Numerical analysis of theoretical model of the RF MEMS switches

An improved electromechanical model of the RF MEMS (radio frequency microelectromechanical systems) switches is introduced, in which the effects of intrinsic residual stress from fabrication processes, axial stress due to stretching of beam， and fringing field are taken into account. Four dimensionless numbers are derived from the governing equation of the developed model. A semianalytical method is developed to calculate the behavior of the RF MEMS switches. Subsequently the influence of the material and geometry parameters on the behavior of the structure is analyzed and compared, and the corresponding analysis with the dimensionless numbers is conducted too. The quantitative relationship between the presented parameters and the critical pull-in voltage is obtained, and the relative importance of those parameters is given.     

Dynamic pull-in phenomenon in MEMS resonators

We study the pull-in instability in microelectromechanical (MEMS) resonators and find that characteristics of the pull-in phenomenon in the presence of AC loads differ from those under purely DC loads. We analyze this phenomenon, dubbed dynamic pull-in, and formulate safety criteria for the design of MEMS resonant sensors and filters excited near one of their natural frequencies. We also utilize this phenomenon to design a low-voltage MEMS RF switch actuated with a combined DC and AC loading. The new switch uses a voltage much lower than the traditionally used DC voltage. Either the frequency or the amplitude of the AC loading can be adjusted to reduce the driving voltage and switching time. The new actuation method has the potential of solving the problem of high driving voltages of RF MEMS switches.     

Impact dynamics of MEMS switches

During operation, a MEMS switch is activated by an applied voltage. This causes the switch, often a doped silicon microbeam, to be attracted toward (pulled-into) a substrate. The component–substrate contact completes a circuit and permits the flow of current. Calculations for the minimum voltage required to achieve quasi-static pull-in are well documented. But for these quasi-static pull-in voltages to be meaningful, the voltage would have to be increased gradually until the critical value V_pull-inV_{\mathrm{pull\mbox{-}in}} is reached and the switch closes. Of course, practical considerations might require the switch to cycle on and off quickly, i.e., dynamically. This is particularly true in the case of radio frequency (RF) MEMS switches. In this paper, a model is developed and used to consider the dynamic pull-in characteristics of a clamped-clamped microbeam. This model includes inertial effects, structural and air damping (squeeze-film damping), as well as the impact behavior of the microbeam with the substrate. Parameter combinations leading to various types of behavior (no pull-in, air-bounce, wall bounce, etc.) are clearly identified. In an attempt to ensure fast switch closure and limit bouncing, two new applied voltage profiles are considered.     

Pull-in analysis of electrically actuated viscoelastic microbeams based on a modified couple stress theory

A new beam model is developed for the viscoelastic microbeam based on a modified couple stress model which contains only one material length scale parameter. The governing equations of equilibrium together with initial conditions and boundary conditions are obtained by a combination of the basic equations of modified couple stress theory and Hamilton’s principle. This new beam model is then used for an electrically actuated microbeam-based MEMS structure. The dynamic and quasi-static governing equations of an electrically actuated viscoelastic microbeam are firstly given where the axial force created by the midplane stretching effect is also considered. Galerkin method is used to solve above equation and this method is also validated by the finite element method (FEM) when our model is reduced into an elastic case. The numerical results show that the instantaneous pull-in voltage, durable pull-in voltage and pull-in delay time predicted by this newly developed model is larger (longer) than that predicted by the classical beam model. A comparison between the quasi-static model results and the dynamic model results is also given.     

Size-dependent dynamic pull-in instability of hydrostatically and electrostatically actuated circular microplates

In the present study, the dynamic pull-in instability and free vibration of circular microplates subjected to combined hydrostatic and electrostatic forces are investigated. To take size effects into account, the strain gradient elasticity theory is incorporated into the Kirchhoff plate theory to develop a nonclassical plate model including three internal material length scale parameters. By using Hamilton’s principle, the higher-order governing equation and the corresponding boundary conditions are obtained. Afterward, a generalized differential quadrature (GDQ) method is employed to discritize the governing differential equations along with simply supported and clamped edge supports. To evaluate the pull-in voltage and vibration frequencies of actuated microplates, the hydrostatic-electrostatic actuation is assumed to be calculated by neglecting the fringing field effects and utilizing the parallel plate approximation. Also, a comparison between the pull-in voltages predicted by the strain gradient theory and the degenerated ones is presented. It is revealed that increasing the dimensionless internal length scale parameter or decreasing the applied hydrostatic pressures leads to higher values of the pull-in voltage. Moreover, it is found that the value of pull-in hydrostatic pressure decreases corresponding to higher dimensionless internal length scale parameters and applied voltages.     

