Design, fabrication, and operation of submicron gap comb-drive microactuators

Author

Hirano, Toshiki ; Furuhata, Tomotake ; Gabriel, Kaigham J. ; Fujita, Hiroyuki

Author_Institution

IBM Tokyo Res. Lab., Japan

Volume

1

Issue

1

fYear

1992

fDate

3/1/1992 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

52

Lastpage

59

Abstract

Making submicron interelectrode gaps is the key to reducing the driving voltage of a micro comb-drive electrostatic actuator. Two new fabrication technologies, oxidation machining and a post-release positioning method, are proposed to realize submicron gaps. Two types of actuator (a resonant type and a nonresonant type) with submicron gaps were successfully fabricated and their operational characteristics were tested experimentally. The drive voltage was found to be lower than that of existing actuators. The stability of comb-drive actuators is discussed

Keywords

electric actuators; electrostatic devices; elemental semiconductors; micromechanical devices; oxidation; silicon; Si; comb-drive actuators; drive voltage; driving voltage; fabrication technologies; micro comb-drive electrostatic actuator; nonresonant actuators; operation; operational characteristics; oxidation machining; post-release positioning method; resonant actuators; stability; submicron gap comb-drive microactuators; submicron interelectrode gaps; Actuators; Electrodes; Etching; Fabrication; Laboratories; Lithography; Microactuators; Oxidation; Teeth; Voltage;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Microelectromechanical Systems, Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1057-7157

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/84.128056

Filename

128056