text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Mar 1, 1994
|Filing date
|Dec 17, 1992
|Priority date
|Nov 27, 1990
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Stephen M. Bobbio
|Original Assignee
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (27), Non-Patent Citations (3), Referenced by (32), Classifications (11), Legal Events (5)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
This application is a division of application Ser. No. 07/619,183, filed Nov. 27, 1990, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,206,557.
This invention relates to an electromechanical transducer and more particularly to a microelectromechanical transducer having an array of closely spaced electrically conductive strips which move together responsive to an applied electrical signal, and a method of fabricating same.
A transducer may be broadly defined as a device which converts one form of input energy to a different form of output energy. An electromechanical transducer, when configured to convert electrical energy to mechanical energy, may operate on the principle of electrostatic attraction caused by two opposing and oppositely charged conducting plates. For example, as electrical energy is input to the transducer in the form of a voltage applied between the plates, the plates are drawn together If the plates are free to move together, the input electrical energy is converted into mechanical energy
The plates of an electromechanical transducer may also be used to generate electrical energy from an input of mechanical energy. For example, the plates are first charged by an electrical voltage applied to the plates. The plates may then be disconnected from the charging source and mechanical energy used to further separate the plates. As the plates are separated, the voltage between the plates increases thereby converting the mechanical energy to electrical energy.
Accordingly, an electromechanical transducer may be used either as an actuator or a sensor. As an actuator, the transducer may convert electrical power into mechanical motion, and, as a sensor, the transducer may convert mechanical motion into an electrical signal.
Electromechanical transducers have been developed which convert electrical energy to mechanical motion and ultimately to acoustic energy by the application of a voltage between a pair of spaced parallel conducting plates. If the plates are flexible or otherwise configured to allow motion, the plates are drawn together by the force of electrostatic attraction when the signal voltage is applied between the plates. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,008,014 to Williamson et al., which discloses an electrostatic transducer used in entertainment loudspeaker systems to convert electrical signals into sound. Since the driving voltage required to move the plates is related to the square of the separation between the plates, transducers of the type described in Williamson et al. require large and potentially hazardous driving voltages.
As is known in the art, the force generated by a pair of opposing parallel plates is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the plates. The force generated by the plates increases by a power of two for a corresponding linear decrease in the separation between the plates. Accordingly, very large forces can be developed as the spacing between plates is decreased. In addition, for a given force, as the separation is decreased, the driving voltage can be reduced.
To obtain useful forces and physical displacements as the size of the separation between plates is reduced, a large number of plates must be concatenated or stacked together U.S. Pat. No. 2,975,307 to Schroeder et al. discloses an electrostatic transducer having a large number of stacked plates, each plate with an individual and discrete external wiring connection to the source of the driving voltage, and each pair of adjacent plates having a series of individual and discrete separators placed in a precise pattern therebetween.
Unfortunately, it is difficult to connect each of the plates to a supply voltage in a array having a large number of closely spaced plates. In an array of closely spaced stacked plates, many hundreds or even thousands of discrete connections must be made to each plate in the stacked array of plates. In addition, the physical assembly of such a large number of plates, spacers, and other components of such small dimensions is extremely difficult and not, therefore, amenable to efficient manufacturing. An array of closely spaced stacked plates is also typically limited to bistable operation, that is, the array is either fully contracted or fully relaxed.
Conventional electrical, hydraulic and pneumatic actuators are adequate for a wide assortment of applications. An electric motor, and more particularly the electric stepper motor, is frequently used where a predetermined amount of rotation is required. The electric motor can also be interfaced to gears, levers, or other structures to obtain a desired movement of an object. A solenoid typically includes a coil and a spring-loaded plunger or piston which is drawn into the coil by a magnetic field generated by an electric current flowing through the coil windings. Thus, the motor and solenoid consume power whenever their windings are energized. Both the electric motor and solenoid are subject to sliding friction Therefore, the performance of such actuators for fine positioning--micropositioning--is unacceptable. The use of such actuators to obtain precision movement on the order of several microns over similar small distances is impractical. In addition, the bulk and weight of conventional actuators often far exceeds the size of the object to be moved. Inefficiencies thereby result in raw materials for constructing the actuators and in the energy to operate them.
In addition to simple micropositioning, the art has developed two-dimensional positioners for use in, for example, microscopic scanning. Such scanning requires that small displacements are made without binding or overshoot as may typically be caused by sliding friction. Scanning positioning has been done with electric motors, electromagnetic drives, and piezoelectric drives. These positioners are often difficult and expensive to manufacture and maintain and may still be subject to binding or overshoot, such as caused by sliding friction.
The microelectronics art has attempted to overcome some of the limitations of conventional actuators for micropositioning and other actuation applications. For example, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has fabricated an eight-pronged rotor that spins around a center bearing as more fully described in Howe, Muller, Gabriel, and Trimmer, "Silicon Micromechanics: Sensors and Actuators on a Chip," IEEE Spectrum, pp. 29-31 and 35 (July, 1990). As described, friction and wear at the bearing points of rotating or sliding structures at these dimensions are of great importance and may readily cause the failure of such a device after a few minutes of operation. However, to the best of applicant's knowledge, microelectronic techniques have not been the basis for the design and fabrication of electromechanical transducers comprising an array of a large number of closely spaced parallel plates in a deformable plastic and metal structure.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an electromechanical transducer having a large number of conductive plates with a small separation between adjacent plates.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an electromechanical transducer operating at a relatively low voltage to avoid safety hazards while providing a sufficient actuation force.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an electromechanical transducer avoiding the need for individual discrete wiring to each plate of the transducer.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an electromechanical transducer that can produce a continuously variable displacement responsive to a continuously variable control voltage.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an electromechanical transducer that can produce a step-wise controllable variable displacement.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a two-dimensional micropositioner which minimizes binding or overshoot during scanning.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an electromechanical transducer that is readily and economically fabricated using microelectronics fabrication techniques.
These and other objects according to the present invention are provided by a microelectromechanical transducer formed of a plurality of electrically conductive strips arranged in an array. Adjacent portions of the strips are maintained in a closely spaced relation by a series of spacers positioned between the adjacent portions of the strips. Adjacent portions of strips move together responsive to an electrical signal, such as an electrical voltage, applied thereto. The spacers have electrically conductive portions to distribute the electrical signal within the transducer thereby obviating the need for discrete electrical connections to be made to each conductive strip in the transducer. In addition, unlike a conventional solenoid, for example, the transducer consumes almost no electrical power at its limits of mechanical motion or at any stable equilibrium displacements. Only a minute dielectric leakage current flows in the transducer at any of its powered stable equilibrium displacements.
The strips are preferably made of flexible dielectric material having an electrically conductive layer on selected outer surfaces thereof. In one embodiment according to the invention, the strips may be oriented so that the conductive layer of each strip faces in the same direction. In this configuration, the transducer contracts when the electrical signal is connected in alternating polarity to strips in the transducer. The conductive portions of the spacers are formed so that the alternating strips in the transducer are so interconnected. Connection of the electrical signal may then conveniently be made at an outer portion of the transducer.
The spacers are preferably offset on opposite sides of each strip so that the strips may flex and move together at their centers in response to an applied electrical signal. The spacers are also preferably positioned at regular intervals along the strips and are preferably of similar dimensions so that the strips are maintained in a parallel closely spaced relation.
The dielectric strips and spacers may preferably be formed from a common dielectric layer using microelectronic fabrication techniques to thereby greatly simplify fabrication and to avoid the need for assembling a myriad of microscopic elements. The strips and spacers are preferably formed by selectively etching the dielectric layer and then removing the etched layer from an underlying substrate. The electrically conductive portions of the dielectric strips and spacers may preferably be deposited metal layers. Also, the transducer may be formed on a substrate in conjunction with driving circuitry therefor as part of the same process sequence.
In another embodiment according to the invention, the transducer includes electrically conductive strips arranged in pairs, with each pair being formed of two opposing conductive strips. The opposing strips move together responsive to an electrical signal applied thereto. In this embodiment, spacers are positioned between opposing strips, and pair connectors are positioned between adjacent ones of the pairs. The pair connectors have electrically conductive portions to distribute the electrical signal between strips in adjacent pairs. The strips are also preferably formed of dielectric strips with an electrically conductive layer thereon. The strips are preferably arranged so that the electrically conductive layer is on the outside of each pair. The spacers and the pair connectors are offset on opposite sides of the strips. In this embodiment, the dielectric strips, spacers, and pair connectors may be formed by etching a common dielectric layer.