Pull-in instability analyses for NEMS actuators with quartic shape approximation

The pull-in instability of a cantilever nano-actuator model incorporating the effects of the surface, the fringing field, and the Casimir attraction force is investigated. A new quartic polynomial is proposed as the shape function of the beam during the deflection, satisfying all of the four boundary values. The Gaussian quadrature rule is used to treat the involved integrations, and the design parameters are preserved in the evaluated formulas. The analytic expressions are derived for the tip deflection and pull-in parameters of the cantilever beam. The micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) cantilever actuators and freestanding nanoactuators are considered as two special cases. It is proved that the proposed method is convenient for the analyses of the effects of the surface, the Casimir force, and the fringing field on the pull-in parameters.     

Pull-in voltage analysis of electrostatically actuated MEMS with piezoelectric layers: A size-dependent model

A size-dependent model for electrostatically actuated microbeam-based MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems) with piezoelectric layers attached is developed based on a modified couple stress theory. By using Hamilton's principle, the nonlinear differential governing equation and boundary conditions of the MEM structure are derived. In the newly developed model, the residual stresses, fringing-field and axial stress effects are considered for the fixed–fixed microbeam with piezoelectric layers. The results of the present model are compared with those from the classical model. The results show the size effect becomes prominent if the beam dimension is comparable to the material length scale parameter (MLSP). The effects of MLSP, the residual stresses and axial stress on the pull-in voltage are also studied. The study may be helpful to characterize the mechanical and electrostatic properties of small size MEMS, or guide the design of microbeam-based devices for a wide range of potential applications.     

Influence of size effect and elastic boundary condition on the pull-in instability of nano-scale cantilever beams immersed in liquid electrolytes

In this study, the static pull-in instability of nanocantilever beams immersed in a liquid electrolyte is theoretically investigated. In modeling the nanocantilever beam, the effects of van der Waals forces, elastic boundary condition and size dependency are considered. The modified couple stress theory, containing material length scale parameter, is used to interpret the size effect which appears in micro/nanoscale structures. The modified Adomian decomposition (MAD) method is used to gain an approximate analytical expression for the critical pull-in parameters which are essential for the design of micro/nanoactuators. The results show that the beam can deflect upward or downward, based on the values of the non-dimensional parameters. It is found that the size effect greatly influences the beam deflection and is more noticeable for small thicknesses. Neglecting size effect overestimates the deflection of the nanobeam. The findings reveal that the increase of ion concentration increases the pull-in voltage but decreases the pull-in deflection. Furthermore, an increase in ion concentration increases the influence of size-dependent effect on pull-in voltage.     

Multistability of cantilever MEMS/NEMS switches induced by electrostatic and surface forces

MEMS/NEMS switches are used in a variety of portable electronics and RF telecommunications systems. MEMS/NEMS switches are ideally bi-stable, with one ON and one OFF state and a reliable switching between the two induced by electrical actuation. Presented herein is an exploration into non-ideal behavior, i.e. tri-stability, and parametric sensitivity of a generalization of cantilever MEMS/NEMS switches. The representative system model employs multiphysics features based on Euler–Bernoulli beam theory, parallel plate capacitance for electrostatics, and a Lennard-Jones form of surface interaction. The geometry, material properties, and surface features of the device are condensed into just a few dimensionless quantities, creating a parameter space of low enough dimensionality to provide accessible representations of all system equilibria within physically relevant ranges. Analysis of this system model offers insight regarding conditions necessary for bi- and tri-stability in such systems, which are crucial for informing studies on switching dynamics and various device performance metrics.     

静电激励MEMS微结构吸合电压尺寸效应研究

基于应变梯度弹性理论,研究了静电激励MEMS微结构吸合电压的尺寸效应。利用最小势能原理分别推导出含尺寸效应的一维梁模型和二维板模型的高阶控制方程。采用广义微分求积法和拟弧长算法对控制方程进行了数值求解。结果表明,随着结构尺寸的降低,新模型所预测的归一化的吸合电压呈非线性增长,表现出尺寸效应(特别是当结构尺寸与内禀常数在同一数量级时尺寸效应更加强烈);而相应的经典理论模型并不能预测此尺寸效应。两种新模型可视为相应经典理论的推广。本文有助于研究MEMS微结构的特性并对微结构的设计有潜在的应用价值。     

Closed-form solutions of the pull-in instability in nano-cantilevers under electrostatic and intermolecular surface forces

