pull-in – TechConnect Briefs

Compact Modeling of MEMS Contact Current upon Pull-In

Røst H.I., Clark J.V., Pister K.S.J., Auburn University, US

This work-in-progress presents a parameterizable compact model of a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) beam element that includes mechanical contact and electrical current flow upon gap closure. Quasistatic electromechanical simulation analyses include the initial onset of pull-in [...]

Simple and Accurate Formula for the Electrostatically Actuated Curled Beam Problem

Younis M., SUNY Binghamton, US

We present analytical solutions of the electrostatically actuated initially deformed cantilever beam problem. We use a continuous Euler-Bernoulli beam model combined with a single-mode Galerkin approximation. We derive simple analytical expressions for two commonly observed [...]

Frequency Tuning of Micro-beams using Electrostatic Pull-in

Burdess J.S., Harris A.J., Kafumbe S., University of Newcastle, UK

The work reported shows how the frequency of vibration of simple beam structures can be changed significantly through the action of electrostatic pull-in. The application of a voltage between the beam and a supporting, but [...]

Analytical Model for the Pull-in Time of Low-Q MEMS Devices

Rocha L.A., Cretu E., Wollfenbuttel R.F., Delft University of Technology, NL

A meta-stable transient region just beyond pull-in displacement that ultimately governs the pull-in time in critically damped systems is identified in this paper. Since the pull-in displacement time is basically governed by this second region [...]

Static and Dynamic Analysis of Silicon NEMS

Tang Z., Aluru N.R., University of Illinois, US

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) have already revolutionized many areas including communications, information technology, medical, mechanical and aerospace technologies. Nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) are MEMS with submicron critical dimensions. NEMS have the potential to fundamentally change the way [...]

An efficient Adaptive Single-Mode (ASM) Pull-In Extraction Algorithm for Computer Aided Design of Electrostatic MEMS Devices

Elata D., Bochobza-Degani O., Nemirovsky Y., Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, IL

This paper presents a novel Adaptive Single-Mode (ASM) Pull-In extraction scheme for CAD of electrostatic MEMS. The scheme is 50 to 1000 times faster than various previously suggested methods. The extracted Pull-In parameters are shown [...]

Analytical and FEM Simulation Pull-in Study on Deformable Electrostatic Micro Actuators

Cheng J., Zhe J., Wu X., Farmer K.R., Modi V., Frechette L., Columbia University, US

In this paper, we employed an easy general theory [1, 2] over FEM simulation to carry out the pull in analysis of cantilever beam, fixed-fixed beam and circular membrane actuators and compare the results with [...]

Analytical Pull-in Study on Non-Deformable Electrostatic Micro Actuators

Zhe J., Wu X., Cheng J., Wang J., Farmer K.R., Frechette L., Modi V., Columbia University, US

A general theory and method was presented and employed to analyze the static behaviors of non-deformable electrostatic actuator systems with various electrode shapes. This method utilizes capacitance-based generalized equations and provides an easy and time [...]

Modeling and Simulation on Two Passive Feedback Methods to Obtain Large Travel Range of Electrostatic Micro Mirrors

Wu X.T., Xiao Z.X., Zhe J., Farmer K.R., New Jersey Institute of Technology, US

This paper demonstrates two passive feedback methods to obtain increased travel range in electrostatic micro actuators directly in the electrostatic domain. The first method is modeled as a series capacitor loop in which an integrated [...]

Modeling and Analysis of Hysteresis Phenomena in Electrostatic Zipper Actuators

Guidotti P., Bernstein D., California Institute of Technology, US

We investigate the relationship between the pull-in phenomenon for electrostatic actuators and the hysteresis effect found in zipper actuators. Liked lumped mass and spring and tension based membrane models, we show that a beam model [...]