DML

DML’s undergraduate research assistant, Ryan Witt, had the opportunity to be apart of the University of Central Florida’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF). This is a scholarship program that introduces and supports undergraduates as they explore research in their fields. The selection committee required a research proposal, resume, cover letter, and faculty endorsement. After being notified of his acceptance in Spring 2025, Ryan worked closely with DML’s Dr. Phelps to work on a high-power piezoelectric transformer over the summer while learning a variety of skill in our lab like COMSOL, laser etching, and clean room techniques.

Learn more about his project through his abstract here:

Shear-mode vibration has demonstrated the highest figure of merit for high efficiency, high-power-density devices compared to all other tested modes for power conversion applications (Boles et al. 2022). Lithium niobate (LiNbO3) has a 154 times greater mechanical Q and 25 times greater electrical Q than lead zirconium titanate (PZT) which is relevant to efficiency factors (Norgard 2016). This work aims to present the design, simulation, and experimental validation of a transformer that implements the shear-mode vibration on a 0° Y-cut LiNbO3 using MEMS fabrication techniques. Utilizing a 1 centimeter diameter circular design to limit the strength of spurious modes and a wide-gap electrode layout for maximum output voltage, the proposed device was simulated in COMSOL to determine the optimal electrode sizing and spacing. A micron scale pulsed carbon dioxide laser was used to cut the design from a 4-inch LiNbO3 mono-crystal wafer, before then depositing a 250 nanometer thick layer of copper through magnetron sputtering. The device was bonded to a laser-etched Rogers board and device electrodes were wire-bonded to the input and output ports. To characterize device performance, measurements of s-parameters, open circuit voltage, output load, and input resistance were taken. Power density and efficiency calculations were then conducted to produce useful quality metrics for analysis. 

The culmination of his work came during the SURF Showcase this past summer on July 18th, where he presented his poster entitled, “Design and Analysis of 0° Y-Cut Lithium Niobate Piezoelectric Transformer”. Congratulations to Ryan and we look forward to his further progress in our lab, as he continues his undergraduate research career with us.

The Dynamic Microsystems Lab had the pleasure of hosting high school students during this year’s Camp Connect Advanced program, a week-long STEM outreach initiative organized by UCF’s Initiatives in STEM (iSTEM) Office. Led by our ECE undergraduates under the guidance of Dr. Justin Phelps, the program ran from June 9–13 and focused on giving 10th and 11th grade students hands-on exposure to electrical engineering concepts.

With a cohort of 8 students, our goal was to guide them in applying ECE principles to build their very own mini Tesla Coil—while learning about circuits, lab safety and equipment, undergraduate research, and engineering disciplines along the way.

We’d like to sincerely thank our host, the iSTEM Office, and especially Renee Johnson, K–12 Programs Manager, for her constant support and coordination.

Day 1: Intro to DML + Lab Tours + Circuit Analysis Fundamentals

The week began with lab tours and presentations led by Kat, Ryan, and Toshi, introducing students to MEMS, piezoelectric materials, and resonators. The group visited DML’s cleanrooms and research spaces, gaining insight into undergraduate research at UCF.
Students then learned fundamental circuit concepts including current, voltage, Ohm’s Law, Kirchhoff’s Laws, power, and independent sources, preparing them for deeper work throughout the week.

Day 2: Pickle Experiment + Breadboarding Workshop

To reinforce circuit theory with real-world effects, Dr. Phelps demonstrated the Pickle Experiment, visually showing Ohm’s Law in action. The day also featured problem-solving sessions focused on series vs. parallel circuits.

Later, Madison led a breadboarding workshop, where students learned how to design circuits using breadboards, multimeters, and DC power supplies.

Toshi and Kat gave a talk on the differences between electrical engineering, computer engineering, and computer science, helping students understand the broader engineering landscape and how their interests might align.

Day 3: Soldering Workshop + LED Time Delay Circuit

Ryan led students through a soldering workshop at UCF’s Texas Instruments Lab, where they practiced technique, learned safety protocols, and explored the chemistry of flux.

Each student then built and tested their own LED time delay circuit after transferring designs from breadboards to protoboards.

 Day 4: Tesla Coil Build + Analysis

Equipped with strong foundations in circuit design and fabrication, the students spent Day 4 building their own mini Tesla coils. With support from Ryan, Toshi, and Kat, they assembled, soldered, and tested their devices – an exciting culmination of their week’s learning.

 Day 5: Final Presentations & Professional Skills

To wrap up the week, students attended sessions on resume-building, LinkedIn profiles (led by Kat), and public speaking skills (led by Madison). They then presented what they had learned to faculty, peers, parents, and staff – showcasing both their technical and communication growth.

