MEMSp Component Reference

6.
MEMS+ Component Reference
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Doc Ver 6.3 Rev A Compatible with MEMS+ version 6.3
ii March 29, 2018 Coventor, Inc.

Table of Contents Version 6.3
Table of Contents
Section 1: Introduction
1.1: Overview.................................................................................................. C1-1
1.1.1: Features in the MEMS+ Behavioral Model Library .................................................. C1-3
1.2: Available Components........................................................................... C1-4
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Section 2: Global Component Properties
2.1: Overview.................................................................................................. C2-1
2.2: Properties................................................................................................ C2-1
2.3: Numerical Simulation Settings.............................................................. C2-4

2.3.1: Contact Softening .................................................................................................... C2-4
2.3.2: Adhesion Softening.................................................................................................. C2-4
2.3.3: Linearization Gap for Electrostatics and Fluidics ..................................................... C2-5
Electrostatic Force and Linearization ...................................................................... C2-5
Fluidic Force and Linearization................................................................................ C2-5
Electrostatic and Fluidic Linearization with a Dielectric ........................................... C2-6
2.4: Rayleigh Damping .................................................................................. C2-7
2.5: Unit Scale Factors .................................................................................. C2-8

2.5.1: Using the Wizard to Set Scale Factors .................................................................... C2-8
2.6: Right Click Options ................................................................................ C2-8
Section 3: Components
3.1: Local Frame ............................................................................................ C3-1
3.1.1: Properties................................................................................................................. C3-1
3.1.2: Example ................................................................................................................... C3-1
3.2: Package ................................................................................................... C3-2
3.3: SubSchematic......................................................................................... C3-2
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3.4: Rigid Plate ...............................................................................................C3-6

3.4.1: Rigid Plate Hierarchy ............................................................................................... C3-7
3.4.2: Rigid Plate Properties .............................................................................................. C3-8
Perforation Density ................................................................................................ C3-10
3.4.3: Component Information.......................................................................................... C3-14
3.4.4: Local Frame ........................................................................................................... C3-15
Using Local Frames to Orient Segments............................................................... C3-15
3.4.5: Triangular Segment................................................................................................ C3-17
3.4.6: Rectangular Segment ............................................................................................ C3-18
3.4.7: Quadrilateral Segment ........................................................................................... C3-20
3.4.8: Polynomial Segment .............................................................................................. C3-21
3.4.9: Circle Band Segment ............................................................................................. C3-23
3.4.10: Circle Section Segment........................................................................................ C3-25
3.4.11: Arc Segment ........................................................................................................ C3-26
3.4.12: Pie Segment......................................................................................................... C3-28
3.4.13: Polygon Segment................................................................................................. C3-30
Creating a Polygon from Imported GDS ................................................................ C3-32
3.4.14: Straight Comb Segment....................................................................................... C3-32
Comb Properties.................................................................................................... C3-32
3.4.15: Curved Comb Segment........................................................................................ C3-38
Comb Properties.................................................................................................... C3-38
3.5: Rigid Geometry .....................................................................................C3-41
3.6: Straight Comb .......................................................................................C3-42
3.7: Flexible Shapes.....................................................................................C3-47

3.7.1: Rectangle ............................................................................................................... C3-47
Face Type.............................................................................................................. C3-51
3.7.2: Quadrilateral........................................................................................................... C3-53
3.7.3: Fillet........................................................................................................................ C3-57
3.7.4: Arc ......................................................................................................................... C3-61
3.7.5: Pie .......................................................................................................................... C3-65
3.8: Beams ....................................................................................................C3-69

3.8.1: Beam..................................................................................................................... C3-69
3.8.2: Tapered Beam ....................................................................................................... C3-74
3.8.3: Varying-Width Beam .............................................................................................. C3-79
3.8.4: Arc Beam ............................................................................................................... C3-84
3.8.5: Arc Tapered Beam ................................................................................................. C3-89
Adding a Gap......................................................................................................... C3-93
3.8.6: Arc Varying-Width Beam........................................................................................ C3-94
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Adding a Gap......................................................................................................... C3-98

3.8.7: Freeform Beam ...................................................................................................... C3-99
Defining Cross-Sections ...................................................................................... C3-103
Adding a Gap....................................................................................................... C3-104
3.8.8: Vertical Beam....................................................................................................... C3-104
3.8.9: Beam Model Information...................................................................................... C3-107
3.9: Suspensions ....................................................................................... C3-108

