Title :
An experimental assessment of Casimir force effect in micro-electromechanical systems
Author :
Ardito, Raffaele ; Corigliano, Alberto ; De Masi, B. ; Frangi, Alejandro
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Struct. Eng., Politec. di Milano, Milan
Abstract :
An experimental setup is proposed in order to evaluate the effect of Casimir forces between two parallel plates, separated by a sub-micron gap. The results of the performed tests are critically evaluated by comparison with theoretical predictions, account taken of some peculiar features of Casimir forces for finite thickness silicon slabs. The obtained results suggest that Casimir forces could play an important role for micro and nano devices.
Keywords :
Casimir effect; electromagnetic fields; micromechanical devices; plates (structures); slabs; Casimir force effect; experimental assessment; finite thickness silicon slabs; micro-electromechanical systems; parallel plates; Casimir effect; Elementary particle vacuum; Fluctuations; Microelectromechanical systems; Rough surfaces; Silicon; Slabs; Surface roughness; Temperature; Thermal force;
Conference_Titel :
Sensors, 2008 IEEE
Conference_Location :
Lecce
Print_ISBN :
978-1-4244-2580-8
Electronic_ISBN :
1930-0395
DOI :
10.1109/ICSENS.2008.4716390
