Mechanics of Micro

Electromechanical Systems
(MEMS)
(A Brief Overview.)

By Kaisar Katchi
Topics
● Basics of MEM sensors and actuators
● Stiffness
● Microcantilevers
● Microhinges
● Microbridges
● Microsuspensions
What are MEMS?
● Devices that transform an input form of energy, such as thermal, electrostatic,
electromagnetic or optical, into output mechanical motion (in the case of
actuation).
● Or, devices that can operate with the reversed functionality (as in sensors) and
convert an external stimulus, such as mechanical motion, into (generally) electric
energy.
Classification
Constant cross-section, circular, corner-filleted and elliptic
Hinges
configurations

Cantilevers Solid or hollow

Bridges fixed-fixed mechanical components

beam-type structures (straight, bent or curved), U-springs,

Suspensions or
serpentine springs, sagittal springs, folded beams, and spiral
Microsprings
springs (with either small or large number of turns)
Operation
● MEMS mainly move by elastic deformation of their flexible components.
● Static response of elastic members is characterized by defining their relevant
stiffnesses.
● Castigliano’s theorems are utilized to derive stiffness or compliance equations.
Stiffness and Compliance for a Linear Spring
● Force is applied by slowly increasing its magnitude
from zero to a final value over a period of time.
● The force is in static equilibrium with the spring
force at any moment in time..
● For materials with linear elastic behavior and in
the small-deformation range, the stiffness is
constant.
● K = Linear Stiffness. C = Linear Compliance.
Stiffness and Compliance for Rotary (Torsion) Springs
● M = Torque applied to the central
shaft
Beam in Bending

● A force is applied at the free end of a fixed-free beam.

● Produces both a linear deformation (the deflection) and a rotary one (the slope).
Beam in Bending

● The stiffness Kl connects the force to its direct effect, the deflection about the
force’s direction (the subscript l indicates its linear/translatory character).
● The other stiffness, which is called cross-stiffness (indicated by Kc) relates a cause
(the force) to an effect (the slope/rotation).

● A similar causal relationship is produced when applying a moment at the free end
of the cantilever.. The moment generates a slope/rotation, as well as a deflection at
the beam’s tip.
The Stiffness Matrix:

The matrix connecting the load vector on the left hand side to the deformation vector
in the right hand side is called bending-related stiffness matrix.
The Compliance Matrix
Stress and Strain
Plane Stress and Strain
● Thin plates, thin bars and thin beams that are acted
upon by forces in their plane, are examples of MEMS
components that are in a plane state of stress.
● For thicker components, the cross-sections of shafts in
torsion are also in a state of plane stress.
● In a state of plane strain, the stress perpendicular to
the plane of interest does not vanish, but all other
stresses in Eqs. (1.31) are zero.
● Microbeams that are acted upon by forces
perpendicular to the larger cross-sectional dimension
are in a state of plane strain.
Example: Plane Strain and Plane Stress
Types of Loading
1. Normal loading
2. Torsion loading
3. Shearing
4. Bending
Boundary Conditions and Equilibrium
● Degrees of Freedom - For a planar system, 3 possible D.O.F.s.
● For planar structures, line members, 3 possible equations. (Fx, Fy, M.)

If a planar system has:

● More than three unknowns: It is statistically indetermenate.

● Exactly three unknowns: It is statistically determenate.
● Less than three unknowns: It is statically unstable.
Castigliano’s Theorems:

Skipped.
Composite Members
Serially Connected Members
Microcantilevers
Microhinges
Microbridges
Characteristics
● Components that can operate individually.
● Can also be incorporated into more complex configurations.
● Designed to deform either in bending or torsion about a sensitive axis.
● In actuality they are also subject to other deformations (called parasitic because
they alter the intended functionality) such as those produced by:
○ axial forces
○ shearing forces
○ bending moments about directions other than the main sensitive axis.
Characteristics (Continued)
● These microcomponents are one-dimensional members with
○ Either fixed-free boundary conditions (such as the microcantilevers and
microhinges)
○ Or fixed-fixed boundary conditions (such as the microbridges).
● The very same geometrical configuration can function in either one of the three
categories, subject to different boundary conditions and overall structure of a
specific mechanism.
Functionality
● They can operate as:
○ sensors (microcantilevers)
○ actuators (microcantilevers and microbridges)
○ simple flexible joints in compliant microdevices (microhinges)
Microcantilevers
● Used as sensing/actuation devices in a vast range of applications including:
○ Nanoindentation
○ High-resolution optical position detection
○ surface topology imaging
○ Measurement/probing of material elastic and strength properties
○ Writing on surface topologies
○ Metallography
○ Micro-lubrication/tribology etc
● Can operate in a contact mode or in a non-contact mode
Schematic
Categories
1. Configurations that are designed for
atomic force microscopy (AFM)
applications.
2. Configurations that are designed as
sensing devices in applications such
as detection of very small amounts
of added substance.
Microcantilevers - Simple Lumped-Parameter Model
● In either actuation or sensing, the
microcantilever will deflect from
its original straight shape/position.
● This alteration can be quantified
by either measuring the deflection
or the slope (generally at the tip of
the microcantilever) through
optical means, or by monitoring
the change in the natural
frequency using stiffness
equations..
Solid Microcantilevers (AFM)
● Can be rectangular, trapezoid and filleted.
Hollow Microcantilevers (AFM)
● Can be rectangular, triangular, trapezoidal.
Microhinges (aka Flexion or Torsion Hinges)
Utilized as joints in MEMS that provide the relative motion between two adjacent rigid
links through elastic deformation
Compound Microcantilevers
● For a pre-specified geometric
envelope of the microcantilever
(such as a rectangle), the only
way of altering the stiffness is by
changing the geometry of the
member, which can be done by
cutting notches in the original
rectangular profile.
Folded Microcantilevers (aka MicroC-In-MicroC)
● One microcantilever that is attached
serially to another microcantilever
pair.
● Primary out-of-plane bending is
realized by the two side
microcantilevers.
● The deformation of the center
(inner) microcantilever, which is
serially connected to the outer pair, is
augmented.
Microbridges
● Essentially microcantilevers (or microhinges) that are fixed at both ends.
● Mainly used in MEMS applications such as filters and switches.
● Actuation is usually applied over a region located about the member’s center
line, such that out-of-the-plane bending motion is achieved.
Microbridges (Schematics)
● Built by means of the MUMPs technology
● Consists of two notched areas that border
a central plate where electrostatic
actuation/sensing can be applied.
● Advantage: bending is localized at the two
notch regions such that the central
portion can perform an out-of-theplane
motion, which more closely resembles the
translation of a rigid body.
Compound Microbridges
● Different compliant segments that
are connected serially and are fixed
at the extremities of the chain
● Fig. shows the geometric
dimensions of a microbridge
which is composed of two
identical segments, 1-2 and 4-5,
which are adjacent to the middle
segment 2-4.
Microsuspensions
● Accomplish the double role of:
○ Supporting other components, which are regularly rigid.
○ Providing the necessary flexibility in a microdevice that has moving parts.
● They are essentially springs.
● Although sensitive to rotary motion, are mainly intended to operate as linear
springs in devices that undergo translatory motion.
Microsuspensions - Beam Suspension
● The simplest microsuspension is a beam which enables a rigid body to translate,
to rotate or to displace in a combined translatory-rotary motion.
● The beam elastically deforms mainly under bending or/and torsion.
● Each beam is fixed at one end by means of an anchor.
Microsuspensions - Bent Beam Suspensions (Corner Spring)
● The body translates about one of
the directions indicated in the
figure.
● The boundary conditions are
assumed to be fixed-free, as also
indicated in the same figure.
Microsuspensions - U-Springs
● Microsprings that have
the approximate shape
of the letter U (called
here U-springs) are
mainly used in
applications involving
translatory motion of
rigid bodies.
Microsuspensions - U-Springs
Microsuspensions - U-Springs - Circular Short Link
Serpentine Springs
● Another solution for
springs that support a
proof mass frontally is the
serpentine spring.
● A serpentine spring is
formed of one or several
series-connected units.
● In fig. the units are
identical.
Serpentine Springs
● Fig. shows configuration with units
scaled down in their dimension
linearly.
● The scaling law can be different
than the linear one shown.
Bent Beam Serpentine Spring
● One disadvantage of the bent
beam spring suspension is that
for any of the two in-plane
translations of the central
body, one spring’s leg will be in
compression, and the load
produced by the moving mass
might reach the critical limit
that will generate buckling of
that leg.
Saggital Springs
● This spring configuration can be
employed as a displacement
amplification microdevice.
Folded Beams
● Utilized to spring-couple to the
translatory motion of a proof mass
● Two pairs of so-called folded beams are
placed on the sides of the moving mass.
● Unlike the other configurations where
the springs have been coupled in a serial
fashion at both ends of the mass and
aligned with the motion direction, each
of the folded-beam springs are placed in
parallel to the mass by supporting it
from the two sides.
Microsuspensions For Rotary Motion
Similar to the way microsuspension configurations that are used in linear-motion
applications are also able to accommodate rotary motion, the rotary microsprings can
also be sensitive to linear motion.
Curved-Beam Springs
● Several identical curved springs that
are attached to a central hub at one
end and to a tubular shaft (which is
concentric with the inner hub) at the
other end.
● The set of curved beams act as both
suspensions and springs: they
connect hub and central shaft, and
elastically oppose the relative rotary
motion between the two rigid
components.
Spiral Springs
● Spiral Spring (Thick or Thin) with ● Spiral Spring with Large Number
Small Number of Turns: of Turns:
Design and Fabrication Issues:
● Precision issues
○ Material property variability
● Microfabrication limitations
○ Producing ideal geometric shapes
○ Simplifying assumptions in modeling
Source
Mechanics of Microelectromechanical Systems by N. Lobontiu and E. Garcia (Kluwer
Academic Publishers)
FIN.