The transducer according to the present invention may operate as a bistable device having two stable states: fully contracted or fully relaxed. However, the transducer may also provide a continuous range of displacement to a fixed load, that is, an analog-type of operation. The stiffness in the overall transducer may be selected to provide the analog operation. The strips in the transducer may have a predetermined flexibility. In addition, the stiffness of the overall transducer is also controlled by the pattern of openings between adjacent strips defined by the location of the spacers. At least one of the flexibility of the strips and the pattern of openings between adjacent strips may be selected to provide a range of stable equilibrium displacements for the transducer when coupled to a fixed external load. The stiffness of the overall transducer may be increased, for example, by decreasing the flexibility of each of the strips or by decreasing the separation between spacers. Upon proper selection of transducer stiffness, a given input signal range will define a range of analog displacements for operation of the transducer.
The transducer may be formed of several stages, with each stage being adapted to be individually powered. By selectively powering certain stages or combinations of stages, the transducer may perform in a step-wise controllable fashion. In this embodiment, a plurality of individual stages may be aligned in a same predetermined contraction direction. Each stage is formed of strips and spacers as described above. Since each stage may be made very small, very precise micropositioning may be achieved. In addition, because the transducer is a single deformable structure, it operates without sliding friction. This is in contrast to most mechanical actuators which typically comprise a shaft, plunger, piston, or axle which slides on a bearing surface.
The stages are connected by stage connector means, such as dielectric blocks positioned between and connected to adjacent stages. An electrical signal may preferably be distributed to the individual stages within the transducer by incorporating compressible dielectric strands within the transducer. The strands may preferably be formed from a pattern of dielectric strips and spacers with electrically conductive layers on predetermined portions thereof. The electrically conductive layers connect to each stage and provide a convenient means to connect each stage to an electrical signal source at a location on the outer portions of the transducer. The strands are compressible so that they may compress with the contraction of the transducer. The dielectric portion of the strands may preferably be formed of the same common dielectric layer as the stage connectors, and the strips and spacers of the stages.
The step-wise variable transducer may also be provided so that it is digitally controllable having a displacement resolution of substantially one in 2n -1 steps. A series of n stages is arranged in a same predetermined contraction direction. Each stage in the series has a number of strips equal to 2 raised to an integer power of from 0 to n-1. By selectively powering the stages, a step-wise digitally controllable operation may be obtained.
In another embodiment of the transducer, a plurality of planar transducers, as described above, may be stacked to provide an additive contraction force. The electrically conductive portions of the planar arrays may receive an insulating coating or a dielectric sheet may be positioned between adjacent planar transducers to form the overall transducer. A common electrical bus may be provided to interconnect predetermined points within each of the planar transducers. Thus, the transducer according to the present invention provides a generic structure which, although based upon microscopic strips and spacers, may be configured of a large number of strips and spacers capable of producing substantial forces and displacements on non-microscopic objects. The change in displacement for the transducer may be a considerable, for example a one third change in overall dimension. The operation of the transducer is also noiseless, energy efficient, and without sliding friction.
Two microelectromechanical transducers may be mechanically coupled to produce a two-dimensional micropositioner. One of the transducers is adapted to be connected to a reference point. The other transducer is adapted to be connected to the object to be positioned with respect to the reference point. The transducers are coupled at an angle from parallel to thereby obtain two-dimensional positioning. The transducers may preferably be coupled at a right angle to achieve the two-dimensional positioning. Opposing pairs of transducers may also be used. Selectively operating either or both transducers together produces micropositioning of the object in two dimensions. Both transducers may be formed from a common dielectric layer along with a dielectric coupler for coupling the two transducers. An electrically conductive layer may be applied to predetermined portions of the dielectric coupler to interconnect the transducers.
The two-dimensional micropositioner may be used for scanning optical microscopy according to the present invention. At least two transducers are needed to produce the two-dimensional scanning. Pairs of opposing transducers or multiple transducers may be used to enhance control or increase the range of scanning. Each transducer may also either be controllable by an analog signal or be step-wise digitally controllable.
The microscopy scanning device also includes a photodetector. The photodetector may also include a Fresnel lens to focus a flood of illumination on the surface to be scanned. The photodetector may be a dot of photosensitive material or it may be in the shape of an annular ring. Both the dot and the annular ring photodetector may be used in some applications. As would be readily understood by those having skill in the art, cadmium sulfide as well as other materials, may be used as the light sensitive material The transducers, mounting plate, and transducer coupler may be formed from a common dielectric layer thereby producing a low cost optical scanning microscopy membrane.
The microelectromechanical transducer according to the present invention may be fabricated at low cost using microelectronic etching and deposition techniques according to the present invention. A first oxide buffer layer, a support layer of polyimide, and a second oxide buffer layer may first be formed on a substrate. Predetermined portions of the second oxide layer and polyimide layer may then be etched to form a multilevel support structure corresponding to the strips and spacers of the transducer. Selected portions of the strips may be left with the upper oxide layer thereon. In addition, upper portions of the strips may be formed with a rake angle to facilitate shading of areas from a deposited metal layer where no electrically conductive layer is desired. A conductive metal layer may then be evaporated from a source at a predetermined angle relative to the substrate to selectively deposit conductive layers for the strips and the spacers. Unwanted portions of the metal layer may then be removed by etching. The transducer may be separated from the substrate during the same etching process. A multilevel mask may also be employed according to the present invention to form the transducer.
In summary, the microelectromechanical transducer according to the present invention includes a plurality of strips arranged in an array and maintained in a closely spaced relation by a plurality of spacers. An electrically conductive layer on portions of the strips and spacers distributes an electrical signal within the transducer to cause adjacent portions of the strips to move together. The internal electrical signal distribution obviates the need for individual discrete wiring connections to each strip in the transducer. The strips and spacers may be formed from a common dielectric layer using microelectronic fabrication techniques and the electrically conductive layer may also be applied using microelectronic fabrication techniques.
FIG. 1A is a top view of a microelectromechanical transducer according to the present invention in a relaxed, or unpowered, state.
FIG. 1B is a top view of the microelectromechanical transducer according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1A, in a contracted, or powered, state.
FIG. 1C is a front perspective view of the microelectromechanical transducer according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1A.
FIG. 2A is a top view of another embodiment of a microelectromechanical transducer according to the present invention in a relaxed, or unpowered, state.
FIG. 2B is a top view of the microelectromechanical transducer according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2A, in a contracted, or powered, state.
FIG. 2C is a front perspective view of the microelectromechanical transducer according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2A.
FIG. 3A is a top view of a portion of the microelectromechanical transducer according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2A, in a relaxed, or unpowered state.
FIG. 3B is a top view of the portion of the microelectromechanical transducer according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 3A, in a contracted, or powered, state.
FIG. 4 is a graph depicting equilibrium displacements for the transducer according to the present invention.
FIG. 5A is a top view of a microelectromechanical transducer of the present invention having a step-wise controllable displacement.
FIG. 5B is a top view of another embodiment of the microelectromechanical transducer of the present invention having a step-wise controllable displacement.
FIG. 5C is a top view of another embodiment of the microelectromechanical transducer of the present invention having a step-wise controllable displacement.
FIG. 6 is an exploded view of a vertical stack of two planar transducers as shown in FIG. 2A according to the present invention.
FIG. 7A is a perspective view of an optical scanning microscopy membrane according to the present invention utilizing the microelectromechanical transducers as shown in FIG. 2A.
FIG. 7B is a top view of the microscopy scanning membrane according to the present invention as shown in FIG. 7A.
FIG. 7C is a cross-sectional side view of a photodetector and Fresnel lens according to the present invention for the microscopy scanning membrane as shown in FIG. 7A.
FIGS. 8A to 8D are cross-sectional views illustrating the intermediate structures for a method of fabricating the transducer as shown in FIG. 1A according to the present invention.
FIGS. 9A to 9G are cross-sectional views illustrating the intermediate structures for another method of fabricating the transducer as shown in FIG. 1A according to the present invention.
The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiment set forth herein; rather, applicant provides this embodiment so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout and prime and double prime notation are used to identify similar elements of alternate embodiments according to the invention. For greater clarity, the thickness of layers as shown has been exaggerated.
Referring to FIGS. 1A through 1C, there is shown a microelectromechanical transducer 20 according to the present invention. The transducer 20 includes a plurality of strips 21 arranged in an array. The strips 21 are maintained in a closely spaced relation by spacers 22, 24 positioned between and connected to the strips 21. The strips 21 are preferably formed of a flexible dielectric material, such as polyimide, and include an electrically conductive layer 23. The flexible strips 21 and positioning of the spacers 22, 24 permit the transducer to contract (FIG. 1B) from a relaxed state (FIG. 1A) responsive to an application of an electrical signal, such as an electrical voltage.
