Systems and methods for reducing the actuation voltage for electrostatic MEMS devices
AssigneeNUtech Ventures
InventorsFadi Alsaleem, Mohammad H. Hasan
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Abstract
Systems and methods to amplify the response of a MEMS micro-oscillator by driving the MEMS device at its electrical and mechanical resonance frequencies, simultaneously. This enhances the MEMS mechanical sensitivity to electrical excitation and increases the voltage across the MEMS capacitor. Moreover, using a combination of two input signals at different frequencies (beat signal) may be used to achieve double resonance in any MEMS device, even if its natural frequency is far from its electrical resonance.
Claims7
A method of actuating an electrostatic micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) micro-oscillator device, wherein the MEMS device has a natural mechanical resonance frequency and an internal electrical resonance frequency, the method comprising:
- driving the MEMS device with a first alternating current (AC) signal;
- and
- simultaneously driving the MEMS device with a second AC signal,
- wherein a frequency of the first AC signal is within the 3-db bandwidth of, or substantially the same as, the internal electrical resonance frequency and wherein a difference between the frequency of the first AC signal and a frequency of the second AC signal is near to or substantially the same as the natural mechanical resonance frequency.
A method of actuating an electrostatic micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) micro-oscillator device, wherein the MEMS device has a natural mechanical resonance frequency that is near to or substantially the same as an internal electrical resonance frequency of the MEMS device, the method comprising:
- driving the MEMS device with a first alternating current (AC) signal, wherein a frequency of the first AC signal is near to or substantially the same as the internal electrical resonance frequency or the natural mechanical resonance frequency.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.