• Wiegerink, Remco
• Casas, J.
• Krijnen, Gijs J. M.
• Lammerink, Theodorus S. J.

Abstract

We report current developments in biomimetic flow-sensors based on mechanoreceptive sensory hairs of crickets. These filiform hairs are highly perceptive to lowfrequency sound with energy sensitivities close to thermal threshold. In this work we describe hair-sensors fabricated by a combination of sacrificial poly-silicon technology, to form silicon-nitride suspended membranes, and SU8 polymer processing for fabrication of hairs with diameters of about 50 μm and up to 1 mm length. The membranes have thin chromium electrodes on top forming variable capacitors with the substrate allowing for capacitive read-out. Previously these sensors have been shown to exhibit acoustic sensitivity. Based on a hydrodynamic – mechanical interaction model we derive a figure of merit. We present optical measurements on acoustically excited hair-sensors. Experimental data and the derived models are shown to exhibit good correspondence.

Topics

• polymer
• chromium
• nitride
• Silicon
• forming