In a preferred embodiment according to the invention, the strips 21 are aligned so that all of the conductive layers 23 are oriented in a same direction. To route the electrical signal throughout the transducer 20, alternating strips 21 extend outward at alternating ends of the transducer. The conductive portions 23 of the extending strips 21 are connected to alternating strips 21 by spacers 24 positioned at the ends of the transducer 20 and interconnecting adjacent portions of the extending strips 21. The spacers 24 include an electrically conductive layer 25 on predetermined surfaces thereof to interconnect the alternating strips 21. The entire transducer 20 may then be conveniently powered by only two external connections +,- on outer portions of the transducer. Thus, separate and discrete external connections to each strip 21 within the transducer 20 need not be provided.
The spacers 22 are preferably arranged offset on opposite sides of each strip 21 to thereby allow the strips 21 to move together responsive to the electrostatic force created by an electric signal applied to the strips 21. The spacers 22 are also preferably the same size to maintain the strips 21 in a parallel closely spaced relation and to provide substantially uniform contraction of the transducer 20 when activated.
The strips 21 and spacers 22, 24 are preferably formed by etching a common dielectric layer of a material, such as polyimide, according to the microelectronic fabrication process described below. The conductive layers 23, 25 may then be applied by depositing a metal layer onto predetermined portions of the strips 21 and spacers 22, 24 as also further explained below. Forming the transducer 20 of a common layer obviates the need for first fabricating the individual discrete strips 21 and spacers 22, 24 and then assembling transducer 20 from these discrete pieces. The size of the spacing between adjacent strips 21 in the transducer 20 according to the present invention may then be very small and a large number of strips 21 may be utilized to create useful displacements and useful contraction forces. For example, the strips 21 in the transducer 20 may be 0.5 μm wide and the spacing between adjacent strips may be 1 μm also. The distance between neighboring spacers may be 20 μm. A one centimeter square transducer 20 may, therefore, contain about 3,300 strips 21.
Referring to FIG. 2A through 2C, there is shown an alternate embodiment of the microelectromechanical transducer 20' according to the present invention. The transducer 20' includes a plurality of strips 21'. The strips 21' are arranged in pairs with an electrically conductive layer 23' on an outer portion of each strip 21'. The strips 21' in each pair are maintained in a closely spaced relation by spacers 22' positioned between and connected to adjacent strips 21' in each pair.
The strips 21' are preferably flexible so that the transducer 20, contracts (FIG. 2B) when an electrical signal is applied thereto. The pairs are preferably formed by strips 21' oriented so that the conductive portions 23' are on the outside of each pair. The pairs are maintained in a closely spaced relation by pair connectors 26 preferably positioned offset from the spacers 22'. The strips 21', spacers 22', and the pair connectors 26 are preferably formed from a common dielectric layer to obviate the need for assembling a large number of individual microscopic components.
An electrical signal is distributed throughout the transducer 20' by pair connectors 26 having electrically conductive layers 27 on predetermined portions thereof to interconnect portions of adjacent pairs of strips 21'. In addition, spacers 22' at the ends of the transducer may also include electrically conductive portions 28 to further distribute the electrical signal within the transducer 20'. An electrical signal applied to outer portions +, - of the transducer 20' will activate the transducer 20' and cause it to contract.
The primary difference between the transducer 20 illustrated in FIGS. 1A-1C and the transducer 20' shown in FIGS. 2A-2C is the pattern of electrical connection within each transducer 20, 20'The transducer 20 illustrated in FIGS. 1A-1C uses an alternating polarity of electrical connection for adjacent strips 21 and each strip 21 includes the conductive layer 23 aligned in a same direction. In contrast, the transducer 20' shown in FIGS. 2A-2C has strips 21' arranged in pairs with the conductive layer 23' on the outside of the pairs: therefore, the pattern of electrical connection establishes a same polarity between strips 21' in adjacent pairs.
Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B, there is shown a portion of the transducer 20' of FIGS. 2A-2C. The pair of strips 21' may be considered as series of lengthwise units 30 with each unit 30 defined by two strips 21' and two neighboring spacers 22'. If the spacing between strips 21' is made very small, the unit 30 may be made to generate appreciable forces at reasonable operating voltages. For a unit 30 with a strip area A, a strip separation x, an applied voltage V, and a dielectric constant of e, the force F is given as:
F=1/4εAV2 /x2
For example, if the strips 21' are 0.5 μm thick, the spacers 22' are 20 μm apart (s=20 μm), and the spacers 22' separate adjacent strips 21' by 1 μm, the conductive layers 23' are therefore separated by 2 μm (x=2 μm). Substituting into the equation the appropriate constants for polyimide (3.5) and air (1.0) as dielectrics, the dimensions as noted, and using a voltage of 200 volts (polyimide breakdown voltage when two 0.5 μm strips are together as shown in FIG. 3B), the resultant force is calculated to be about 0.28 dynes per unit 30 in the transducer 20' at the beginning of contraction.
Some of the force generated by the unit 30, however, will be used to deflect the strips 21' of polyimide while the remainder is available for external work. Considering the dimensions of the unit 30 and using Young's modulus for polyimide, the force required to deflect the strips 21' is calculated to be 0.018 dynes. The metal layer 23' applied to the polyimide strips 21' must also be deflected. With a metal layer of 0.1 μm, the force required to deflect the metal is calculated as 0.02 dynes. The amount of force available from the unit 30, taking into account deflection for both the polyimide and the metal layer 23', is therefore calculated to be 0.24 dynes or about 1/4 dyne.
The pair connectors 26 are subjected to the force applied by the units 30 and will elongate. For a polyimide connector 26 with a cross-section of 1 μm by 2 μm, the elongation in response to the 1/4 dyne force is calculated to be approximately 0.01 μm. When compared to the contraction of the unit 30 which is defined by the 1 μm gap between the strips 21', this elongation is negligible. Since each unit 30 and adjacent pair connector 26 is 3 μm long and the contraction is 1 μm per unit 30, the net contraction of a series of units 30 forming the transducer 20' (FIGS. 2A-2C) is calculated to be 33%. Connecting additional units 30 in the same direction does not increase the net force, but rather increases the magnitude of the displacement change caused by the cumulative contraction of the individual units 30. To increase the force developed by a transducer comprising an array of units 30, the units are arranged and connected in parallel, that is, units are added to the right and left of the unit 30 shown. The force generated by each parallel unit 30 is then additive.
Working in reverse through the above analysis, it can be shown that the calculated minimum voltage required to contract the unit 30 without any force left over for external work is approximately 74 volts. In summary, each unit 30 can generate a force of 1/4 dyne at 200 volts, the minimum activation voltage is 74 volts and the amount of contraction is 33%. The unit 30 consumes almost no power when it is in a stable equilibrium displacement. Other than a small dielectric leakage current, electrical current only flows into the unit 30 during contraction when the strips 21' are being charged.
FIG. 4 shows several plots of force, in dynes, versus the displacement, in μm, for the unit 30 having different dimensions to thereby alter the stiffness of the unit 30. Negative displacements are shown corresponding to an external force stretching the strips 21' in the unit 30 beyond the normal relaxed position. The normal relaxed displacement is at x=0.
Plots F1, F2, and F3 represent the negative of the inherent spring force plus a series of fixed external loads, or forces, for a unit 30 having a large inherent spring force. Plot F4 represents the negative of the spring force for the unit 30 having dimensions as described above. For ease of understanding, the negative of the spring force plus the external force are shown. The electrostatic force curve Fe is shown for an applied voltage of 200 volts corresponding to the breakdown voltage of polyimide for the dimensions as noted. A net force of zero is represented where the negative of the spring force plus an external force crosses the electrostatic force curve Fe.
A plot of the negative of the spring force F4 for the unit 30 described above having a separation between adjacent spacers equal to 20 μm, is shown with a relatively shallow slope. A transducer 20' formed of units 30 having a 20 μm separation between adjacent spacers 22' therefore, typically operates in a bistable mode, that is, the transducer 20' is fully relaxed when no electrical voltage is applied and fully contracted when a voltage is applied with no external loading. However, in many applications it may be desirable to provide a range of stable equilibrium displacements for a fixed load, that is, analog control of the transducer displacement responsive to an analog electrical voltage input.
To obtain a range of stable equilibrium displacements, the stiffness of the units 30 may be greatly increased. The three plots F1, F2, F3 for three external forces show a greater slope than plot F4, corresponding to the increased stiffness needed for the strips for the unit to operate over useful equilibrium ranges. These plots show that a range of stable equilibrium displacements are possible when the stiffness is increased. TABLE 1 below lists these equilibrium ranges for each external load.
