Bipolar staggered comb drive for bidirectional MEMS actuation

A comb drive, comprising:

• a stator comb having a first electrically conductive layer spaced apart from a second electrically conductive layer;
• and
• a rotor comb having a first electrically conductive layer spaced apart from a second electrically conductive layer,
• wherein:
• the first electrically conductive layer of the rotor comb is configured to receive a first voltage from a first voltage source;
• the second electrically conductive layer of the rotor comb is configured to receive a second voltage from a second voltage source;
• and
• the first electrically conductive layer of the stator comb is configured to receive a third voltage at an intermediate level that is lower than the first voltage and higher than the second voltage from a third voltage source at substantially a same time as the first electrically conductive layer of the rotor comb receives the first voltage and the second electrically conductive layer of the rotor comb receives the second voltage to initiate a motion of the rotor comb along a first direction, wherein the third voltage is changed from the intermediate level to being equal to one of the first or second voltage after the motion of the rotor comb is initiated but before the motion of the rotor comb changes to a second direction that is opposite to the first direction.