A voltage regulator is developed to extend the operation range of a electrostatic actuator using a displacement feedback. The feedback actuator system can be used for continuous position tracking of step, ramp, or harmonic voltage signals. The electrostatic actuator is composed of a micro-cantilever beam electrode above a fixed electrode. The voltage difference between the two electrodes is reg...

The use of electrostatic forces to provide actuation is a method of central importance in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and is of growing importance in nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS). The study of electrostatic actuation has led to numerous interesting experimental, theoretical, and numerical results. Yet, surprisingly, even simple electrostatically actuated systems have secrets t...

Mathematical models of electrostatic actuation have been developed since the 1960’s, beginning with the work of G.I. Taylor, and are of great utility in a number of engineering systems. They are of particular use in the field of microand nanoelectromechanical systems, where models have typically dealt with planar geometries. Here, we extend the theory of electrostatic actuation to a non-planar ...

This paper reports on the design of a novel ultra low actuation voltage, low loss radio frequency micro-electro-mechanical system (RF MEMS) capacitive shunt switch. The concept of the switch relies on a mechanically unconstrained armature actuated over a coplanar waveguide using electrostatic forces. The minimum actuation voltage of the switch is <2V, with an isolation of 40dB and insertion los...

Micromirrors fabricated by MEMS technology have demonstrated to be important sensing or actuating components in many industrial and biomedical applications such as laser scanning displays, optical switch matrices, and biomedical imaging systems. In this paper, various actuation mechanisms for micromirrors are described. A new geometric configuration of a stacked micromirror that is actuated by ...

In this paper, a general methodology for the dynamic study of electrostatically actuated droplets is presented. A simplified 1D transient model is developed to investigate the transient response of a droplet to an actuation voltage and to study the effect of geometrical and fluid-thermal properties and electrical parameters on this behavior. First, the general approach for the dynamic droplet m...

This paper signifies a very basic design and simulation techniques of RF MEMS switches using the advanced design systems software tool (ADS).Micro electro mechanical systems are recent development technologies which has better characteristics performance and also operating at microwave range of frequencies. Fundamentally MEMS switches can be categorized into two types series switches (ohmic typ...

Remote electrostatic actuation provides a promising method for servicing or deorbiting spacecraft at geosynchronous orbit. This method requires electrostatic modeling more efficient than current commercial finite element analysis software. The Multi-Sphere Method (MSM) provides a way to model electrostatic effects faster than real time by replacing spacecraft with charged sphere distributions. ...