Stability, Nonlinearity and Reliability of Electrostatically Actuated MEMS Devices

Electrostatic micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) is a special branch with a wide range of applications in sensing and actuating devices in MEMS. This paper provides a survey and analysis of the electrostatic force of importance in MEMS, its physical model, scaling effect, stability, nonlinearity...

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Main Authors: Di Chen, Guang Meng, Wen-Ming Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2007-05-01
Series:Sensors
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/7/5/760/
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spelling doaj-d0e5dc87e8ca4b2db769a1817b659acb2020-11-25T00:55:42ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202007-05-017576079610.3390/s7050760Stability, Nonlinearity and Reliability of Electrostatically Actuated MEMS DevicesDi ChenGuang MengWen-Ming ZhangElectrostatic micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) is a special branch with a wide range of applications in sensing and actuating devices in MEMS. This paper provides a survey and analysis of the electrostatic force of importance in MEMS, its physical model, scaling effect, stability, nonlinearity and reliability in detail. It is necessary to understand the effects of electrostatic forces in MEMS and then many phenomena of practical importance, such as pull-in instability and the effects of effective stiffness, dielectric charging, stress gradient, temperature on the pull-in voltage, nonlinear dynamic effects and reliability due to electrostatic forces occurred in MEMS can be explained scientifically, and consequently the great potential of MEMS technology could be explored effectively and utilized optimally. A simplified parallel-plate capacitor model is proposed to investigate the resonance response, inherent nonlinearity, stiffness softened effect and coupled nonlinear effect of the typical electrostatically actuated MEMS devices. Many failure modes and mechanisms and various methods and techniques, including materials selection, reasonable design and extending the controllable travel range used to analyze and reduce the failures are discussed in the electrostatically actuated MEMS devices. Numerical simulations and discussions indicate that the effects of instability, nonlinear characteristics and reliability subjected to electrostatic forces cannot be ignored and are in need of further investigation.http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/7/5/760/MEMSElectrostatic forceScaling effectStabilityNonlinearityReliability.
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Di Chen
Guang Meng
Wen-Ming Zhang
spellingShingle Di Chen
Guang Meng
Wen-Ming Zhang
Stability, Nonlinearity and Reliability of Electrostatically Actuated MEMS Devices
Sensors
MEMS
Electrostatic force
Scaling effect
Stability
Nonlinearity
Reliability.
author_facet Di Chen
Guang Meng
Wen-Ming Zhang
author_sort Di Chen
title Stability, Nonlinearity and Reliability of Electrostatically Actuated MEMS Devices
title_short Stability, Nonlinearity and Reliability of Electrostatically Actuated MEMS Devices
title_full Stability, Nonlinearity and Reliability of Electrostatically Actuated MEMS Devices
title_fullStr Stability, Nonlinearity and Reliability of Electrostatically Actuated MEMS Devices
title_full_unstemmed Stability, Nonlinearity and Reliability of Electrostatically Actuated MEMS Devices
title_sort stability, nonlinearity and reliability of electrostatically actuated mems devices
publisher MDPI AG
series Sensors
issn 1424-8220
publishDate 2007-05-01
description Electrostatic micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) is a special branch with a wide range of applications in sensing and actuating devices in MEMS. This paper provides a survey and analysis of the electrostatic force of importance in MEMS, its physical model, scaling effect, stability, nonlinearity and reliability in detail. It is necessary to understand the effects of electrostatic forces in MEMS and then many phenomena of practical importance, such as pull-in instability and the effects of effective stiffness, dielectric charging, stress gradient, temperature on the pull-in voltage, nonlinear dynamic effects and reliability due to electrostatic forces occurred in MEMS can be explained scientifically, and consequently the great potential of MEMS technology could be explored effectively and utilized optimally. A simplified parallel-plate capacitor model is proposed to investigate the resonance response, inherent nonlinearity, stiffness softened effect and coupled nonlinear effect of the typical electrostatically actuated MEMS devices. Many failure modes and mechanisms and various methods and techniques, including materials selection, reasonable design and extending the controllable travel range used to analyze and reduce the failures are discussed in the electrostatically actuated MEMS devices. Numerical simulations and discussions indicate that the effects of instability, nonlinear characteristics and reliability subjected to electrostatic forces cannot be ignored and are in need of further investigation.
topic MEMS
Electrostatic force
Scaling effect
Stability
Nonlinearity
Reliability.
url http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/7/5/760/
work_keys_str_mv AT dichen stabilitynonlinearityandreliabilityofelectrostaticallyactuatedmemsdevices
AT guangmeng stabilitynonlinearityandreliabilityofelectrostaticallyactuatedmemsdevices
AT wenmingzhang stabilitynonlinearityandreliabilityofelectrostaticallyactuatedmemsdevices
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