TABLE 1______________________________________External Load Range of control______________________________________1/8 dyne 0.4 μm3/16 dyne 0.25 μm1/4 dyne 0.2 μm______________________________________
To understand the operation of the unit 30 in the continuously variable mode, it is useful to consider operation of the unit 30 from the zero voltage state to the breakdown voltage state. For a zero voltage applied, the electrostatic force curve would be flat corresponding to the x-axis. The intersection with the plot for 3/16 dyne external load, for example, then will occur at -0.15 μm. This is the amount by which the unit is stretched beyond the relaxed position shown in FIG. 3A. As an increasing voltage is applied, the electrostatic force curve begins to rise and the intersection point moves to the right in the graph. The maximum voltage for the unit 30 is 200 volts and, therefore, the intersection point with the plot for 3/16 dyne loading, for example, occurs at 0.1 μm. This is a stable equilibrium point for the unit 30. Thus, as voltage is raised from 0 to 200 volts, the unit 30 moves from 0.15 μm stretched to 0.1 μm contracted. It should also be noted that a second intersection occurs at 0.35 μm--a point of unstable equilibrium and outside the controllable range for the 3/16 dyne external loading.
The point on the x-axis where x=0.5 μm represents the mechanical limit of motion of the strips in the unit 30. The point on the x-axis at x=0.3 μm is critical because it corresponds to the tangent point of the electrostatic force curve Fe and plot F4. It represents the maximum displacement that can be achieved while still permitting a continuous range of displacement control for the 1/8 dyne external load.
Several parameters control the inherent spring force of the unit 30. At least one of the flexibility of the strips or the separation between adjacent spacers may be selected to provide a range of stable equilibrium positions. For example, from the graph of FIG. 4, the strips having the slope of the plots with increased stiffness F1, F2, F3 must have an inherent spring force that is 31 times the stiffness of the strips illustrated by the plot F4. Since the stiffness of the strips is related by 1/L3, to achieve an increase in stiffness to that shown, requires that the separation between adjacent spacers be reduced from 20 μm to about 6.4 μm. As an alternative to reducing the separation between spacers, the material of the strips may be selected with reduced flexibility, or each strip may be made thicker.
Step-wise variable control of the transducer may also be desired and achieved. FIG. 5A shows a microelectromechanical transducer 40 according to the present invention which has step-wise variable controllable contraction. The transducer 40 includes n stages 41A, 41B, 41C, 41D, Where n=4, with each stage comprised of strips 21', spacers 22', and pair connectors 26 as shown in FIG. 2A. The transducer 40 has a resolution of substantially one in 2n -1 steps, or 1 in 15 where n=4. The stages 41A-D include a series of pairs of strips 21' (FIG. 2A) having a number of 1, 2, 4, and 8 pairs respectively. In addition to the digital-type control shown, any step-wise variable control may be achieved by providing stages with a desired relative number of pairs of strips 21'.
Each stage is connected to a compressible strand 42A, 42B, 42C, 42D for selective individual powering. The strands 42A-D are compressible with the transducer 40 and the strands may be formed of the common dielectric layer with the strips 21', spacers 22', and pair connectors 26. A metal layer 43 may be selectively applied to the strands 42A-D on predetermined portions thereof to form the desired interconnection pattern. All of the stages 41A-D may also be connected to a common ground. As would be readily understood by those skilled in the art, any desired resolution may be achieved by providing additional stages with the prescribed number of strips 21' therein. In addition, the number of strips 21' in the lowest resolution stage may be increased as long as the other stages have a proportionately higher number of strips 21'.
The actual resolution of the transducer 40 may be affected, to a slight degree, by the passive compressible strands 42A-D that are formed into the transducer 40 to connect to the individual stages 41A-D FIGS. 5B and 5C schematically show other embodiments of the step-wise variable transducer 40', 40" and include different configurations of the compressible strands 42A'-D', 42A"-D" which may be desired to reduce any unwanted effects of the passive compressible strands on the overall transducer contraction.
In FIG. 5B the compressible strands 42A', 42C' are shown extending an electrical connection to the opposite side of the transducer 40' from the strands 42B', 42D'. The arrangement of strands 42A'-D' shown in FIG. 5B reduces the number of passive portions in the transducer 40'.
FIG. 5C shows the compressible strands 42A"-D" aligned in the center portion of the transducer 40". Thus, the passive portions of the transducer 40' are symmetrically positioned in the transducer 40' so that the overall contraction is more uniform.
In addition to the planar microelectromechanical transducers illustrated in FIGS. 1A-1C, 2A-2C, and 5A-5C, each of these transducers may also be vertically stacked to provide a greater contraction force. FIG. 6 illustrates two planar transducers 20' as shown in FIG. 2A stacked in a vertical orientation to produce an overall transducer 45 having a cumulative contraction force. The planar transducers 20' may preferably be separated by a compressible dielectric sheet 46. The dielectric sheet 46 serves to insulate the conductive portions of the transducers 20'. The sheet 46 may preferably be formed of a thin dielectric layer having a pattern of voids therein corresponding to the openings between the strips 21', spacers 22', and pair connectors 26 of the transducers 20'. The sheet 46 may preferably be made of polyimide approximately 1 μm thick to aid in compressibility of the overall transducer 45.
As an alternative to the compressible dielectric sheet 46 as shown in FIG. 6, a polyimide layer may be spun onto each transducer 20' to provide insulation between adjacent transducers 20'. An electrical bus connection, not shown, may be established in the overall transducer 45 to connect each planar transducer 20' to the external signal source. As would be readily understood by those skilled in the art, a large number of planar transducers 20' may be stacked to provide an increased contraction force for the overall transducer 45.
Stacking may increase the force for the transducer 45 to correspond to the forces achieved by commercially available solenoids, for example. However, the transducer 45 would be hundreds of times less in weight than a conventional solenoid. A further advantage of the transducer 45 over conventional solenoids, is that the transducer 45 consumes almost no power at a stable equilibrium position. Electrical power is consumed by the transducer 45 only when a charging current flows as when the transducer 45 is contracting. Only a minute dielectric leakage current flows at the limits of motion or at any stable equilibrium points. A conventional solenoid, in contrast, consumes power as long as the actuating coil is energized.
The transducers according to the present invention may be used in micropositioning applications where small movements are required and where binding and overshoot must be minimized. As illustrated in FIG. 7A, one such application is for micropositioning for optical microscopy scanning. The scanning membrane 50 includes a frame 51 which may preferably be formed of a silicon substrate upon which the electronic driving circuitry, not shown, may also be fabricated. Two opposing pairs of transducers 20' are connected to the frame 51 with a rigid dielectric coupling 52 between the transducers 20' of each pair. These opposing pairs of transducers 20' position the photodetector 53 in a first dimension. The couplings 52 may include a conductive metal layer 55 on predetermined portions thereof (FIG. 7B) to connect to the photodetector 53 on the dielectric mounting plate 54. The scanning membrane 30 thus operates without sliding friction as is typically encountered in a conventional micropositioner.
A second pair of opposing transducers 20' are connected between the couplings 52 and serve to position the photodetector mounting plate 54 in a second dimension. The photodetector 53 may thus be positioned in two dimensions by the selective activation of the transducers 20'. Connections to the photodetector 53 and the internal transducers 20' may 20 be made by compressible connectors 57 formed in the membrane 50 in parallel with the transducers 20'.
A broad flood of monochromatic, coherent, collimated illumination 60 is directed onto the membrane 50. As would readily understood by those having skill in the art, the broad flood of illumination 60 may be produced by an expanded laser beam for example. The photodetector mounting plate 54 also preferably includes a Fresnel lens 56 for focussing the flood of illumination 60 onto the surface 61 to be scanned. The illumination 60 reflected from the surface 61 strikes the photodetector 53. The photodetector 53 may be made from a light sensitive compound, such as cadmium sulfide, or other materials as are well known to those having skill in the art. The photodetector 53 may be a dot of light sensitive material (FIGS. 7A and 7B) centered within the Fresnel lens 56, or it may be an annular ring 53' of light sensitive material as best shown in FIG. 7C. It may also be desirable to use both a dot 53 an annular ring 53' photodetector, as shown in FIG. 7C, to increase contrast by distinguishing obliquely or directly reflected illumination.
The transducers used in the scanning membrane 50 may also be continuously controllable as described more fully above or they may step-wise controllable as also described above. The transducers 20', couplings 52, and photodetector mounting plate 54 may preferably be formed from a common dielectric layer of a material, such as polyimide. The operation of the scanning membrane 50 may be controlled by a separate controller 62. The controller 62 may also process the data from the photodetector 53 to provide a video image of the scanned surface 61. Alternately, the controller 62 may be formed on the silicon frame 51 as part of a combined process sequence which also forms the scanning membrane 50.
