This paper reports on area-efficient, ultrawideband, MEMS-reconfigurable directional couplers, whose coupling is tuned by mechanically changing the geometry of 3D-micromachined coupled transmission lines, utilizing integrated MEMS electrostatic actuators. Devices have been fabricated in an SOI RF MEMS process. Furthermore, to the best knowledge of the authors, we report for the first time on co...

This paper reports on design, fabrication and characterization of high-Q MEMS resonators to be used in optical applications like laser displays and LIDAR range sensors. Stacked vertical comb drives for electrostatic actuation of single-axis scanners and biaxial MEMS mirrors were realized in a dual layer polysilicon SOI process. High Q-factors up to 145,000 have been achieved applying wafer leve...

Dielectric elastomer actuator (DEA) micro- and nano-structures are referred to artificial muscles because of their specific continuous power and adequate time response. The bending measurement of an asymmetric, planar DEA is described. The asymmetric cantilevers consist of 1 or 5 μm-thin DEAs deposited on polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) substrates 16, 25, 38, or 50 μm thick. The application of a...

This paper presents a low-power hybrid thermopneumatic microvalve with an electrostatic hold and integrated valve plate position sensing. This combination of actuators in a single structure enables a high throw and force actuator with low energy consumption, a combination that is difficult to otherwise achieve. The completed 7.5 mm × 10.3 mm × 1.5 mm valve has an open flow rate of 8 sccm at 600...

We present a simulation and experimental investigation of bi-directional tunable in-plane clamped–guided arch microbeam resonators. Tensile and compressive axial forces are generated from a bi-directional electrostatic actuator, which modulates the microbeam stiffness, and hence changes its natural frequency to lower or higher values from its as-fabricated value. Several devices of various anch...

We present a lamellar grating interferometer realized with microelectromechanical system technology. It is used as a time-scanning Fourier-transform spectrometer. The motion is carried out by an electrostatic comb drive actuator fabricated by silicon micromachining, particularly by silicon-on-insulator technology. For the first time to our knowledge, we measure the spectrum of an extended white...

The reproducibility of the pull-in voltage of a single side clamped free-standing beam has been investigated for application as a DC voltage reference. A 2 mm long beam has been fabricated in an epipoly process with, at the tip, poly-poly electrodes extending into the axial direction for electrostatic lateral deflection and a combdrive operating in the normal lateral beam direction. The DC volt...

We describe an instrument called a friction force scanner (FFS) able to perform calibrated measurements of the behaviour of mechanical junctions with more than four orders of magnitude of resolution for both displacement and force. A probe carrier is suspended by fibres in an arrangement that provides exactly two degrees of freedom of motion. The suspension makes it possible to measure the carr...