MEMS based micropropulsion devices are becoming highly demanding for the repositioning of micro/nano satellites. Microthruster is the solution for the re-orbiting of small satellites whereas the microvalve controls the propellant flow and micropump keeps the propellant pressure constant. The microvalve consists of a silicon membrane, two holes made in silicon wafer and a commercially available piezoelectric stack. The silicon membrane has a boss tip at the center of top side and is structured using conventional KOH bulk micromachining.The membrane is directly attached to the piezoelectric stack actuator which moves in an out-of-plane motion against the bottom structure.The microvalve developed here is a normally closed, low cost, capable of controlling the flow of gases as well as liquids, leak tight and can be used for high pressure application. The micropump developed and presented in this dissertation is silicon based valveless diffuser /nozzle elements to rectify the fluid flow. Piezoelectric actuation is used in this case for diaphragm vibration. This book presents the detail design and development procedures of those devices with satisfactory test results.

This book provides an introduction to the state-of-the art in C-MEMS/C-NEMS with an emphasis on lithographically patterned photo-polymers, carbonized in an inert atmosphere. We can expand our perspective considerably by learning from the traditional carbon manufacturing community where researchers deal with a much wider variety of carbon feed stocks such as coal, coconut shell, wood, agricultural wastes, and industrial wastes to make all types of useful carbons. The new concepts are introduced by discussing carbon nanomaterials synthesis aided with catalysts and chemistry and detailing the microstructure of the resulting nanocarbons.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) spectroscopies are well-known characterization techniques that reveal the molecular details of a sample non-invasively. The authors discuss how NMR can provide useful information on the microstructure of carbon and its surface properties and explain how C-MEMS/C-NEMS technology can be explored for building improved NMR microdevices. The authors highlight the manipulation of fluids and particles by dielectrophoresis and the use of carbon electrodes for dielectrophoresis in Lab-on-a-Chip. The use of these electrodes in sample preparation through electrical polarization of a sample for identification, manipulation, and lysis of bioparticles is also discussed and they introduce a new generation of neural prosthetics based on glassy carbon micromachined electrode arrays. The tuning of the electrical, electrochemical and mechanical properties of these patternable electrodes for applications in bio-electrical signal recording and stimulation, and results from in-vivo testing of these glassy carbon microelectrode arrays is reported, demonstrating a quantifiable superior performance compared to metal electrodes.