In this paper, a distributed parameter model is used to study the pull-in instability of cantilever type nanomechanical switches subjected to intermolecular and electrostatic forces. In modeling of the electrostatic force, the fringing field effect is taken into account. The model is nonlinear due to the inherent nonlinearity of the intermolecular and electrostatic forces. The nonlinear differential equation of the model is transformed into the integral form by using the Green’s function of the cantilever beam. Closed-form solutions are obtained by assuming an appropriate shape function for the beam deflection to evaluate the integrals. The pull-in parameters of the switch are computed under the combined effects of electrostatic and intermolecular forces. Electrostatic microactuators and freestanding nanoactuators are considered as special cases of our study. The detachment length and the minimum initial gap of freestanding nano-cantilevers, which are the basic design parameters for NEMS switches, are determined. The results of the distributed parameter model are compared with the lumped parameter model.     

考虑卡西米尔力的静电激励NEMS吸合特性及其尺寸效应研究

基于应变梯度理论和哈密顿原理,并考虑卡西米尔力的影响,建立了静电激励纳米机电系统(NEMS)的尺寸效应模型,并得到模型的控制方程和边界条件。然后,引入广义微分求积法和拟弧长算法,得到模型的数值解。结果表明,当考虑卡西米尔力的影响时,系统两极的吸合电压有所减小。并且,当系统尺寸达到一个临界值时(即两电极间距小于“最小间距”,或可变形电极长度超过“拉起长度”),系统会在没有外加电压的作用下自动发生吸合,这将为NEMS的优化设计和定量分析提供理论基础。     

Investigation of size-dependent quasistatic response of electrically actuated nonlinear viscoelastic microcantilevers and microbridges

This study investigates the size-dependent quasistatic response of a nonlinear viscoelastic microelectromechanical system (MEMS) under an electric actuation. To have this problem in view, the deformable electrode of the MEMS is modelled using cantilever and doubly-clamped viscoelastic microbeams. The modified couple stress theory in conjunction with Bernoulli–Euler beam theory are used for mathematical modeling of the size-dependent instability of microsystems in the framework of linear viscoelastic theory. Simultaneous effect of electrostatic actuation including fringing field, residual stress, mid-plane stretching and Casimir and van der Waals intermolecular forces are considered in the theoretical model. A single element of the standard linear solid element is used to simulate the viscoelastic behavior. Based on the extended Hamilton’s variational principle, the nonlinear governing integro-differential equation and boundary conditions are derived. Thereafter, a new generalized differential-integral quadrature solution for the nonlinear quasistatic response of electrically actuated viscoelastic micro/nanobeams under two different boundary conditions; doubly-clamped microbridge and clamped-free microcantilever. The developed model is verified and a good agreement is obtained. Finally, a comprehensive study is conducted to investigate the effects of various parameters such as material relaxation time, durable modulus, material length scale parameter, Casimir force, van der Waals force, initial gap and beam length on the pull-in response of viscoelastic microbridges and microcantilevers in the framework of viscoelasticity.     

Pull-in instability of a typical electrostatic MEMS resonator and its control by delayed feedback

Pull-in instability of the electrostatic microstructures is a common undesirable phenomenon which implies the loss of reliability of micro-electromechanical systems. Therefore, it is necessary to understand its mechanism and then reduce the phenomenon. In this work, pull-in instability of a typical electrostatic MEMS resonator is discussed in detail. Delayed position feedback and delayed velocity feedback are introduced to suppress pull-in instability, respectively. The thresholds of AC voltage for pull-in instability in the initial system and the controlled systems are obtained analytically by the Melnikov method. The theoretical predictions are in good agreement with the numerical results. It follows that pull-in instability of the MEMS resonator can be ascribed to the homoclinic bifurcation inducing by the AC and DC load. Furthermore, it is found that the controllers are both good strategies to reduce pull-in instability when their gains are positive. The delayed position feedback controller can work well only when the delay is very short and AC voltage is low, while the delayed velocity feedback will be effective under a much higher AC voltage and a wider delay range.     