The transducer 20 as shown in FIG. 1A may be fabricated as illustrated in the intermediate process steps shown in FIGS. 8A through 8D. FIG. 8A shows an intermediate structure 65 having a silicon substrate 70 with a first buffer layer 71 of low temperature oxide, a support layer 72 of polyimide, and an upper buffer layer 73 of plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposited low temperature oxide. A pattern of resist 74 is applied to the upper oxide layer 73. The upper buffer layer 73 and the support layer 72 are then reactive ion etched and a second pattern of resist 74' is applied to form the intermediate structure 66 shown in FIG. 8B. The intermediate structure 66 of FIG. 8B is then reactive ion etched. A metal layer 75 is then applied by an evaporation source 76 positioned at an angle o from normal to the surface as shown in FIG. 8C to form the intermediate structure 67 shown in FIG. 8D. The strips 21 of the structure 67 include raked portions, best shown in FIG. 1C, to selectively shade portions of the structure 67 during the metal deposition step. Undesired portions of the deposited metal layer 75 may be removed from the structure 67, for example, by an aqueous buffered oxide etch using HF+NH4 F which selectively dissolves the silicon dioxide layers 71, 73. The aqueous buffered oxide etching also separates the transducer 20 from the silicon substrate 70.
An alternative process for forming the transducer 20 illustrated in FIG. 1A uses a multilevel, or gray level, resist as shown in FIGS. 9A through 9G. The structure 80 consists of a silicon substrate 70', a first buffer layer 71' of low temperature oxide, a support layer 72' of polyimide, an upper buffer layer 73' of oxide, and an upper evaporated silicon layer 77. A pattern of multilevel resist 78 is first applied. The structure so is then reactive ion etched removing the exposed portions of the upper buffer layer 73' and the upper evaporated silicon layer 77 leaving the intermediate structure S1 shown in FlG. 9B. The resist 78 and exposed support layer 72' are then reactive ion etched producing the intermediate structure 82 as shown in FIG. 9C. A selective reactive ion etching is then used to remove exposed portions of the upper evaporated silicon layer 77 creating the intermediate structure 83 of FIG. 9D. The structure 83 is then further reactive ion etched to remove the multilevel resist 78 and remove approximately half of the exposed support layer 72' to produce the structure 84 of FIG. 9E. The exposed portions of the upper oxide layer 73' are then etched away leaving the structure 85 as shown in FIG. 9F. The support layer 72' may then be reactive ion etched to produce the intermediate structure 86 of FIG. 9G. As shown in FIGS. 8C and 8D, a metal layer may then be deposited on the structure 86 and the upper 73' and lower 71' buffer layers then etched to complete the fabrication process.
Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to one skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiment disclosed, and that modifications and embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.
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|U.S. Classification
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|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Dec 5, 1995
|Certificate of correction
|Sep 2, 1997
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 4
|Aug 9, 2001
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 8
|Jun 14, 2005
Owner name: MCNC RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE, NORTH CAR
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PITTSBURGHA new algorithm developed by Carnegie Mellon University computer scientists has revealed for the first time how genetic networks in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, evolve during the insect's life cycle.
Scientists have known that the relationships between fruit fly genes change over time, but existing experimental approaches can not capture the details of those changes as they occur. The new algorithm, called Tesla, incorporates machine learning techniques that now enable researchers to figure out how the rewiring of those networks takes place as the insect develops.
"Many problems in biological, social and engineering systems require us to understand the interconnections between genes, people or other entities, but directly observing the evolution of these interconnections has often been impossible because of experimental or computational limitations," said Eric P. Xing, associate professor of computer science, machine learning and language technology in Carnegie Mellon's School of Computer Science. "Researchers typically could identify only a static 'average' network within each system over a period of time, but had no way to capture time-specific 'snapshots' of the actual rewiring network topology at consecutive clock-ticks within the period.
"Our new method exploits the information sharing between the evolving networks, and makes it possible to uncover interconnections that exist for a short moment in time," Xing said. "These findings help us to understand how these networks evolve over time, respond to stimuli and sometimes become dysfunctional."
In a paper to be published online this week in the Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Xing and Amr Ahmed, a Ph.D. student in the Language Technology Institute, detail how the Tesla algorithm can be used to analyze not only evolving gene networks in fruit flies, but also changes in voting alliances in the U.S. Senate and shifts in the
|Contact: Byron Spice
Carnegie Mellon University


text:
We all know that the internet is full of wonderful information and also a lot of scams and nonsense. We uncover some dubious issues that make us question Datingbusters.com. If you visit the site you'll find a long list of articles that appear to have been published for purely altruistic purposes. In these articles the unnamed site admin (who have ... Read More »
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Dr. Jerry Tenenbaum: Patients Upset – Poor Treatment Cited
Xmeeting.com: Why are Dr.Tenenbaum's patients so upset? Why is it that a majority of them refuse to recommend him to others? What is going on? While a large number of his patients are not ready to pay him another visit, on the other hand, a handful of them are just full of praises for him. There seem to be two ... Read More »
Dr. Jerry Tenenbaum: Upset Patients, Destroyed Lives?
There are some things we all have come to expect when we visit the doctor's office. We expect that our medical needs, whatever they are, will be taken seriously and that our ills, whatever their magnitude, will be treated with diligent medical scrutiny. But what if our expectations are woefully short of reality and instead of the empathetic hand of ... Read More »
Datingbusters: Is Xmeeting.com, Flirthookup.com ScamsWe all know that the internet is full of wonderful information and also a lot ... Read More »
Flirthookup.com: Top 12 Signs She's Cheating
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Flirthookup.com: Top 12 Ways Ladies Flirt that Men Don't Notice
UFO and Aliens: Canadian News Wire Launches Funding Drive
XCheaters.com: Top Ten Signs She's Cheating on You
Flirthookup.com Reviews: Dating Very Attractive Women


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Our award winning range comprises over 1000 wines from every corner of the wine world. Boutique family wine growers sit side by side with exceptional co-operatives and other large scale producers who offer unparalleled value. You can search by country, grape variety, wine style, closure or of course producer name. If you want to search by wine name or product code, simply type it into the search box top right of your screen.
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Intense acacia and cardamom on the nose followed up with fresh figs, apricots, honey, vanilla and biscuits. Mouthfilling breadth deliciously balanced with filigree mineral structure.
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text:
News Maria-sama's Nagasawa to Remake Nichiyōbi wa Issho ni Manga
posted on 2009-03-19 05:57 EDT
The April 5 issue of Shueisha's Margaret magazine has announced on Thursday that Maria-sama ga Miteru manga artist Satoru Nagasawa will remake Yukari Ichijo's Nichiyōbi wa Issho ni manga into a new series in the next issue, which ships on April 4. Ichijo is best known for her ongoing Pride manga about aspiring opera singers, but she previously created the one-volume Nichiyōbi wa Issho ni (Together with You on Sunday) romance manga in 1988.
In the story, Kanako, Kirara, and Jun are three tight-knit best friends in high school with no luck with guys — one had her love letter rejected, the second discovers her boyfriend has been two-timing her, and the third has a crush on a teacher who just got engaged. The trio rashly play a game to reel in potential dates six days before a Sunday dance party.
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text:
A new CEPR Policy Insight looks at whether a change in developing countries' trade policy might relieve some of the pain from the current crisis.
Gary Clyde Hufbauer, Sherry Stephenson, Monday, May 11, 2009
Richard Baldwin, Saturday, April 4, 2009
G20 leaders made a number of commitments on trade in their London Communiqué. This column argues that the anti-protection pledge is more credible than the one agreed in the Washington Declaration. The commitment on the Doha Round, by contrast, was pitiful.
In the fall of 2008, the world financial system seems on the verge of collapse. A decade earlier, the crisis in East Asia affected the lives of millions overnight. Dramatic changes in China and India have a severe impact on the world economy. While living standards in some developing countries have improved, poverty remains rampant in many. These are some of the serious economic challenges facing the world. Everywhere, development organizations, NGOs, government agencies, central banks, and investment banks are looking for experts who can apply cutting-edge analysis to solve such problems. The program combines rigorous analytical training with a strong focus on policy. For more information, visit www.barcelonagse.eu/ITFD.html
Gary Clyde Hufbauer, Jeffrey J. Schott , Thursday, February 5, 2009
The "Buy American" provision in the US stimulus package would violate US trade obligations, damage the US' reputation, and have almost no real impact on US jobs. Moreover, the provisions will be read as an Obama trade policy that leans toward protectionism – with severe consequences abroad.
