Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) Based-Ultrasonic Electrostatic Actuators on a Flexible Substrate

Author

Kim, Sangpyeong ; Zhang, Xu ; Daugherty, Robin ; Lee, Ed ; Kunnen, George ; Allee, David R. ; Forsythe, Eric ; Chae, Junseok

Author_Institution

Dept. of Electr. Eng., Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ, USA

Volume

33

Issue

7

fYear

2012

fDate

7/1/2012 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

1072

Lastpage

1074

Abstract

We present a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based electrostatic actuator on a flexible substrate, made of polyethylene naphthalate, which emits acoustic waves at ultrasonic frequencies. The actuator has a suspended diaphragm, made of parylene, of 2-6-mm diameter and a 6-μm gap between the diaphragm and substrate. The actuator is driven by hydrogenated amorphous silicon integrated circuits. The driving circuits consist of voltage-controlled oscillator and buffer chain, which can tune the output voltage from 3 to 32 V with 35-V supply. A single actuator emits ultrasonic waves at 25 kHz and pressure of 27-dB sound pressure level (SPL), and a 1 × 2 array emits up to 34.6-dB SPL at 1-cm distance.

Keywords

amorphous semiconductors; diaphragms; driver circuits; electrostatic actuators; elemental semiconductors; flexible electronics; hydrogenation; monolithic integrated circuits; silicon; ultrasonic devices; ultrasonic waves; MEMS; Si; acoustic waves; buffer chain; distance 1 cm; driving circuits; flexible substrate; frequency 25 kHz; hydrogenated amorphous silicon integrated circuits; microelectromechanical systems; polyethylene naphthalate; size 2 mm to 6 mm; size 6 mum; sound pressure level; suspended diaphragm; ultrasonic electrostatic actuators; voltage 3 V to 32 V; voltage 35 V; voltage-controlled oscillator; Acoustics; Actuators; Arrays; Integrated circuits; Micromechanical devices; Substrates; Voltage-controlled oscillators; Electrostatic actuator; microelectromechanical systems (MEMS); ultrasonic actuator;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Electron Device Letters, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0741-3106

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/LED.2012.2195630

Filename

6204318