Large-displacement microactuators in deep reactive ion-etched single-crystal silicon

A comparison of three different large-displacement microactuator technologies fabricated by deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) in silicon-on insulator (SOI) substrates is presented. Electrothermal, curved electrode electrostatic, and combdrive electrostatic actuator designs are considered, with each actuator design capable of producing more than 100 mm of displacement. Analytic models for each actuator type are reviewed, and both theoretical and experimental data for fabricated devices are analyzed and compared with respect to displacement, force, and power consumption.