具有初始构型的MEMS驱动器的跳跃和吸合现象研究

在曲梁变形后以弧长为参数的自然坐标系中,利用曲梁大变形分析理论,建立了具有任意初始构型的微电驱动器大变形电动力学分析的数学模型,并采用微分求积法(DQM)进行空间离散,得到了一组具有强非线性的微分-代数系统方程,运用Petzold-Gear BDF方法进行时间域内的求解。研究了MEMS驱动器在电场力作用下的瞬态动力学特性,包括跳跃(snap-through)和吸合(pull-in)现象,并与已有实验结果进行了比较。     

Size-dependent vibration of functionally graded curved microbeams based on the modified strain gradient elasticity theory

On the basis of the modified strain gradient elasticity theory, the free vibration characteristics of curved microbeams made of functionally graded materials (FGMs) whose material properties vary in the thickness direction are investigated. A size-dependent first-order shear deformation beam model is developed containing three internal material length scale parameters to incorporate small-scale effect. Through Hamilton’s principle, the higher-order governing equations of motion and boundary conditions are derived. Natural frequencies of FGM curved microbeams corresponding to different mode numbers are evaluated for over a wide range of material property gradient index, dimensionless length scale parameter and aspect ratio. Moreover, the results obtained via the present non-classical first-order shear deformation beam model are compared with those of degenerated beam models based on the modified couple stress and the classical theories. It is found that the difference between the natural frequencies predicted by the various beam models is more significant for lower values of dimensionless length scale parameter and higher values of mode number.     

Lyapunov exponents as a criterion for the dynamic pull-in instability of electrostatically actuated microstructures

The dynamic pull-in instability of double clamped microscale beams actuated by a suddenly applied distributed electrostatic force and subjected to non-linear squeeze film damping is investigated. A reduced order model is built using the Galerkin decomposition with undamped linear modes as base functions and verified through comparison with numerical finite differences solution. The stability analysis of a beam actuated by one and two electrodes symmetrically located at two sides of the beam and operated by a step-input voltage is performed by evaluating the largest Lyapunov exponent, the sign of which defines the character of the response. It is shown that this approach provides an efficient quantitative criterion for the evaluation of dynamic pull-in instability, especially when combined with compact reduced order models. Based on the Lyapunov exponent criterion, the influence of various parameters on the beam dynamic stability is investigated.     

旋转悬臂梁的刚柔耦合动力学建模与频率分析

对固结于转动刚体上外接柔性梁的刚柔耦合动力学建模和频率特性进行了研究,在精确描述柔性梁非线性变形的基础上,利用Hamilton变分原理和假设模态法,在计入柔性梁由于横向变形而引起的轴向变形二阶耦合量的条件下,推导出考虑"动力刚化"项的一次近似耦合模型。首先忽略柔性梁纵向变形的影响,给出一次近似简化模型,引入无量纲变量,对简化模型做无量纲化处理,分析梁固有频率对模态截断数的依赖性;其次研究在一次近似简化模型和零次近似简化模型下,调谐角速度与共振现象的关系;最后分析一次近似耦合模型的动力特性。研究发现,为保证计算的精度,模态截断数应随无量纲角速度的增大而增加,合理的模态截断数具有收敛值;一次近似简化模型下悬臂梁横向弯曲振动不存在共振调谐角速度,一次耦合模型下柔性梁并没有出现屈曲失稳现象。现有典型文献的相关结论是值得商榷的。     

Dynamics of a Canonical Electrostatic MEMS/NEMS System

The mass-spring model of electrostatically actuated microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) or nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) is pervasive in the MEMS and NEMS literature. Nonetheless a rigorous analysis of this model does not exist. Here periodic solutions of the canonical mass-spring model in the viscosity dominated time harmonic regime are studied. Ranges of the dimensionless average applied voltage and dimensionless frequency of voltage variation are delineated such that periodic solutions exist. Parameter ranges where such solutions fail to exist are identified; this provides a dynamic analog to the static “pull-in” instability well known to MEMS/NEMS researchers.      

STICTION AND ANTI—STICTION IN MEMS AND NEMS

Stiction in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) has been a major failure mode ever since the advent of surface micromachining in the 80s of the last century due to large surfacearea-to-volume ratio. Even now when solutions to this problem are emerging, such as self-assembled monolayer (SAM) and other measures, stiction remains one of the most catastrophic failure modes in MEMS. A review is presented in this paper on stiction and anti-stiction in MEMS and nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS). First, some new experimental observations of stiction in radio frequency (RF) MEMS switch and micromachined accelerometers are presented. Second, some criteria for stiction of microstructures in MEMS and NEMS due to surface forces (such as capillary, electrostatic, van der Waals, Casimir forces, etc.) are reviewed. The influence of surface roughness and environmental conditions (relative humidity and temperature) on stiction are also discussed. As hydrophobic films, the self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) turn out able to prevent release-related stiction effectively. The anti-stiction of SAMs in MEMS is reviewed in the last part. The project supported by the Distinguished Young Scholar Fund of NSFC (10225209), key project from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (KJCX2-SW-L2) and National “973” Project (G1999033103)