Faculty Publications
Permanent URI for this communityhttps://idr.nitk.ac.in/handle/123456789/18736
Publications by NITK Faculty
Browse
Search Results
Item Design and development of microneedle array-based electrode for bio-potential measurement(Inderscience Publishers, 2017) Balashanmugam, N.; Naveen, K.; Krishna, K.; Mohan Kumar, G.C.Conventional wet electrodes used in bio-potential measurement like EEG, ECG, etc., require the need for conductivity gel application on skin to wet the surface so that more contact area exist between skin and electrode resulting in better signal acquisition. Wet electrodes have certain drawbacks like the gel tends to underperform within one to two hours after application due to reasons like body heat. To overcome this drawbacks, dry electrodes are being developed which can be classified into two types; one penetrating skin and the other not. Both this type of electrodes has the advantages and limitations. The major drawback of filament type non-penetrating dry electrodes is that if the interest is in acquiring signals during motion, these electrodes tend to move relative to the skin resulting in noisy signal where as the microneedle can overcome this drawback by being continuously in contact with skin in all circumstances. In present work we have used micromachining technique to fabricate PMMA microneedle array. The study involves design of microneedle array, fabrication and mechanical testing of microneedles for skin insertion. It was found that for skin insertion upto 150 ?m microneedles 7.5 N load was required and microneedles were structurally stable at this load. © © 2017 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.Item Synthesis of high hardness IR optical coating using diamond-like carbon by PECVD at room temperature(Elsevier Ltd, 2017) Krishna, K.; Varade, A.; Niranjan Reddy, K.; Dhan, S.; Chellamalai, M.; Balashanmugam, N.; Krishna, P.Diamond-like Carbon (DLC) for IR antireflective properties is currently being used in the coating of germanium based IR optics. These DLC coatings offer better wear resistance as compared to traditional anti-reflective (AR) coatings. The current work emphasizes the development of IR optics using germanium substrate coated with DLC which typically covers IR transmission in wavelength regions like 3–7 ?m and 9–15 ?m. In order to study IR transmission, an optimum film thickness of DLC was calculated and coated on a double sided polished germanium substrate. DLC was coated on a single side of a germanium substrate, as well as on both sides of germanium. DLC has been deposited using Radio Frequency Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition (RF-PECVD) at room temperature without the use of any intermediary buffer layers required for adhesion and high hardness values were achieved at room temperature as compared to existing literature. The transmission of IR through DLC coated germanium windows was measured using Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) spectroscopy. A comparison between transmission through a single side and double sided DLC coating on germanium has been demonstrated. The hardness of the film was measured using nanoindentation. Scratch test was also performed using nanoindentation. Adhesion and salt spray tests were performed as per MIL standards. With double sided DLC coating, a peak transmission value of 93% is achieved in 3–7 ?m and the average hardness of DLC is measured to be 32.74 GPa. © 2017 Elsevier B.V.Item Synthesis of high hardness, low COF diamond-like carbon using RF-PECVD at room temperature and evaluating its structure using electron microscopy(Elsevier Ltd, 2017) Krishna, K.; Varade, A.; Reddy, N.; Dhan, S.; Chellamalai, M.; Krishna, P.; Balashanmugam, N.Diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings have been deposited on Silicon wafers using a Radio Frequency based Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (RF-PECVD) at room temperature. Experiments were carried out using a flow rate of 100 sccm and 300 sccm of acetylene (C2H2) gas and the bias voltage was varied from 300 to 450 V for DLC deposition. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) has been used to study the structure and morphology of the DLC coating. TEM results of DLC coatings deposited at 100 sccm C2H2 flow suggest that some crystalline features of diamond are present in the disordered matrix of DLC. Mechanical properties of DLC coatings were studied using a nanoindenter. The results indicate that the hardest DLC film is obtained at 100 sccm flow rate of C2H2 deposited at 450 V bias voltage of about 32.25 GPa. The results also indicate that the lowest coefficient of friction (COF) of about 0.04 in DLC film is obtained at 300 sccm flow rate of C2H2 deposited at 400 V bias voltage. COF is found to be lower in high C2H2 flow rate, wherever relatively softer DLC was deposited. © 2017 Elsevier B.V.