Orientation stabilization for MEMS devices

Abstract

A control circuit designed to control driving voltages applied to the actuating electrodes of a MEMS mirror. The control circuit is interfaced with a mirror position sensor and includes a variable gain amplifier whose output depends on a desired mirror equilibrium angle and a current mirror tilt angle determined by the sensor. The desired equilibrium angle can be changed by varying a reference signal applied to the amplifier. The control circuit can stabilize the mirror at relatively large tilt angles and, as a result, extend the available angular range beyond the snap-down angle. Since the number of MEMS mirrors that can be arrayed in an optical cross-connect is a function of the available angular range, the number of channels in a cross-connect may be substantially increased.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.