Development and Testing of a Multilevel Chevron Actuator-Based Positioning System

作者：Oak Sahil^*; Rawool Sandesh; Sivakumar Ganapathy; Hendrikse Egbert J Jr; Buscarello Daniel; Dallas Tim

来源：Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems, 2011, 20(6): 1298-1309.

DOI：10.1109/JMEMS.2011.2167674

• Bent-beam actuators
• buckling
• electro-thermal
• microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)
• micro-actuators
• micro-positioning
• polysilicon
• SUMMiT V

We present the design, fabrication, and testing of a microscale positioning system. The system was designed in the SUMMiT V process to produce in-plane, bidirectional, micrometer-scale linear motion of a shuttle using a ratcheting mechanism and multilayered chevron actuators. A single latching system with oppositely faced ratchet teeth on either side of the shuttle is used for achieving the bidirectional actuation. The device has a smaller footprint and fewer electrical connections compared to similar devices, without compromising performance. Moreover, this device is capable of generating more force compared to previous devices. A LabVIEW-based optical characterization setup was developed for automated testing of the device. The device produced a maximum displacement of similar to 180 mu m with a step size of 9 mu m.

• 出版日期2011-12