Research Page

Our group focuses on novel devices and processes that utilize silicon and microfabrication techniques such as MEMS/NEMS (surface and bulk micromachining), thin film deposition and patterning, and wafer-level bonding. We are trying to find to develop advanced sensors and actuators for commercial, military, and other applications.

Research Projects:

Thick-film sol-gel PZT using nanoparticle enhancement
MEMS PZT vibration sensors using nanoparticle enhanced sol-gel techniques
PZT nanotubes fabricated by template wetting
Efficient MEMS release processes using self-assembled monolayers
PZT strain sensors for underground soil applications
Piezoelectric testing station for evaluation of these materials
MEMS actuators for neurological applications

Thick-film sol-gel PZT using nanoparticle enhancement
MEMS PZT vibration sensors using nanoparticle enhanced sol-gel techniques
PZT nanotubes fabricated by template wetting
Efficient MEMS release processes using self-assembled monolayers
PZT strain sensors for underground soil applications
Piezoelectric testing station for evaluation of these materials
MEMS actuators for neurological applications

Thick-film sol-gel PZT using nanoparticle enhancement
MEMS PZT vibration sensors using nanoparticle enhanced sol-gel techniques
PZT nanotubes fabricated by template wetting
Efficient MEMS release processes using self-assembled monolayers
PZT strain sensors for underground soil applications
Piezoelectric testing station for evaluation of these materials
MEMS actuators for neurological applications

Thick-film sol-gel PZT using nanoparticle enhancement
MEMS PZT vibration sensors using nanoparticle enhanced sol-gel techniques
PZT nanotubes fabricated by template wetting
Efficient MEMS release processes using self-assembled monolayers
PZT strain sensors for underground soil applications
Piezoelectric testing station for evaluation of these materials
MEMS actuators for neurological applications

Thick-film sol-gel PZT using nanoparticle enhancement
MEMS PZT vibration sensors using nanoparticle enhanced sol-gel techniques
PZT nanotubes fabricated by template wetting
Efficient MEMS release processes using self-assembled monolayers
PZT strain sensors for underground soil applications
Piezoelectric testing station for evaluation of these materials
MEMS actuators for neurological applications

More information about these projects as well as photos of our devices will be added in the future.

MEMS/NEMS Research Group Page

Publications:

Patents (4 issued, 2 pending)

US Patent #7,049,175, Method of Packaging RF MEMS, L.W. Schaper, A.P. Malshe, C.B. O'Neal, PCT filed 11/06/2002.

US Patent #7,224,508, MEMS-Based Optical Communications Beam Steering Apparatus, C. H. Chalfant III, F.J. Orlando, J.T. Gregory, C.B. O'Neal.

US Patent #7,612,329, Apparatus and Method for Free Space Optical Communications Beam Steering without Gimbals, C. H. Chalfant III, F.J. Orlando, J.T. Gregory, C.B. O'Neal.

US Patent #7,612,317, Beam Steering for Optical Target Identification and Tracking without Gimbals or Scanning Mirrors, C. H. Chalfant III, F.J. Orlando, J.T. Gregory, C.B. O'Neal, T.L. Tidwell.

Apparatus & Method for Nanoscale and Microscale Mechanical Machining and Processing, A.P. Malshe, C.B. O'Neal, US patent pending 01/03/2002, PCT filed 08/25/2003.

Miniature Sealed Cavity Optical Package, R.B. Foster, A.P. Malshe, C.B. O'Neal, US patent pending 01/24/2003.

