Laterally driven electrostatic actuators with extended travel range

Jie Su; Heng Yang; Wolfgang Porod; Patrick Fay; Gary H. Bernstein

doi:10.1117/12.645380

23 January 2006 Laterally driven electrostatic actuators with extended travel range

Jie Su, Heng Yang, Wolfgang Porod, Patrick Fay, Gary H. Bernstein

Proceedings Volume 6114, MOEMS Display, Imaging, and Miniaturized Microsystems IV; 61140P (2006) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.645380
Event: MOEMS-MEMS 2006 Micro and Nanofabrication, 2006, San Jose, California, United States

Abstract

A novel laterally driven mechanism is proposed and studied to solve the pull-in problem of electrostatic actuation in MEMS for use in simple Fabry-Perot interferometers (FPI) with a large tuning range. This method is to build electrodes that are not directly opposite to each other, but rather are laterally shifted. Mathematica calculations show that laterally driven beams require a smaller operating voltage than do some other methods, and cover nearly the full travel range. It is also found that driving performance is influenced by the structure's lateral gap. Too small a lateral gap still yields pull-in failure. For excessively large lateral gap, the pull-in function is not effective. Smaller lateral gaps have lower operating voltage, but larger lateral gaps have better operating stability. A test structure consisting of 40 aluminum beams suspended across two poles has been designed and fabricated. Directly below each test beam is located a capacitive test electrode. Next to each test electrode are two lateral driving electrodes. A driving voltage is applied across the aluminum test beams and lateral electrodes, pulling down the beam and causing the capacitance to change between the test beam and test electrode. By measuring this change, the lateral drive method is verified and characterized.

Citation Download Citation

Jie Su, Heng Yang, Wolfgang Porod, Patrick Fay, and Gary H. Bernstein "Laterally driven electrostatic actuators with extended travel range", Proc. SPIE 6114, MOEMS Display, Imaging, and Miniaturized Microsystems IV, 61140P (23 January 2006); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.645380

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KEYWORDS

Electrodes

Capacitance

Microelectromechanical systems

Actuators

Aluminum

Capacitors

Fabry–Perot interferometry

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