Design and Simulation of MEMS based Thermally Actuated Positioning System

In this paper, we have addressed the design and simulation results of an thermally actuated positioning system that is capable of producing in-plane as well as out-of-plane displacements. The device was designed to be consistent with the design rules of PolyMUMPs process. The coupled multiphysics simulation and study of the electrical, thermal and - most importantly - the mechanical behavior of the positioning system was done using COMSOL Multiphysics. The device has an inplane displacement range of 4.4 mu m (2.2 mu m in either direction). An out-of-plane displacement range of approximately 15 mu m is achieved for an input voltage range of only 5V. The ability of precise control of movement of the positioning system in space is likely to lead to potential applications in diverse fields.