Journal Publications

J. Soman and C. B. O'Neal, "Investigation on the Effect of Storage Time on Bond Strength Between Plasma Activated Silicon Wafers", IEEE Sensors, submitted November 2009.
J. Soman and C. O'Neal, "Fabrication and testing of a PZT strain sensor for soil applications," IEEE Sensors, accepted March 2010.
C. B. O'Neal, A. P. Malshe, W. F. Schmidt, et al., "Effects of die attachment induced stress on the reliability of a packaged MEMS device," Journal of Microelectronics and Electronic Packaging, vol. 6, 2009, pp. 164-171.
C.B. O’Neal, A.P. Malshe, "Towards a nanomechanical machining system-on-a-chip for drilling and related machining processes", Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, submitted August 2009.
C. Easter and C. B. O'Neal, "Characterization of high-pressure XeF₂ vapor-phase silicon etching for MEMS processing," Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems, vol. 18, no. 5, October, 2009, pp. 1054-1061.
D. K. Chambers, B. Raut, D. Qi, et al., "The effect of helium plasma etching on polymer-based optoelectronic devices", Thin Solid Films, vol. 517, no. 19, pp. 5743-5746, 2009. D. K. Chambers, B. Raut, D. Qi, et al., "The effect of helium plasma etching on polymer-based optoelectronic devices", Thin Solid Films, vol. 517, no. 19, pp. 5743-5746, 2009.

A.P. Malshe, C.B. O'Neal, S.B. Singh, W.D. Brown, W.P.Eaton, W.M. Miller, "Challenges in the Packaging of MEMS, International Journal of Microcircuits and Electronic Packaging, vol. 22, no. 3, pp.233-241, 1999.

Conferences Publications

C. B. O'Neal, "The effects of plasma pre-treatment and storage time on silicon fusion bonding," in Reliability, Packaging, Testing, and Characterization of MEMS/MOEMS and Nanodevices IX" Conference, San Francisco, CA, January 23-28, 2010, pp. 7592-12, (INVITED).
A. M. Popat and C. B. O'Neal, "Process Optimization for Releasing of MEMS/NEMS Devices and Coating of Anti-stiction SAM," in International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition. Seattle, WA: ASME, 2007.

C. Easter and C. B. O'Neal, "Annealing Procedures and Their Effects on PZT/Nanoparticle Thin Film via a Modified Sol-gel Process," in International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition. Seattle, WA: ASME, 2007.

J. T. Brown, A. M. Popat, C. B. O'Neal, and Y. Xie, "Intermetallic Effects of Electroplated Lead-free Solder Bumps Using a Novel Single Chamber Electroplating Process for Large Diameter Wafers", in InterPack 2007, July, Vancouver BC, 2007.

B. Raut, D. K. Chambers, C. B. O'Neal, and S. Selmic, "Reactive Ion Etching of Light Emitting MEH-PPV and Conducting PEDOT:PSS Polymer Materials", in ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition (IMECE), November, Chicago, IL, 2006.

V. Patil and C. B. O'Neal, "Adhesive Strength Characterization of CYTOP™: Low Temperature Wafer-Level Packaging", in ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition (IMECE), November, Chicago, IL, 2006.

C. B. O'Neal, A. P. Malshe, and A. Popat, "Fabrication and Testing of Nano Mechanical Machining System on a Chip", in 4th International Symposium on Nanomanufacturing, November, Boston, MA, 2006.

R. Mukherjee and C. B. O'Neal, "Dynamic Modeling and Prototyping for Low Frequency Piezoelectric MEMS Vibration Energy Scavenging: VibES", in ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition (IMECE), November, Chicago, IL, 2006.

C. Easter and C. B. O'Neal, "Design, Actuation, and Control of a Piezo-MEMS Articulating Arm", in ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition (IMECE), November, Chicago, IL, 2006.

W. Jordan, H. Cardenas, and C. B. O'Neal, "Using a materials concept inventory to assess an introductory materials class: Potential and problems", in, Portland, OR, United States, 2005, pp. 15095-15101.

P.V. Bonta, C.B. O'Neal, S. Muthusami, "Micro Fuel Cell Technologies, Advancements, and Challenges", The 3rd International Conference on Fuel Cell Science, Engineering and Technology, May 2005.

