Abstract
The stable travel range of parallel-plate electrostatic actuator with a linear suspension flexure is limited to a third of the nominal gap due to the pull-in instability resulting from the inherent nonlinear behavior of electrostatic force. To overcome this problem, the nonlinear suspension flexure that can counteract the nonlinearity of electrostatic force is widely adopted. Based on this concept, we present a novel method for designing a customized nonlinear micro-flexure with monotonically increasing stiffness. The mechanism is characterized that an ejector rod consisting of the double clamped-guided beams slides along a geometrically customized trajectory patterned on the slider, and thus, a prescribed force-displacement relationship in horizontal direction is generated. To validate this design concept, two specific flexures, a mimic-electrostatic-nonlinearity flexure, whose restoring force varies with the electrostatic force, and a seventh-order nonlinear flexure, whose flexure force is proportional to the eighth power of the deflection, were designed and fabricated on the silicon-on-insulator wafer. The experimental results show that the measured force-displacement curves for two nonlinear flexures are in good agreement with the theoretical predictions. In addition, the proposed method can be also introduced to other systems, in which the prescribed nonlinearity is needed. [2018-0240]
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