3.9.1: J-Beam................................................................................................................. C3-108
3.9.2: Box Beam ............................................................................................................ C3-111
3.9.3: Serpentine............................................................................................................ C3-114
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3.9.4: Beam Path ........................................................................................................... C3-117
3.9.5: Beam Model Information...................................................................................... C3-119
3.10: Spring ................................................................................................ C3-120

3.10.1: Spring Stiffness Matrix ....................................................................................... C3-121
3.10.2: Spring Example.................................................................................................. C3-121
3.11: Damper .............................................................................................. C3-123

3.11.1: Damping Matrix.................................................................................................. C3-124
3.12: Electrical Pad .................................................................................... C3-125

3.12.1: Electrical Path .................................................................................................... C3-127
3.13: Layout............................................................................................... C3-129

Properties of GDS Layers.................................................................................... C3-130
3.13.1: Creating Geometry from Layout Top Cell .......................................................... C3-131
3.13.2: Create Geometry from a GDS Layer ................................................................. C3-132
Using Import as a Polygon with a Restrictive Component Library....................... C3-134
3.14: Fluid Components ............................................................................ C3-137

3.14.1: Fluid Resistance ................................................................................................ C3-138
3.14.2: Fluid Compliance ............................................................................................... C3-138
3.14.3: Fluid Inertia ........................................................................................................ C3-138
3.14.4: Modeling Leakage.............................................................................................. C3-139
Section 4: Component Add-Ons

4.1: Gap........................................................................................................... C4-2
4.1.1: Inherited Gap ........................................................................................................... C4-2
Effect of Positive and Negative Protrusion .............................................................. C4-6
Effect of Subtracting an Electrode on Fringing Field Computation .......................... C4-6
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4.1.2: Independently Shaped Gap ................................................................................... C4-11

Triangular Gap....................................................................................................... C4-11
Movable Deposit Protrusion................................................................................... C4-15
Rectangular Gap.................................................................................................... C4-17
Quadrilateral Gap .................................................................................................. C4-21
Arc Gap.................................................................................................................. C4-25
Pie Gap.................................................................................................................. C4-29
4.1.3: Gap Model Information........................................................................................... C4-32
4.2: Inherited Movable Gap .........................................................................C4-34

Connect To Property.............................................................................................. C4-38
4.2.1: Side Gap ................................................................................................................ C4-39
4.3: Comb Stators ........................................................................................C4-43

4.3.1: Straight Comb Stator.............................................................................................. C4-43
Account for Out-of-Plane Finger Disengagement.................................................. C4-47
Account for Sidewall Angle .................................................................................... C4-50
Straight Comb Stator Enclosure ............................................................................ C4-52
4.3.2: Straight Comb Split Stator...................................................................................... C4-52
4.3.3: Movable Straight Comb.......................................................................................... C4-57
4.3.4: Curved Comb Stator .............................................................................................. C4-61
Curved Comb Stator Enclosure ............................................................................. C4-65
4.4: Stack Components ...............................................................................C4-66

4.4.1: Inherited Stack ....................................................................................................... C4-66
4.4.2: Independently Shaped Stack Components............................................................ C4-68
Properties .............................................................................................................. C4-68
4.4.3: Stack Example ....................................................................................................... C4-69
4.5: Fluid Back Chamber .............................................................................C4-71

4.5.1: Fluid Back Chamber for Flexible Shapes............................................................... C4-71
Underlying Model................................................................................................... C4-73
4.5.2: Fluid Back Chamber for Squeezed Film Damping ................................................. C4-73
Underlying Model................................................................................................... C4-74
4.6: Fluid Side Chamber ..............................................................................C4-76
4.7: Pressure Load .......................................................................................C4-78

4.7.1: Pressure Load on Flexible Shapes ........................................................................ C4-78
4.7.2: Underlying Model ................................................................................................... C4-78
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4.7.3: Pressure Load on Fixed Perforated Deposit .......................................................... C4-79
Section 5: Package Component

5.1: Overview.................................................................................................. C5-1
5.2: How to Import a Package....................................................................... C5-2