DML had a great time working with these students and watching their skills and confidence grow over the course of just one week. We’re especially proud of our ECE undergraduates, whose energy, planning, and mentorship made this program such a success.

We look forward to continuing our STEM outreach efforts and inspiring the next generation of engineers.

The Dynamic Microsystems Lab (DML) celebrates Ankesh Todi, a recent doctoral graduate, for successfully defending his dissertation and walking the stage for his PhD this past Spring 2025.

Ankesh pursued his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, specializing in MEMS Design & Semiconductor Processing, at the University of Central Florida. His research focus was on designing and demonstrating a functional, high-frequency (~25 MHz) resonant MEMS accelerometer, as well as improving the performance of resonators through geometrical optimization. Adapting to many changes and often setbacks in fabrication, we are all proud to see him reach this milestone and eager to see what is in store for him next.

His dissertation entitled “High-Frequency Z-Axis Piezoelectric Resonant Micro-Accelerometers Based On Piezoelectric Stiffening Effect” was successfully defended on April 4th, 2025. In the photo below, Ankesh can be seen demonstrating his device during his Ph.D. defense.

Ankesh’s 7 years of dedication to his craft, along with his passion and resilience is evidenced in the below photo that we’ve called “A man and his machine”.

DML wishes Dr. Todi all the best in his future endeavors and looks forward to his continued growth and next visit!

The Dynamic Microsystems Lab (DML) celebrates Parvin Akhkandi, a recent doctoral graduate, for successfully defending her dissertation and walking the stage for her Ph.D., this past Spring 2025.

Parvin pursued her Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering at the University of Central Florida with a focus on the use of MEMS-based oscillators to improve the diagnosis and management of sleep disorders. She has since accepted a full-time position with Apple in California as a Hardware Engineer.

Her dissertation entitled “MEMS-Based Airflow Sensor for Apnea Detection Using Time-of-Flight Technique” was successfully defended on March 17th, 2025.

To read more about Dr. Akhandi’s innovative research, see below.

DML wishes Dr. Akhkandi all the best in her future endeavors and looks forward to her continued growth and next visit!

The Dynamic Microsystems Lab (DML) celebrates Yasaman Majd, a recent doctoral graduate, for successfully defending her dissertation this past summer semester and walking the stage for her PhD in Fall 2024.

Yasaman pursued her Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering at the University of Central Florida with MEMS resonators as her research focus. She has recently accepted a full-time position with Apple in Texas as a Touch Sensing Engineer.

Her dissertation entitled “Design and Optimization of Temperature-Stable MEMS Resonators for Timing Applications Based on Thin-Film Lithium Tantalate” was successfully defended on June 17th, 2024.

Dissertation Summary:

In her research, she investigates the development of a silicon-based MEMS device that achieves low-frequency variation across wide temperature ranges, high-quality factors, and low insertion loss, meeting the demands of modern communication systems. She explores the thermal behavior of S0 Lamb wave X-cut Lithium Tantalate (LT) resonators, demonstrating a zero-temperature coefficient of frequency (turnover temperature) both numerically and experimentally. These resonators are optimized for high electromechanical coupling (~5%), high turnover temperatures (>80°C), and a quality factor of ~2000 at 200 MHz. Additionally, she proposes a novel passive temperature compensation method using a heterostructure of doped silicon and rotated X-cut LT resonators to cancel both first and second-order temperature coefficients. This innovative design achieves a frequency drift of just 70 ppm across a temperature range of 20°C to 100°C at 313 MHz, significantly outperforming conventional silicon-based resonators.

DML wishes Dr. Majd all the best in her future endeavors and looks forward to her continued growth and next visit!

The Dynamic Microsystems Lab is proud to announce our very own, Justin Phelps, as a recent doctoral graduate who successfully defended his dissertation and walked the stage for his Ph.D. this past semester.

Justin pursued his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering at the University of Central Florida with MEMS and Power Electronics as his research focuses. We are happy to also announce that he has recently accepted a position to continue here at UCF’s DML, as a Post Doctorate Researcher.

His dissertation entitled “Lithium Niobate Piezoelectric Transformers for Compact Electronics and Atmospheric Plasma Generation” was successfully defended on October 31st, 2024.

Dr. Phelps will also continue his impact at the undergraduate level, as he mentors the DML undergraduates and instructs Linear Circuits 1 and 2 sections for the upcoming Spring 2025 semester at UCF.

DML wishes him all the best in his future endeavors and we look forward to what he’ll do next!

Congrats to Hakha, his work on “LN-Si Acoustoelectric isolators with more than 30 dB isolation” was selected as an outstanding paper finalist in IEEE MEMS 2021.