Chair
Our philosophical vision in engineering is an ever increasing degree of integration to combine different functionalities such as actuation and sensing into fewer and simpler structures. The hypothetical asymptotic aim is a completely monolithic device or system. This approach can on the one hand result in several advantages, such as increased reliability and reduced cost or miniaturization and greater performance. On the other hand, it poses the challenge that a system cannot be simply assembled from discrete components with isolated behaviors, but one has to develop the system as a whole, possibly conceiving new working principles.
Actuators
The core feature of a microsystem is the use of compliant mechanics rather than rotation: Levers, cantilever springs and solid state hinges instead of wheels and rotational bearings. While our focus lies on piezo actuation, we are also interested in other types of actuation such as magnetic actuators or electroactive polymers. Piezo actuators have the intrinsic advantages of high actuation speeds and of being able to hold a position without consuming electric power. As part of the integration approach, we are interested in nonlinear, multi-stable mechanics, that becomes part of the working principle of the device, and in miniaturized linear actuators.
Optics
We are building upon a long-standing know-how of adaptive lenses that use the direct deformation of an ultra-thin glass membrane with a combination of buckling and bending. In addition to a sub-millisecond response time, they can correct optical aberrations. Our portfolio also includes adaptive prisms and other elements such as amplitude-tunable gratings and different types of deformable mirrors. In general: We take (almost) any challenge. Beyond adaptive optics, we are also interested in realizing challenging miniaturized optical systems, for example in limited footprints, harsh environments or to implement modern optical techniques.
Fluidics
As a new field of activities, we are interested in bringing our expertise in micro actuators into micro fluidics. Again, our vision is the integration of actuation, optics and sensorics; starting with novel pumps and valves.
Fabrication
As micro systems engineering has always been at the boundary of the realms of engineering, it is in its very nature that the potential fabrication is an integral part of the considerations when developing a new micro system. As our activities are naturally not on the lower micrometer scale, we do not employ classical silicon micromachining. Our approach is a flexible combination of classical machining and molding with simple MEMS processes, unconventional processes such as controlling intrinsic strains and rapid prototyping. Laser structuring is a core process that we use in the fabrication of most of our devices to replace the more complex and less flexible etching processes.