5.2.1: RST File Requirements............................................................................................ C5-2
5.2.2: How to Set Package Properties ............................................................................... C5-3
5.2.3: Package Orientation ................................................................................................ C5-4
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5.3: How to Anchor the Device to the Package........................................... C5-5
5.3.1: Interaction with Mechanical Components ................................................................ C5-5
5.3.2: Interaction with Gaps ............................................................................................... C5-7
Interaction with the Electrode/Contact Model .......................................................... C5-7
5.3.3: Interaction with Squeezed-Film Damping Model ..................................................... C5-8
5.3.4: Interaction with Side Gap......................................................................................... C5-9
5.3.5: Interaction with Comb Stators................................................................................ C5-10
5.4: Package in a Simulation ...................................................................... C5-13
Section 6: Underlying Model Theory

6.1: Finite Element Models............................................................................ C6-1
6.1.1: Bernoulli Beam Elements......................................................................................... C6-2
Beam Bending ......................................................................................................... C6-3
Beam Torsion .......................................................................................................... C6-5
Linear versus Nonlinear........................................................................................... C6-6
Multi-Layer Beams................................................................................................... C6-7
Recommended Usage ............................................................................................. C6-7
6.1.2: Timoshenko Beam Elements ................................................................................... C6-7
Beam Bending ......................................................................................................... C6-8
Beam Torsion .......................................................................................................... C6-9
Linear versus Nonlinear......................................................................................... C6-10
Multi-Layer Beams................................................................................................. C6-10
Recommended Usage ........................................................................................... C6-11
6.1.3: Shell Elements ....................................................................................................... C6-11
Nodal Degrees of Freedom ................................................................................... C6-12
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Multi-Layer Shells .................................................................................................. C6-13

6.1.4: Brick Elements ....................................................................................................... C6-14
Nodal Degrees of Freedom ................................................................................... C6-14
Multi-Layer Bricks .................................................................................................. C6-14
6.1.5: Hexahedral Meshing .............................................................................................. C6-15
Meshing Parameters.............................................................................................. C6-15
Connecting Meshed Suspensions to Other Components...................................... C6-18
Meshing Recommendations .................................................................................. C6-18
Running a Convergence Study.............................................................................. C6-18
6.1.6: Linear Hybrid Model ............................................................................................... C6-20
6.1.7: Best Practices for Connecting Elements................................................................ C6-21
Connecting High-Order Elements of the Same Type ............................................ C6-21
Connecting Shell Elements.................................................................................... C6-21
Connecting Bricks and Beams............................................................................... C6-23
Connecting Pie and Arc Components.................................................................... C6-25
6.2: Stack Model ...........................................................................................C6-27
6.3: Electrode/Contact Model......................................................................C6-28

6.3.1: Electrode/Contact Model Parameters .................................................................... C6-28
6.3.2: Edge Type.............................................................................................................. C6-29
6.3.3: Numerical Integration over the Gap ....................................................................... C6-30
6.3.4: Perforation.............................................................................................................. C6-31
6.3.5: Power Function Regression Capacitance Model ................................................... C6-32
6.3.6: Edge Fields ............................................................................................................ C6-34
6.3.7: Contact Model ........................................................................................................ C6-35
6.3.8: Contact Stiction ...................................................................................................... C6-35
6.3.9: Contact Zippering................................................................................................... C6-35
6.3.10: Contact Conductance........................................................................................... C6-37
6.3.11: Package Deformation........................................................................................... C6-37
6.4: Side Electrode/Contact Model .............................................................C6-38

6.4.1: Contact Model ........................................................................................................ C6-38
6.5: Squeezed Film Damping Model ...........................................................C6-39

6.5.1: Effective Viscosity .................................................................................................. C6-39
6.5.2: Edge Boundary Conditions .................................................................................... C6-41
6.5.3: Fluidic Nodes/Connectors ...................................................................................... C6-42
Connecting Adjacent Squeezed Film Damping Components................................ C6-42
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6.5.4: Squeezed Film Damping Gap Parameters ............................................................ C6-43

Perforation Conductance Density .......................................................................... C6-45
Edge Type Inheritance .......................................................................................... C6-46
Perforation ............................................................................................................. C6-47
6.5.5: Squeezed Film Damping for Straight Comb Stators .............................................. C6-49
6.5.6: Package Deformation ............................................................................................ C6-49
6.5.7: Comparison with CoventorWare’s Reynolds Solver .............................................. C6-49
6.6: Comb Model .......................................................................................... C6-50

