results are compared with micromachined cantilever valves fabri cated by fusion bonding of a flap-containing wafer with a duct-contain ing wafer. For the release of the cantilever, toluene is used to avoid stiction while drying the chips. Agreement between measured and simul ated flow sates is good and gives confidence in the use of this simula tor for valve development. (C) 1997 Published by Elsevier Science S.A.