Suppression of contact bounce in beam-type microelectromechanical switches using a feedforward control scheme

Abstract

This paper presents a feedforward control strategy for suppressing the contact bounces in electrostatically driven microswitches. The mathematical model is first developed, including the effects of mid-plane stretching, fringing field capacitance, squeeze-film damping together with the effect of elastic contact with the stationary dielectric substrate. The contact between the movable and the stationary electrodes is modeled as a foundation made by a combination of nonlinear springs and dampers. To discretize the system of partial differential equations of the electrostatic switch into ordinary differential equations, the Galerkin’s method is employed. Both fixed–fixed and fixed–free configurations of the switch are investigated. A parametric study is presented to establish the robustness and efficacy of the proposed technique to mitigate the contact bounces. Additionally, the effect of variation in the extent of damping, stretching parameter and input voltage on switching time is investigated.

Comprehensive Review of RF MEMS Switches in Satellite Communications

“…This amplifies the likelihood of failure due to adhesion. Increased impact velocity can strengthen contact bouncing and residual vibrations [67,85,86], mainly due to the inertial momentum of the movable electrode and the elastic energy stored in its structure [85,87]. This bouncing can last for an extended period and does not stop until a stable contact is achieved.…”

The Influence of Background Ultrasonic Field on the Strength of Adhesive Zones under Dynamic Impact Loads

“…This approach remains popular despite the fact that it was suggested one and a half centuries ago. There are now many extended Winkler models in which various rheological measurements of the beam foundation are considered [16][17][18]. Beam bending under interaction of Winkler's elastic foundation has even been implemented into the finite element method [19], and the numerical simulation is also a common way to study dynamic problems of adhesive strength analytically.…”