PyroMEMS as Future Technological Building Blocks for Advanced Microenergetic Systems

Abstract

For the past two decades, many research groups have investigated new methods for reducing the size and cost of safe and arm-fire systems, while also improving their safety and reliability, through batch processing. Simultaneously, micro- and nanotechnology advancements regarding nanothermite materials have enabled the production of a key technological building block: pyrotechnical microsystems (pyroMEMS). This building block simply consists of microscale electric initiators with a thin thermite layer as the ignition charge. This microscale to millimeter-scale addressable pyroMEMS enables the integration of intelligence into centimeter-scale pyrotechnical systems. To illustrate this technological evolution, we hereby present the development of a smart infrared (IR) electronically controllable flare consisting of three distinct components: (1) a controllable pyrotechnical ejection block comprising three independently addressable small-scale propellers, all integrated into a one-piece molded and interconnected device, (2) a terminal function block comprising a structured IR pyrotechnical loaf coupled with a microinitiation stage integrating low-energy addressable pyroMEMS, and (3) a connected, autonomous, STANAG 4187 compliant, electronic sensor arming and firing block.

Development of a Chip-Level Ultimate Security Device Using Reactive Composites

“…Results also show that the reaction time and efficiency highly depend on the reactive material loading, e.g. the mass of nanothermites deposited onto the pyroMEMS [24]- [26]. The USD presented in this paper offers important advantages for safety-critical components such as the use of harmless material or substance for human and the tunability of the response which depends on the mass and nature of reactive composite integrated into the device.…”

Developing a highly responsive miniaturized security device based on a printed copper ammine energetic composite

“…-The initiation circuitry integrates a pyroMEMS [25][26][27][28] to trigger the reactive composite combustion upon electronic order. The pyroMEMS consists of a stack of 15 Al/CuO bilayers deposited [26] onto a thin-film resistive filament.…”

“…Subsequently, 350-nm-thick titanium and 300-nm-thick gold layers were evaporated onto the surface, and then a second photolithography step with positive photoresist was performed to define the Ti resistive filament and Au electrical pads by chemical etching of the gold. Finally, an ~13 mm² stack of 15 Al/CuO bilayers (~300 nm thick) was sputter deposited as described in [25][26][27][28] directly in contact with the Ti electrical resistance. The main process steps are summarized in Figure 3.…”

First-principles investigation of CuO decomposition and its transformation into Cu2O

“…CuO is among the most promising multi-functional materials for different science and technological applications including gas sensing [1][2][3][4], biomedical [5], catalysis [6] and nanoenergetics [7][8][9][10][11][12][13]. Over the past two past decades, nanoenergetic materials have received a growing attention due to their rapid energy release rates, their use as additives in conventional energetic materials [14], and their possible use in microsystems based applications [15][16][17][18]. In most formulations, aluminum is used as a fuel in association with a CuO oxidizer showing high energy density and low cost.…”