proton@watcsc.waterloo.edu (John R. St. Antoine) (02/22/90)
Look up Electrostatic sensitive fluids, a fluid that will polarize when
high voltage is put across two parallel plates in a rectangular channel.
The potenial enacted on the special fluid will freeze the fluid.
In another way you can use the fluid as a latch electrically.
The technology will act together in same enviroment without getting in
each other way. The electrical will operate with the fluid and vise-versa
much like the human body.
The technology can be used for faster, but not smaller transistor/
res: 47,000 like transistors per sq. inch. on monolithic stone,
12"*12" inch square .010 thousand of an inch thick, can be stacked
or layered on top of each other.
Within the same enviroment a power fluid system will work with
valves with no moving parts, if opreating pressures not that high
eg.5 to 100 psi small valves can be made using the same technology,
and manufacturing method.
Manufactoring is the true key to minitureization here.
SPEED: you wish to understand the operating speeds of the elec sys and the
power sys.
Elec sys will operate at close to the bulk resistance of the material plus
heat. delta heat + bulk R = to semiconductor
Mech sys will latch approx. two ms +/- 200% application dependent, faster
n super micro systems.
Operating speed of OS of Elec sys unlimited to above prperties, super fast.
OS for Mech sys translates to time constriants above, and speed of fluid
moving through the channel, major engineering headache. Have five disciplines
you will have a great head start in nanotech machines.
proton
---------------------*
[What's the difference between this and ordinary liquid crystal?
--JoSH]