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To utilize the high mass fraction of silicon material in a nanosatellite based on micro-electro-mechanical systems, part of the structural function has been assigned to the flat silicon stacks embracing these systems. Three modules for destructive testing in bending, warping and shearing cases were built with 68x68x1 mm silicon stacks bonded in aluminium frames by in-situ casting of silicone rubber. The rubber served as the deformation zone between the stiff and brittle silicon stacks and their weaker and ductile aluminium frames. A special test module of the same size was built with strain gauges of Nichrome (thin film deposited directly on the surface of the silicon stack). Elastic deformation tests on this as well as simulations using finite element analysis were performed for bending, warping and shearing loads of up to 80, 40 and 99 N, respectively. The test module was disassembled after the test series and examined. The actual thickness of the rubber was measured and entered into the model for simulation. The correlation between simulations and experimental measurements was good with deviation of about 30%. The results show that the rubber works well as a mechanical interface. Its thickness influences the stress in the silicon stack significantly. The silicon stack stiffens the module by a factor of 46 and lowers the stress in its frame 24 times in shearing mode, which is the most relevant loading case for the satellite framework. Thus, the concept of using flat silicon panels as structural elements is fully feasible.

As fluidic microelectromechanical devices are developing and often attached to, or embedded in, large, complex and expensive systems, the issues of modularity, maintenance and subsystem replacement arise. In this work, a robust silicon connector suitable for high-pressure applications – likely with harsh fluids – in the temperature range of +100 to –100°C is demonstrated and tested together with a stainless steel nipple representing a simple and typical macropart. With a micromachined circular membrane equipped with a 5 μm high ridge, this connector is able to maintain a leak rate below 2.0´10^-8 scc/s of gaseous helium with a pressure of up to 9.7 bar. Degradation of the sealing performance on reassembly is associated with the indentation of the ridge. However, the ridge makes the sealing interface less sensitive to particles in comparison with a flat reference. Most evaluation is made through so called heat-until-leak tests conducted to determine the maximum working temperature and the sealing mechanism of the connector. A couple of these are followed by cryogenic testing. The effect of thermal mismatch of the components is discussed and utilized as an early warning mechanism.

In this work, a gas valve using a microstructured silicon valve lid and a stainless steel valve seat clamped axially together in an aluminum cylinder is investigated. The difference in coefficient of thermal expansion of these components makes the valve open and close on a temperature change. A simple model accounting for elastic deformation of the system’s components is proposed to facilitate design of the valve. By means of a helium leak detector, a typical increase in flow rate from 1.0×10⁻⁸ to 1.0×10⁻⁴ sccs gaseous helium under a pressure of up to 10 bars was observed upon the increase of temperature from 12 to around 98 °C, after a single breaking-in. Plastic deformation of the valve seat as a consequence of an imprint of the microstructured valve lid and contaminating particles was studied. Microscopy confirmed a tolerance for particles of up to a few micrometers in diameter. Larger particles were found to be a possible cause of failure.

Demonstrated and investigated here is a method to seal microfluidic systems by soldering. As a particularly difficult case of growing importance, the sealing of openings contaminated with paraffin wax was studied. Solder paste, screen printed on a metallized silicon, substrate was melted locally through application of 6.5 to 10 V to a 5 Ω copper film resistor for a few seconds and found able to drive an intermediate layer of paraffin away and seal a 0.2 mm diameter circular via by wetting to a surrounding copper pad. Although verified to be robust, the process did result in failing seals on excessive heating because of consumption of the pads. Correctly performed, the technique provided a seal at least withstanding a pressure of 8 bar for 8 h at 85ºC.

The gas flow through a network of crossing thin micro-machined channels has been successfully modeled and simulated. The crossings are formed by two sets of v-grooves that intersect as two silicon wafers are bonded together. The gas is distributed from inlets via a manifold of channels to the narrow v-grooves. The narrow v-grooves could work as a particle filter. The fluidic model is derived from the Navier–Stokes equation and assumes laminar isothermal flow and incorporates small Knudsen number corrections and Poiseuille number calculations. The simulations use the finite element method. Several elements of the full crossing network model are treated separately before lumping them together: the straight v-grooves, a single crossing in an infinite set and a set of exactly four crossings along the flow path. The introduction of a crossing effectively corresponds to a virtual reduction of the length of the flow path, thereby defining a new effective length. The first and last crossings of each flow path together contribute to a pressure drop equal to that from three ordinary crossings. The derived full network model has been compared to previous experimental results on several differently shaped crossed v-groove networks. Within the experimental errors, the model corresponds to the mass flow and pressure drop measurements. The main error source is the uncertainty in v-groove width which has a profound impact on the fluidic behavior.