Analysis and Fabrication of Ampere-Force Actuated Bistable Curved Beam

Abstract

An actuation scheme of bistable curved beam by Ampere force was proposed. Analysis showed that the actuation force distribution on the curved beam by this current-based method can improve the switching force to snap the curved beam lower than the one of the conventional actuation scheme by capacitive electrostatic force. To observe the snap action, vertical snap type SiO2 curved beams were fabricated with Cr deposited on to provide current conductivities. The Cr layer was considered to affect the original bistability characteristics of SiO2 curved beam, which in turn alter the switching force from the theoretical prediction.

Multistable wireless micro-actuator based on antagonistic pre-shaped double beams

“…Different from pre-compressed beam, a pre-stressed beam is curved by artificially creating stress during the fabrication process. In [8][9][10], Pane and Asano fabricated a bistable micro-actuator by patterning the active silicon (Si) layer of SOI (silicon-on-isolator). The pre-stress was introduced by the difference in thermal expansion between Si and SiO 2 layers during the oxidation process.…”