Abstract:
Electromechanical sensors that employ Janus micro/nano-components and techniques for the fabrication thereof are provided. In one aspect, a method of fabricating an electromechanical sensor includes the following steps. A back gate is formed on a substrate. A gate dielectric is deposited over the back gate. An intermediate layer is formed on the back gate having a micro-fluidic channel formed therein. Top electrodes are formed above the micro-fluidic channel. One or more Janus components are placed in the micro-fluidic channel, wherein each of the Janus components has a first portion having an electrically conductive material and a second portion having an electrically insulating material. The micro-fluidic channel is filled with a fluid. The electrically insulating material has a negative surface charge at a pH of the fluid and an isoelectric point at a pH less than the pH of the fluid.
Abstract:
A predictive model for building energy consumption may be constructed and run to predict energy consumption in a building or to detect anomaly in energy consumption in a building or combinations thereof. Historic energy consumption data associated with energy consumed in a building may be received. Enthalpy of air outside the building may be determined. An energy consumption model may be calibrated based on the historic energy consumption data and the enthalpy of air outside the building. The energy consumption model incorporates enthalpy difference between a balance enthalpy and the enthalpy of air outside the building.
Abstract:
A method for colorimetric radiation dosimetry includes subjecting an aggregate including a polymeric matrix having uniformly dispersed nanoparticles therein to radiation. The aggregate is soaked in a solution selected to dissolve decomposed pieces of the polymeric matrix to release into the solution nanoparticles from the decomposed pieces. Color of the solution is compared to a reference to determine a dose of radiation based on number of liberated nanoparticles.
Abstract:
Electromechanical sensors that employ Janus micro/nano-components and techniques for the fabrication thereof are provided. In one aspect, a method of fabricating an electromechanical sensor includes the following steps. A back gate is formed on a substrate. A gate dielectric is deposited over the back gate. An intermediate layer is formed on the back gate having a micro-fluidic channel formed therein. Top electrodes are formed above the micro-fluidic channel. One or more Janus components are placed in the micro-fluidic channel, wherein each of the Janus components has a first portion having an electrically conductive material and a second portion having an electrically insulating material. The micro-fluidic channel is filled with a fluid. The electrically insulating material has a negative surface charge at a pH of the fluid and an isoelectric point at a pH less than the pH of the fluid.
Abstract:
Semiconductor devices and methods are provided for integrally forming electromechanical devices (e.g. MEMS or NEMS devices) with CMOS devices in a FEOL (front-end-of-line) structure as part of a replacement metal gate process flow. For example, a method includes forming an electromechanical device in a first device region of a substrate and forming a transistor device in a second device region of the substrate. The electromechanical device includes a sacrificial anchor structure and a sacrificial cantilever structure formed of a sacrificial material. The transistor device includes a sacrificial gate electrode structure formed of the sacrificial material. A replacement metal gate process is performed to replace the sacrificial gate electrode structure of the transistor device with a metallic gate electrode, and to replace the sacrificial anchor structure and the sacrificial cantilever structure with a metallic anchor structure and a metallic cantilever structure. A release process is performed to release the metallic cantilever structure.