CEPR and the Paris School of Economics are jointly organizing (with financial assistance from Agence Nationale pour la Recherche, ANR) a one and a half day workshop focusing on conflicts, globalization and development. The workshop will take place at the University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne campus of the Paris School of Economics. Papers are being sought that focus on the following topics: · Causes and consequences of violent conflicts: civil wars, interstate wars, terrorism, rebellion... · Arms trade · International trade, capital flows and violent conflicts · Institutions and violent conflicts · Multilateral institutions and conflicts . Political versus economic causes of conflicts...
Gabriel Felbermayr, Farid Toubal, Saturday, July 19, 2008
This column introduces the use of Eurovision song contest scores as a measure of cultural proximity. Unlike other measures, such as common language or religion, Eurovision scores are asymmetric and time-varying, allowing estimates to distinguish between two potential channels through which cultural proximity might affect trade: trade costs and consumer preferences.
Patrick A Messerlin, Jinghui Wang, Saturday, May 24, 2008
EU-Chinese trade relations are disappointingly stagnant. This column proposes a new European strategy for China, suggesting a small, feasible bargain to jump-start economic engagement with the emerging giant.
Kris James Mitchener , Friday, April 11, 2008
Institutions play a central role in determining trade flows. Evidence from the age of high imperialism suggests that political relationships can be as powerful at dictating trade flows as geography and other institutional factors, such as currency unions or widespread fixed-exchange rate regimes like the gold standard.
Richard Baldwin, Friday, February 29, 2008
Trade liberalisation is proceeding everywhere but at the WTO: while nations drag their feet in Geneva, they sign bilateral trade agreements by the dozen. Finishing the ongoing WTO talks is important, but regionalism is the new reality. To maintain its relevance, the WTO must adapt, as regionalism is here to stay.
Karolina Ekholm, Karen-Helene Ulltveit-Moe, Monday, July 30, 2007
In recent years, the skill premium in the US manufacturing sector is declining and the skill intensity increasing. The authors of CEPR DP6042 argue that this pattern can be linked to globalization and the rise in offshoring.
Janine Aron, John Muellbauer, Thursday, July 26, 2007
Changes in openness to trade can disrupt the inflation forecasting on which many nations' monetary policies depend. New research suggests an innovative time-series openness measure that addresses some of the shortcomings of existing measures.
Eric Edmonds, Nina Pavcnik, Thursday, July 19, 2007
Why are children working? Eliminating trade-linked jobs does not change the circumstances that cause children to work. Empirically, children are less likely to work in countries with more international trade.
Do firms choose inputs to minimise costs of production, ignoring the attitudes of their managers and employees?
Guy Michaels, Xiaojia Zhi , Monday, July 9, 2007
Estimates suggest that the worsening relations reduced US imports from France by about 5 billion dollars and US exports to France by about 2 billion dollars in 2005 compared to other countries.
Nikolaus Wolf, Max-Stephan Schulze, Saturday, July 7, 2007
Recent estimates of Habsburg Empire trade suggest that borders matter as long as ethno-linguistic networks matter. The EU needs to find a new deal on language policy, if it is to achieve a truly common market.
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text:
Ground work
It's been a long time coming. Actually, it's still coming.
But when the southwestern section of State Route 840 is completed in late 2012, it will give Dickson County a direct connection to the southern half of Middle Tennessee and a clearer path toward becoming a healthy bedroom community that will compete for families and jobs with the likes of Hendersonville, Mt. Juliet and Murfreesboro.
Work on 840 was launched by the gubernatorial administration of U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander almost 25 years ago, with an initial plan — since cut in half — to encircle the Greater Nashville area. And while its progress has been halted at times by cost and environmental concerns as well as a number of lawsuits, the highway has contributed to the development of Wilson County — think distribution centers near its meeting with Interstate 40 — and Rutherford and Williamson counties, where mixed-use projects have risen or been planned.
In Dickson County, officials see the road's completion as a way to continue branching out from a traditionally industrial base that has been hit hard by the Great Recession. Over time, 840's quick link to Interstate 24 and the rest of the Southeast should make Dickson and neighboring Burns one of the region's targets for distribution facilities.
But Dickson isn't out to be a one-trick pony. It has long served as a regional hub for parts of Hickman, Humphreys and Cheatham counties. A study conducted for the YMCA — which has 10 acres set aside at an emerging multi-use development — showed that a Dickson County recreation center would be able to draw from a market of more than 120,000 people, a number larger than Smyrna's.
"I think we'll see some developers as the economy improves. The land costs and development costs are lower here," said David Hamilton, president and CEO of the Dickson County Chamber of Commerce. "I hope we see housing growth. It's a great option for commuters working in Williamson County."
The reverse may also become true over time. Carlyle Carroll, vice president of economic development at the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, foresees the confluence of 840 and I-40 becoming a draw for call centers and other back-office projects.
Other factors already are in place. HCA's TriStar Health System three years ago opened the Natchez Medical Park south of I-40. The 66-acre campus now houses a range of providers, including Dickson Medical Associates, which a year ago opened an 83,000-square-foot building.
Eric Thornton, a real estate attorney with Ramsey Thornton & Barrett and co-developer of the Crestview Park office and retail project south of Dickson, is adding to the momentum. He and his partners have built 137,000 square feet of office space at Crestview Park and recruited several medical tenants. They will add another 27,000 square feet this fall and begin work on the shopping component next spring.
"Dickson is the last frontier," Thornton said, comparing the city to Middle Tennessee areas such as Smyrna and Mt. Juliet. "Look at those communities and you have a crystal-clear road map for the next five years."
But there are questions about the area's capacity to absorb the expected growth. Fred Kane, vice president at Cassidy Turley, said county planners are "between a rock and a hard place" when it comes to schools and other social services.
"The question is, 'Does the area become Lebanon-like,'" Lane said, referring to that city's warehouse hub. "You need something to start it off. You need jobs to kick-start tax collection. Otherwise, it's tough to run a city when you've got 20,000 people."
In that respect, a long recession may actually have done Dickson County a favor. Had 840's completion hit in the go-go environment earlier this decade, the county would have struggled to keep up with the demands of new subdivisions, office parks and distribution centers. Today, the area awaits growth with a much shorter infrastructure to-do list.
"Sewer has been extended to Fairview and to Hickman County, we've built a second high school and there are plans for a middle school," Thornton said. "The county is not going to have to play catchup."
Hamilton still kind of wants to, though. He has applied for a grant to help lead the process for a master ECD plan for the county.
"We don't want to let growth overrun us," he said.
- Development
- Burns, Tenn.
- Dickson
- Dickson County
- Cassidy Turley
- Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce
- Ramsey Thornton & Barrett PLC
- TriStar Health System
- Dickson County Chamber of Commerce
- Carlyle Carroll
- David Hamilton
- Eric Thornton
- Fred Kane
- Economic development
- Infrastructure
- Nashville office space
- Nashville Post magazine
- Nashville-area commercial real estate
- Nashville-area residential real estate


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Hillary Clinton's brothers could cause major problems for her presidential campaign
Posted by Divernan | Wed Jul 8, 2015, 05:45 PM (0 replies)
Role of Hillary Clintons brother in Haiti gold mine raises eyebrows
Before anyone starts waxing indignant about the writer/researcher who initially broke this story, please try to face the reality that both the New York Times and the Washington Post vetted the facts of the story and did their own interivews of Hillary's baby brother and the chief executive of the mining company.
And that "blurring" referred to above is known by inside-the-Beltway-types as The Clinton Blur.
Posted by Divernan | Wed Jul 8, 2015, 05:29 PM (1 replies)
Tony Rodhams Ties Invite Scrutiny for Hillary and Bill Clinton
When Mr. Clinton worked as a co-chairman of Haitis earthquake recovery commission, Mr. Rodham and his partners sought a $22 million deal to rebuild homes in the country. In court proceedings three years ago in an unrelated lawsuit, Mr. Rodham explained how a guy in Haiti had donated 10,000 acres of land to him and described how he had leaned on Mr. Clinton to get the rebuilding project funded amid bureaucratic delays.
I deal through the Clinton Foundation. That gets me in touch with the Haitian officials, Mr. Rodham said, according to a transcript of his testimony. I hound my brother-in-law, because its his fund that were going to get our money from. And he cant do it until the Haitian government does it.
And he keeps telling me, Oh, its going to happen tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow. Well, tomorrow hasnt come yet.
Mr. Rodhams Haiti project never did happen. The Clinton Foundation said in a statement that it was not aware of Mr. Rodhams Haiti project and had no involvement in it. Mr. Clintons office said he had not been involved in any of Mr. Rodhams pursuits in Haiti.
