Researchers seek micromanufacturing for 'common man'

Murali Sundaram

Nov. 2, 2011—The Micro and Nano Manufacturing Research Laboratory at the University of Cincinnati is developing innovative methods at microscopic sizes that Director Murali Sundaram wants to move into real-world applications—without the need for a super-clean lab environment.

Another goal of the lab is to apply micromachining processes to a variety of materials. While silicon has been used in many MEMS devices, and its properties are widely understood, Sundaram noted that other devices call for materials other than silicon.

“When I was student, I often heard, ‘We  can do micromachining on any substance as long as it is silicon,’” Sundaram said. “But in the real world we need technologies to micromachine a variety of materials. This was my motivation to explore nontraditional and alternative processes.”