ERC for Wireless Integrated MicroSystems (WIMS) an NSF-University-Industry Collaboration

Sixty-four-site microassemblies of Michigan neural probes have been implanted in the motor cortex in a series of eight non-human primates as part of the development of a neural prosthesis targeted at paralysis.

Direct recording of action potentials from different regions in the brain offers great promise to physicians and neurophysiologists trying to better understand brain behavior. Such recording should help reveal the mechanisms of brain disorders so remedies can be found.

VHF and UHF MEMS-based vibrating micromechanical resonators with new solid-dielectric-filled capacitive transducer gaps to replace previously-used air gaps have been demonstrated at 160MHz, with Q’s ~ 20,200 (on par with air-gap resonators) and motional resistances (Rx’s) more than 8x smaller at similar frequencies and bias conditions.

The proliferation of wireless and portable systems and the growing field of sensor networks have heightened the demand for energy-efficient microprocessors.

There is growing interest in recording neural activity in the motor cortex of the brain on a long-term basis.

There is an increasing desire to embed actuation into normally inert materials (so-called “smart materials”) for commercial textile, personal protection, and self-assembly manufacturing applications.

Low-cost, reproducible, vacuum packaging technologies are required for a host of devices including inertial sensors (~100mTorr), infrared sensor arrays (~10mTorr), micro-resonators (10microTorr to 760 Torr), and a wide range of devices that simply require hermetic seals.

Telemetry-controlled wireless microsystems are of increasing interestin a wide variety of applications. In general, such systems are usually controlled via a wireless link that allows the transfer of a serial stream of digital information required to control...

The next-generation WIMS Microcontroller has been realized in a TSMC 0.18μm process, occupies 9.18mm², and contains 2.3 million transistors. This is a 28% reduction in area over the previous version. It combines an ...

A four-stage peristaltic pump structure designed as proof-of-concept for a multi-stage (18-stage) gas micropump for use in a micro gas chromatography (μGC) system has been developed. The fabricated pump successfully integrates...

Bulk ceramics (including PZT) are important materials for micro-machined transducers and packages, but they are usually difficult to pattern lithographically...

A wireless implantable microsystem for recording and processing the neural signals sensed and preconditioned by multi-channel recording microprobes is being developed...

A new polymer-based flexible microelectrode with drug delivery capability has been developed by the NEL (Neural Engineering Lab) at the University of Michigan...

There is tremendous value to dynamically controlling the resolution and speed of A/D conversion in many sensor systems due to variable sensor characteristics...

A re-workable and modular packaging/assembly approach for Wireless Integrated MicroSystems (WIMS) consisting of multiple substrates containing circuits, sensors and actuators has been developed...