Posted by Divernan | Wed Jul 8, 2015, 05:23 PM (1 replies)
Sanders's integrity and honesty worth more than Clinton's billions
While CNN published an article headlined "Poll: Clinton's honesty and trustworthy problem extends to swing states," the former secretary of State's main challenger for the Democratic nomination doesn't have a trust problem with voters. The Boston Globe writes that during a campaign visit to Iowa, a former Marine drove six hours to hear Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) speak and another Iraq War veteran stated, "He's the first politician that I've believed in my life." Sanders is down by only 8 points in New Hampshire, primarily because he's championed progressive causes long before they were popular. The man once stated that he's a "democratic socialist" (very different from the Fox News meaning of socialism), so Americans know that Vermont's junior senator doesn't have a public relations machine vetting his every word.
As a result of his refusal to take a poll-driven and centrist viewpoint on major issues like foreign policy and the economy, Sanders must wage a grass-roots campaign for the White House. NPR reports that his recent total of $15 million came from "250,000 donors making nearly 400,000 contributions of $250 or less." However, Sanders has the trust of the average American, and while Hillary Clinton has amassed $329 million in her career (three of her top five donors are Citigroup, Goldman and JP Morgan), some things can't be purchased with money. The integrity, honesty and bold stances of Sanders might make him a real threat to Clintons campaign and he's earned something that billions in campaign fundraising can't buy: the trust of the average American.
In contrast, Clinton has similar positions to Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush on war and Wall Street; previously expressed support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership; previously said she was "inclined" toward the Keystone XL pipeline; and up until 2013, opposed gay marriage, yet is expected to raise $2.5 billion from Democratic supporters. As for her rapport with the average American, Clinton's campaign is running more like a corporation than anything that could be described as "grass-roots." In Orwellian irony, the Clinton campaign recently held business round tables with "everyday" Iowans who also happened to be "selected to attend her events." In addition, her recent Twitter campaign proudly asks, "If you won a dinner with Hillary, what would you ask her?" but doesn't elaborate if Clinton would answer questions about her Iraq War vote, evolution on gay marriage or any other controversial topic. Nonetheless, Clinton is raising hundreds of millions, even though Vice News, the Associated Press and others have sued the State Department for access to her emails as secretary of State (31,830 of which she unilaterally deleted from a private home server without the oversight of a third party).
Sanders is showing that it's possible to run on an unapologetic belief in progressive values, not simply carefully crafted rhetoric that jettisons core principles. Sanders never had to cater to any interests other than his belief system; something that frightens Wall Street while at the same time endears him to working Americans.
Posted by Divernan | Wed Jul 8, 2015, 11:16 AM (13 replies)
Heeeeeeere's Bernie!
The following is a comment following the Washington Post opinion by Tom Toles.
There's a good thread on this already by babylonsister but I felt this comment following that article is worthy of it's own OP. With thanks to poster "FergusonFoont"
earlier thread: http://www.democraticunderground.com/128022240#post20
Kudos, Tom. Brilliant column.
NOBODY discusses issues and solutions anymore. It's all horserace crap, wall-to-wall. The WashingtonPost in particular used to be better about that sort of thing.
People say they want incorruptibility. Well, hello, Bernie.
People say they want honesty. Hi there, Bernie.
People say they want someone who has proven right about past issues. Heeeere's Bernie!
People say they want someone to stand up to the banksters and the robber barons. Howdy there, Bernie!
People say they want worker rights. Well, how ya doin', Bernie?
People say they want a broader prosperity. That's what Bernie's all about.
The wider his message spreads, the greater his popularity will grow. They will try to stifle and beat down his message under cries of "evil socialism." We mustn't let them. Our armed forces are socialist. Our public schools are socialist. Our most popular medical care systems are more or less socialist.
Of course, socialism has its bad side. Bank robber-baron bailouts at taxpayer expense come to mind, but Bernie wants to break up the too-big-to-fail banksters.
Posted by Divernan | Wed Jul 8, 2015, 10:15 AM (25 replies)
HRC takes a position! Agrees with Jeb Bush!
Hillary Clinton Says Puerto Rico Should Have Access To U.S. Bankruptcy Laws
Why her sudden concern for Puerto Rico, & changing the U.S. bankruptcy laws, you may ask. I mean if we're going to restructure the bankruptcy laws, the first place to start is to allow student loan debts to be included in bankruptcy proceedings. But Puerto Rico's govt. corporate debt-what's up with that? It's simple, campers! Convention delegates!
Voters in Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories are not permitted to vote in the presidential election under the provisions set forth in the Electoral College. But that doesn't mean they don't have a say in who gets to the White House.
That's because voters in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam and American Samoa are permitted to participate in the presidential primary and are granted delegates by the two major political parties.
In other words, Puerto Rico & other U.S. territories get to help nominate the presidential candidates. But voters there cannot actually participate in the election because of the Electoral College system.
The national Democratic Party's charter, enacted in 1974, states that Puerto Rico "shall be treated as a state containing the appropriate number of Congressional Districts." The Republican Party also allows voters in Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories to participate in the nomination process.
In the 2008 Democratic presidential primary, Puerto Rico had 55 delegates - more than Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, D.C., West Virginia, Wyoming and several other states with populations lesser than the U.S. territory's 4 million.
Four Democratic delegates went to Guam, 3 went to the Virgin Islands and American Samoa each.
In the Republican presidential primary of 2008, Puerto Rico had 20 delegates, and Guam, American Samoa and the Virgin Islands each had 6.
Participation in Puerto Rico's delegate selection process is open those who wish to participate as Democrats. Participants may not take part in any other party's Presidential Nominating process. Individuals who wish to participate in the Senate District Caucuses must register with the State Party by 5? June 2016.
Posted by Divernan | Tue Jul 7, 2015, 11:16 AM (35 replies)
Wasn't the expectation that a woman politician would be more nurturing, caring, sensitive
and less macho, warlike, aggressive? That seriously was what I used to think. I thought that any woman who had her own child or children would identify with other mothers and children, whatever their color, nationality, etc. That she would use her elective office to be protective - that there would be some genetic trait of motherliness, for want of a better word. Basically, that a lack of testosterone would make for a more humane, calm, measured and reasoned approach to governing, both domestic and internationally. Instead of a dick-waving, mine is bigger than yours, I've got the biggest military strike force approach to international diplomacy. I hope that all of us are educated enough to KNOW that testosterone is scientifically linked to aggression.
Obviously, Hillary Clinton does not meet my expectations in this regard. Of the many possible examples of her insensitivity to children, let us consider cluster bombs, land mines and economic sanctions against Iraq.
Cluster Bombs Are Not Good for Children, Hillary
(Ditto for Landmines and Sanctions)
The human soul is difficult to fathom. One person alone is capable of both compassion and cruelty.
In her autobiography, Living History, Senator Hillary Clinton portrays herself as an advocate for children, a defender of women and human rights. In fact, the Clintons have a long history of sacrificing the rights, even the lives of children, for political expediency. It is time to set the record straight.
On September 6, 2006, a Senate bill--a simple amendment to ban the use of cluster bombs in civilian areas--presented Senator Clinton with a timely opportunity to protect the lives of children throughout the world.
The cluster bomb is one of the most hated and heinous weapons in modern war, and its primary victims are children. Senator Obama voted for the amendment to ban cluster bombs. Senator Clinton, however, voted with the Republicans to kill the humanitarian bill, an amendment in accord with the Geneva Conventions, which already prohibit the use of indiscriminate weapons in populated areas.
All senators are expected to inform themselves on the issues before they cast a vote. The evidence is overwhelming. It is hard to believe that Senator Clinton was unaware of the humanitarian crisis when she voted to continue the use of cluster bombs in cities and populated areas. A U.N. weapons commission called cluster bombs "weapons of indiscriminate effect." For years the international press reported the horrific consequences of cluster bombs on civilians. On April 10, 2003, for example, Asia Times described the carnage in Baghdad hospitals: "The absolute majority of patients are women and children, victims of shrapnel, and most of all, fragments of cluster bombs." Reporting from a hospital in Hillah, The Mirror, a British newspaper, became graphic: "Shrapnel peppered their bodies. Blackened the skin. Smashed heads. Tore limbs. A doctor reports that 'all the injuries you see were caused by cluster bombs. The majority of the victims were children who died because they were outside.'"
Even after wars subside, after treaties are signed, after belligerents return home, cluster bombs wreak havoc on civilian life. Up to 20 percent of the bomblets fail to detonate on the first round, only to become landmines that later explode on playgrounds and farmlands. Children are drawn to cluster bomb canisters, the deadly duds that look like beer cans or toys before they explode.
