A magnetic levitation actuator for micro-assembly

The magnetic levitation actuator, which is composed of three layers of silicon structures and a permanent magnet, has been fabricated using micromachining technology and assembled. The top layer consists of a groove and many pairs of small square coils which are used to generate driving forces. The middle layer consists of a groove which composes the moving guide of the permanent magnet with that of top layer. A long rectangle coil is built on the bottom layer, which is used to generate a levitating force. Simulation results show that the magnetic levitation actuator works effectively.