Integrated topology and shape optimization software for compliant MEMS mechanism design

The objective of this work is to develop a specialized integrated design tool for MEMS compliant mechanisms from topology to shape optimization. We use the topology optimization technology to obtain an optimal mechanism layout achieving the best overall system performance. This design process is followed by shape optimization to improve stress-based local performance around hinges of the mechanism. Numerical instabilities in topology optimization such as checkerboard layout are overcome by use of nonconforming finite elements. To avoid the cumbersome remeshing process required to handle boundary shape changes, we employ the remesh-free shape optimization method based on the wavelet-Galerkin analysis. A few examples are considered to illustrate the integrated design procedure from topology to shape optimization and to demonstrate the effectiveness of the present approach. 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.