Analysis, testing and optimisation of electrostatic comb-drive levitational actuators

This work presents an analysis of the levitation effect in electrostatic comb fingers and of its possible use for vertical or torsional actuation of micromachined structures. Two different levitational mechanical resonators were designed and fabricated in a thick-polysilicon technology. A study of the dependence of the force intensity on the geometric parameters of the actuators were performed using FEM simulations, and information about critical geometrical parameters in the design of operative levitational actuators were obtained. The devices were characterized and the obtained results were compared with FEM simulations.