A. Mohan, C.B. O' Neal, R.B. Foster, A.P. Malshe, "A Wafer-Level Packaging approach for MEMS & Related Microsystems using Selective Laser-Assisted Bonding", Proceedings of ECTC 2005.

D. Spencer, A.P. Malshe, R.B. Foster, C.B. O'Neal, "Novel Method for Wafer-Scale Packaging of Opto-electronic Devices:, IMAPS 2003, Boston, November 2003.

C.B. O'Neal, N. Joshi, A.P. Malshe, et al, "Geometric Error Assessment and Related Fabrication of a Nanomechanical Drill, "New Developments in Thermal Aspects of Material Removal Processes, Oklahoma State University, June 10-12, 2003, pp. 85-91.

C.B. O'Neal, A.P. Malshe, K. Virwani, W.F. Schmidt, "Design Consideration, Process and Mechanical Modeling, and Tolerance Analysis of a MEMS-based Mechanical Machining System-on-a-Chip (SOAC) for NanoManufacturing", Proceedings of IMECE 2002: ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition November 17-22, 2002 New Orleans, LA.

A.P. Malshe and C.B. O'Neal, "Wafer-level and Chip-scale Packaging of MEMS and Related Microsystems", MEMS and Related Microsystems Advanced Technology Workshop, sponsored by IMAPS, Scotts Valley, CA (November 2001).

A.P. Malshe, Y. Tao, C.B. O'Neal, W.D. Brown, S. Singh and M.H. Gordon, "Systematic Development and Testing for Reliable Electronic Packaging of Surface Micromachined MEMS (sm-MEMS) Devices", EPDT-NSF Conference, Fayetteville, AR (September 2001).

A.P. Malshe, C.B. O'Neal, S. Singh, Y. Tao, R. Cragan, and W. D. Brown, "Packaging and integration of MEMS and related microsystems for system-on-a-package (SOP)", Proceedings of the SPIE 2000 Symposium on Smart Materials and MEMS, Vol. 4235, pp. 198-208, 2001. (INVITED)

C.B. O'Neal, A.P. Malshe, W.F. Schmidt, M.H. Gordon, R.R. Reynolds, W.D. Brown, W.P. Eaton, W.M. Miller, "A Study of the Effects of Packaging Induced Stress on the Reliability of the Sandia MEMS Microengine", InterPack 2001, July 2001, #15668, Kauai, Hawaii.

A.P. Malshe, S.S. Singh, K. Hankins, J.J. Young, B.S. Park, S.N. Yedave, W.D. Brown, "Effects of Packaging Process Steps on the Functionality of MEMS Devices: Investigation of Electrical Interconnection on Lubricated MEMS", 2000 International Symposium on Microelectronics, 2000.

C.B. O'Neal, A.P. Malshe, W.F. Schmidt, R.R. Reynolds, M.H. Gordon, and W.D. Brown, Investigation of Effects of Die Attachment on MEMS Functionality: Lessons Learned, IMAPS Advanced Technology Workshop on Packaging and Integration of MEMS & Related Microsystems, Orlando, Florida, November 10-12, 2000.

C.B. O'Neal, A.P. Malshe, W.P. Eaton, "Effect of Storage Life and Drive Signals on the Reliability of the Sandia Microengine", MEMS Reliability for Critical Applications, SPIE Proceedings, Santa Clara, CA, September 18-20, 2000, Vol.4180 , pp.123-132.

C.B. O'Neal, A.P. Malshe, MEMS Packaging at the University of Arkansas, TEX_MEMS '99, College Station, TX , August 24, 1999.

C.B. O'Neal, Sandia Microengine Reliability Study, Sandia Student Symposium, August 5, 1999.

C.B. O'Neal, A.P. Malshe, S.B. Singh, W.D. Brown, W.P.Eaton, Challenges in the Packaging of MEMS, Proceedings of the 1999 International Symposium on Advanced Packaging Materials, Braselton, GA, March 14-17, pp.41-47.