6.6.1: Electrostatic Comb Model ...................................................................................... C6-50
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Numerical Settings ................................................................................................ C6-50
Electrostatic Calculations for Comb Cells.............................................................. C6-52
6.6.2: Damping Comb Model ........................................................................................... C6-54
Numerical Settings ................................................................................................ C6-54
Damping Calculations for Comb Cells ................................................................... C6-56
6.7: Piezoelectric Model .............................................................................. C6-58
6.8: Piezoresistive Model ............................................................................ C6-60

6.8.1: Example ................................................................................................................. C6-61
Section 7: References..........................................................................R7-1
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Notes
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Section 1: Introduction Version 6.3
Section 1: Introduction
1.1: Overview
MEMS+ is based on a library of MEMS building blocks that the MEMS designer can use to assemble a desired
device. Each library item has a 3-D view and one or more corresponding finite element or behavioral models. Con-
structing devices from a library of components is advantageous for two reasons:
First, MEMS engineers need not arbitrarily draw an obscure outline of their device, forfeiting the ease and conve-
nience of a parametric design. By selecting library components and building up a complete model, parametric varia-
tion for any or all device dimensions is inherent to the design methodology, saving time and effort during design
iterations.
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Second, the wealth of MEMS+ components permits designers to add geometric entities to suit their design shape and
then select the underlying finite model most suited to describe it during simulation. The underlying finite element
models specify intent with known properties when employed in a typical fashion. This methodology allows for both
model simplification and greater accuracy of the calculations that matter.
The MEMS+ component library is strictly hierarchical and builds on top of two distinct groups: basic geometrical
components and component add-ons. Each of these has subcategories that will be discussed.
The Components are shapes that can be drawn in two dimensions, with the third dimension being the thickness of one
or multiple material deposits from which the component is formed. With the exceptions of the Electrical Pad and the
Electrical Path, the components are considered mechanical components and can be divided into these subcategories:
rigid shapes, straight combs, flexible shapes, beams, suspensions.
Rigid shapes are used to create parts that do not significantly affect the elasticity of the MEMS structure. Arbitrary
geometry can be created using a Rigid Plate, which groups parametric primitives (rigid shapes) such as rectangular
segments, triangular segments, comb fingers, etc. or by importing GDSII files. The final rigid body is the result of
Booleaning the individual shapes. The underlying behavioral model is described by Newton's laws of motion and
Euler equations.
Non-rigid structures are created from Flexible Shapes, Beams, and Suspensions. Basic shapes like rectangles, quadri-
laterals, arcs, and pies can be used to create complex flexible structures, as shown in Figure 1-1:
Coventor, Inc. March 29, 2018 C1-1

