MEMS Electrostatic comb actuators with different configurations: A comparison of structure design and materials using COMSOL 3.5a

I n this paper different electrostatic comb designs are compared on the basis of structure and materials. Large displacement comb actuators at low actuation voltage should employ large number of comb fingers, reduced distance between the combs and by increasing the width of the fingers. Silicon has been the dominant mechanical materials for MEMS fabrication. However, other materials such as glass, ceramics, polymers and metals are equally useful at this scale and they have also been used as structural materials with great success. COMSOL Multiphysics 3.5a is used for the designing purpose as it offers Finite element analysis to prove the concept of controlled displacement of the movable comb fingers, achieved by prescribing the amount of electrostatic force generated by the device.