Clinton on Landmines
Of course Senator Clinton did not expect her vote on cluster bombs to become an issue in a presidential campaign. But that vote is one of many examples in a pattern of indifference to the welfare of children in the Developing World.
Because Clinton is now taking credit for the White House years, when she was a partner in power, we should also look closely at the Clinton policy regarding landmines, an issue of great concern to parents, to all those who care for children. The U.S. is the leading manufacturer of landmines. For families across the rest of the globe, landmines are buried terror. More than 100 million landmines are deployed in over 60 countries worldwide--nine million in Angola, 10 million in Cambodia. About 20,000 M14 antipersonnel mines are buried in the mountain areas of Yong-do, South Korea. According to U.N. estimates, 26,000 people, mostly civilians in developing countries, are killed or mutilated by landmines every year. In rural areas landmines are so ubiquitous and lethal, peasants risk their lives to earn a living tilling the soil and planting crops.
The worldwide movement to ban landmines burgeoned in the Clinton years. It was a visionary U.S. citizen, Jody Williams of Vermont, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to end the ignominy of landmines. And it was primarily in defense of children that Princess Diana, speaking from a minefield in Angola, raised international awareness about devastation caused by weapons from the West.
In December 1997, 137 nations, more than two-thirds of the world, signed the Ottawa treaty, an agreement to ban the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of anti-personnel landmines. How did the Clintons respond to world opinion, to the humanitarian movement against landmines?
President Clinton flat out refused to become party to the Ottawa convention. As he put it, "I could not sign in good conscience the treaty banning landmines." In "good conscience"?! Are landmines good for children?
The Clinton Sanctions Were Calamitous
Senator Clinton is currently trying to build a campaign around her experience in the White House, but she refuses to take responsibility for the most inhumane and disastrous foreign policy operation of the Clinton years: the infamous economic sanctions against Iraq. The sanctions, a colossal failure, formed the centerpiece of Clinton foreign policy. While the sanctions began with Bush senior in 1990, they were carried out and enforced with a vengeance by the Clinton Administration. The second war against Iraq actually began long before George Bush launched the shock-and-awe bombings in 2003. The Clinton sanctions afflicted the entire Iraqi population. Child mortality, as well as the death rate for the elderly and the chronically ill, skyrocketed. Malnutrition debilitated the country. Irrigation and sanitation systems collapsed. Common diseases multiplied. The Iraqi medical services, the most advanced medical system in the Mideast prior to the sanctions, fell apart. Farmers ran out of fertilizers and machine parts. Thousands of trained professionals fled the country. The sanctions, combined with surprise bombing raids, destroyed the entire infrastructure.
As the full magnitude of the calamity became public knowledge, humanitarian organizations, like Voices in the Wilderness, made appeals to the White House. Denis Halliday, former U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, resigned in protest in 1998. (His successor, H.C. von Sponeck, later resigned as well). Contemptuous of human rights and world opinion, President Clinton blocked Russian and French proposals to end the sanctions.
The Premise of Foreign Policy
It was Madeline Albright, Clinton's Secretary of State, who fully revealed the Clinton Administration's cold indifference to human rights. In her notorious interview on national TV with Leslie Stahl, Albright said that Clinton policy objectives were worth the sacrifice of half a million Arab children, children who were dying of disease and malnutrition as she spoke. For the record, Albright did not deny that half a million children under the age of five perished as the result of sanctions. When Stahl asked: "Is the price worth it?" Albright said without qualification: "We think the price is worth it."
Half a million children under five is a genocidal number. Of course, Albright was talking about Arab children, not Europeans. Had she made a similar remark about British or German children, she would have been fired and denounced within an hour. Albright's candid statement uncovered the essentially racist view of Arabs common among foreign policy experts--all men and women of experience, to be sure--in Washington.
The premise of U.S. foreign policy under Clinton and Bush is unmistakable: Arab peoples have no rights which the U.S. is bound to respect. When historians sum up the sanguine events between 1992 and 2008, Clinton's economic sanctions against Iraq and the Bush occupation of Iraq will be grouped together as part of a single, catastrophic process.
Senator Clinton has never disavowed the sanctions or the racist attitudes that made them possible. In fact, she is now calling for sanctions against another country in the Mideast--Iran.
I have no doubt that Senator Clinton is sincere when she promotes domestic programs for children--projects to reduce childhood obesity, plans to curtail teenage smoking. And like Obama, she advocates full health care insurance for all American children. All well and good.
But it is clear from her record--her voting record and her White House experience--that Senator Clinton, like her husband, does not measure human rights by one yardstick. The lives of Arab and Iranian children are measured on a different scale. We need a president who cares for all God's children, not just the white kids depicted in her Red Phone ad.
It is not experience itself, but the capacity to learn from experience, that should determine who should lead, and who should be deprived of power over the lives of others.
Paul Rockwell is a national columnist living in the Bay Area. (email@example.com)
Posted by Divernan | Mon Jul 6, 2015, 04:32 PM (3 replies)
In Pittsburgh primary, party hacks outspent opponents 10x; LOST BIG TIME!
BACK STORY: Pittsburgh/Allegheny County has a Dem. county executive/old time machine Dem, who was really pissed at several Dem. incumbent office holders who had clashed with him. The Controller had the temerity to actually audit him, as she is required to do by law, and expose his fraudulent use of county property. Although he himself was unopposed in the primary, he raised money to fund primary opponents for the five Dems who'd opposed his policies. His main target was the County controller whose audit had caught him out using county vehicles for private purposes - he had to pay some $10,000 back to the county and was publicly humiliated. He also funded a challenger to the City of Pittsburgh's controller and 3 members of the county council.
Mr. Fitzgerald is backing candidates seeking to replace three county council Democrats who have clashed with him: Barbara Daly Danko of Regent Square, Amanda Green Hawkins (who is stepping down) of Stanton Heights, and Bill Robinson of the Hill District.
The dying city/county party machine outspent their targets by TEN TO ONE, and that's a conservative estimate. They flooded the airwaves and the web with political ads. I could not turn on my computer for months before the election with out seeing some smarmy, packed-with-lies and half truth ads. AND THE MACHINE CANDIDATES LOST! Every single one! The head cheese, i.e, Fitzgerald, only won because he was unopposed. But, all in all, the vote was a CRUSHING DEFEAT for the party machine/pro-fracking Fitzgerald.
Even Fitzgerald's unopposed victory to a second term as county executive came with mixed results. Fitzgerald received 68,882 votes, about 60 percent of total Democrat votes cast, but far fewer than other countywide officials who ran unopposed. County Treasurer John Weinstein and District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. each received about 91,000 votes.
Read more: http://triblive.com/politics/politicalheadlines/8391880-74/fitzgerald-county-peduto#ixzz3f6zjaOKy
Posted by Divernan | Mon Jul 6, 2015, 08:10 AM (4 replies)
His wife is by his side at all appearances - a supportive partnership.
Doesn't have to be kept at a safe distance like Bill. I can't think of any other presidential candidate whose spouse has ever had to be kept out of the picture. Compare HRC's where-in-the-world-is-Bill campaign with Bill's you-get-two-for-the-price-of-one campaigns.
WP Headline: "Clinton campaigns dilemma: What to do with Bill?"
MARRAKESH, Morocco The scene that unfolded here last week as Bill Clinton convened world leaders for a philanthropic conference was hardly what his wifes champion-for-everyday-Americans campaign would have ordered up.
Posted by Divernan | Sat Jul 4, 2015, 02:59 PM (1 replies)
Sanders Draws + 2,500 to Iowa stop; tops for this presidential cycle
Go-o-o-o-o-o-o Bernie!
The independent senator from Vermont attracted more than 2,500 people to a convention center here on Friday night as part of his continued quest to lead a "political revolution" and win the Democratic nomination in a field that also includes Hillary Rodham Clinton.
It was by far the largest draw in Iowa, the nations first caucus state, by any White House hopeful this cycle though there were plenty of Sanders fans in the crowd who came across the river from Nebraska.
Still, by any measure, it was impressive gathering and the latest to underscore the strength of the Sanders phenomenon. Earlier this week, 10,000 people showed up in Madison, Wis., to hear Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, decry the "grotesque level" of income inequality in the country and the influence of the "billionaire class" on its politics.
Meanwhile, HRC resorted to giving away free hamburgers, apple pie and lemonade on an Ivy campus (Dartmouth) to lure folks to her open air talk. I must admit, that's a pretty slick move. Many of those interviewed supported Sanders or remained undecided. Claims were made of 850 in attendance, but no source for the count was given, so might have been a tad exaggerated.
Posted by Divernan | Sat Jul 4, 2015, 10:56 AM (9 replies)