Figure 1-1 Complex Mechanical Structure Made of Basic Shapes
Simulation Results
Flexible mechanical components offer the user one or more underlying model choices. By default, the Flexible
Shapes and the Beams are modeled by variable order finite elements, as seen in the image on the right in Figure 1-1.
Depending on the given geometry, the user may choose a brick, a shell, a Timoshenko, or a Bernoulli beam element
to represent the corresponding structure. Each Model choice involves a particular trade-off between simulation accu-
racy and speed; see “Finite Element Models” on page C6-1 for more information on the underlying finite element
models. All mechanical models include support for process-relevant effects, such as sidewall angles and residual
stress, multi-layer construction, as well as nonlinear behavior, such as buckling. The user can also assign optional
physics models to the flexible shapes; with this release, this includes a piezoelectric model.
The Straight Comb can also be added to flexible shapes to model inertial properties of straight rigid comb fingers on
a flexible plate edge.
The final category of mechanical structures are Suspensions. These components are really assemblages of individual
beams. In theory, these suspensions can be constructed manually by affixing beams to each other; however, suspen-
sion components are made available to save design time as well as reduce the number of nodes for simulation. These
components are simulated using Bernoulli beam elements.
The second group of MEMS+ library components are add-on components, which can only be added to other compo-
nents. This group includes Gap components, Comb Stators, Stack Components, and fluidic add-ons.
The Gap components model a gap between fixed and movable parts. The gap can be used to model an electrode/con-
tact and/or squeezed-film damping depending on which model the user selects for the gap. If the Electrode/Contact
model is selected, the gap provides electromechanical coupling between fixed and movable parts of the MEMS struc-
ture or simply adds a contact plane that restricts the motion of mechanical structure. If the Squeezed-Film model is
selected, the gap is used to apply gas damping to movable structures. The library distinguishes top/bottom gaps from
side gaps because of the way MEMS devices are built: layer by layer. With top/bottom gaps, the user selects a fixed
layer, and the size can be larger, smaller or even of a different shape than the mechanical element. For the inherited
gaps, the only required parameter is the layer to which it is assigned. Side gaps, by contrast, have a fixed height deter-
mined by the thickness of the layer from which they are derived.
Combs are extremely common structures because they are used for capacitive sensing and actuation. Because these
components can be very difficult to draw, MEMS+ simplifies comb design by providing two types of comb compo-
nents: straight comb and curved combs.
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The Stack Components can be used to model additional geometry added to a device. It can be used to model displace-
ment and piezoelectric effects. The displacements of the add-on are entirely defined by the displacements of a parent
component. The Stack component can be an Inherited Stack, which is defined in relation to the component to which it
is added, or one of the Independently Shaped Stack Components.
The fourth group of add-on components are the fluidic add-ons. Correct fluid analysis and loading are vital to under-
standing the dynamic behavior and noise level of a MEMS device. The fluidic add-ons include the Fluid Back Cham-
ber, the Fluid Side Chamber, and Pressure Load. The fluidic add-ons can be added to some types of mechanical
components and to gap components. The underlying fluid component models are based on the finite element repre-
sentation of the Reynolds equation, numerical integration, and analytical formula.
The Component Library also includes these utility components:
 Local Frame: Used to group components and define a common origin and orientation. It can be used to
exploit symmetry in a design or to place repeating elements.
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 SubSchematic: Allows the user to import a schematic into another schematic. This imported schematic is
considered the sub-schematic in the master schematic. The use of a sub-schematic allows the creation of hier-
archy in a design.
 Package Component: Allows the user to import external FEM results, which are used to apply the effect of
package/substrate deformation to the individual MEMS+ device components.
 Rigid Geometry: Allows the user to import a SAT or SAB file, which can be useful for creating geometry or
for verifying the extents of the Innovator model.
 Spring: Generic component without a geometrical representation on the canvas. The spring can be used to
model suspensions that are difficult or even impossible to define using the geometrical components of the
MEMS+ library.
 Damper: Generic component without a geometric representation on the canvas. The damper can be used to
model linear or nonlinear damping effects.
 Fluid Components: Generic components without geometric representation on the canvas. These components
allow the user to alter a fluidic network to add resistance, compliance, or inertia.
 Layout: Allows the user to import a 2-D GDS into a schematic, which can be useful for verifying the extents
of the Innovator model.
The rest of this manual is dedicated to providing detail reference for each of these models.
1.1.1: Features in the MEMS+ Behavioral Model Library

MEMS+ has a large set of physical models in each of the library components. Some of the library characteristics are:
 linear and non-linear models
 unlimited number of deposit layers
 arbitrary cross-sections and side-wall angle support
 reduced-order models
 high-order elements based on the latest generation of finite elements
 in and out-of-plane contact models
 etch-hole models
 stress and stress-gradient models
 full electrostatic models
 fringing fields support in all electrostatic models
After assembling the models from its component library and defining electrical, mechanical, input and output ports in
MEMS+ Innovator, MEMS+ models are ready for simulation in the MEMS+ Simulator or in MATLAB, Simulink, or
Cadence.

1.2: Available Components

Table 1-1 lists each component and provides a link to its reference information.
Table 1-1 Library Components
Category Icon Component Name Page
Top-Level Component Components C2-1
Local Frame Local Frame R3-1
SubSchematic SubSchematic C3-2
Package Package Component C5-1
Rigid Plate Rigid Plate C3-6
Rigid Geometry Rigid Geometry C3-41
Rigid Shapes Triangular Segment C3-17
Rectangular Segment R4-10
Quadrilateral Segment C3-20
Polynomial Segment C3-21
Circle Band Segment C3-23
Circle Section Segment C3-25
Arc Segment C3-26
Pie Segment C3-28
Polygon Segment C3-30
Straight Comb Segment C3-32
Curved Comb Segment C3-38
Straight Comb Straight Comb C3-42
Flexible Shapes Rectangle C3-47
Quadrilateral C3-53
Fillet C3-57
Arc C3-61
Pie C3-65

