Design and analysis of a novel Half Jagged Toothed capacitive comb drive with increased efficiency

Interdigitated Finger Capacitors or Comb Drives have an integral role in MEMS designing. Though numerous applications of this device have been implemented, a lack of uniform linearity still remains. We have thus endeavored to improve the same. The results thus obtained suggested a change of design affects the linearity far more than a change in any other parameter and thus we present a novel change in the design of the Comb Drive Actuator namely, the Half Jagged Toothed structure. The device design eliminates fifty percent of the fabrication complexity and enhances the linearity by thirty five percent. Also the sensitivity of the device to capacitance changes was increased by about forty one percent and force by about forty percent. The displacement response of the device was found to be ten times better than a Full Jagged Toothed structure.