Beams Beam C3-69
Tapered Beam C3-74
Varying-Width Beam C3-79
Arc Beam C3-84
Arc Tapered Beam C3-89
Arc Varying-Width Beam C3-94
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Freeform Beam C3-99
Vertical Beam C3-104
Suspensions J-Beam C3-108
Box Beam C3-111
Serpentine C3-114
Beam Path C3-117
Generic Components Spring C3-120
Damper C3-123
Gap Inherited Gap C4-2
Triangular Gap C4-11
Rectangular Gap C4-17
Quadrilateral Gap C4-21
Arc Gap C4-25
Pie Gap C4-29
Inherited Movable Gap C4-34
Side Gap C4-39
Comb Stators Straight Comb Stator C4-43
Straight Comb Split Stator C4-52
Curved Comb Stator C4-61

Fluidic Components Fluid Back Chamber C4-71
Fluid Side Chamber C4-72
Pressure Load C4-78
Fluid Resistance C3-138
Fluid Inertia C3-138
Fluid Compliance C3-138
Electrical Components Electrical Pad C3-125
Electrical Path C3-125
Layout Layout C3-129

Section 2: Global Component Properties Version 6.3
Section 2: Global Component Properties
2.1: Overview
The top-level component, labeled Components in the Components pane, is automatically created by the software and
defines the root of the Innovator Components tree. All MEMS building blocks that the MEMS designer adds to the
Components tree are children of the top-level component, and the properties of the top-level component have an
effect on the entire device.
2.2: Properties
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To access the top-level component properties, double click on the Components label in the Components tree, or right
click on Components, and select Properties.
Table 2-1 Properties for Top-Level Components
Name Parameter Description Default Units
Local Frame Defines the default orientation for any component added to the - -
tree and therefore the entire device. If a Local Frame is also
defined on the individual component area, it will be relative to
this Local Frame. This top-level Local Frame is equivalent to the
canvas coordinate system. By definition, it is fixed to the
substrate, its Z-axis is perpendicular to the substrate plane, and its
origin is located on the top surface of the substrate surface.
If multiple instances of the same device model are placed inside a
single Cadence or MATLAB Simulink schematic, the Local
Frame properties can be used to define the location and
orientation of the corresponding model instance by using exposed
variables to define the Local Frame’s origin and orientation.
Origin Position of the center of the Local Frame x=0, y=0 µm or m
In-plane Angle Orientation of the Local Frame 0 Degrees

or
Radians
Flip Flips the Local Frame about the x or y. none -
Numerical Simulation The numerical settings are advanced settings that usually do not
Settings need to be changed.
Sample Point Multiplier to the model-specific sample point density used for 1 -
Density numerical model linearization during simulation.
Drilling DOF The shell components use a penalization-based algorithm for 0.1 -
Penalty Factor modeling of the so-called drilling degrees of freedom. This
parameter acts as a weight factor, ensuring consistency between
the shell’s in-plane node motions and rotations. The plate’s
drilling degrees of freedom can be deactivated by setting this
value to 0. It is not recommended to change this value.
Contact Softening Sets contact force softening; see page C2-4 for a detailed 5e-02 µm µm or m
description of the parameter.

Adhesion Sets contact adhesion force softening; see page C2-4 for a 1e-02 µm µm or m
Softening detailed description of the parameter.
Electrostatics Gap at which the electrostatic force is linearized. When the gap is 3e-02 µm µm or m
Linearization Gap approaching 0, electrostatic forces tend to an infinite value, which
makes it difficult for the simulation to converge and generates
unphysical values. When the gap is smaller than this setting, the
forces are linearized. For more information, see page C2-5.
Fluidics Gap at which the fluidic force is capped. When the gap is 3e-02 µm µm or m
Linearization Gap approaching 0, fluidic forces tend to an infinite value, which
makes it difficult for the simulation to converge and generates
unphysical values. When the gap is smaller than this setting, the
forces are capped. For more information, see page C2-5.
In-Plane Force Sets the in-plane force softening of sliding electrodes. The sign of 5e-03 µm µm or m
Softening the applied in-plane force depends on the plate position relative to
the electrode. In order to avoid discontinuities during the sign
transition, the change of the applied force is softened by this
value. Usually, there is no need to change the default setting.
Cut off frequency This setting is used in MATLAB and Simulink simulations. For 1e+09 Hz, kHz,
for ref. frame numerical robustness, a cut-off frequency needs to be specified or MHz
angular that is beyond the expected bandwidth of the input angular
acceleration velocity. The value specified is used to low-pass filter the angular
acceleration of the reference frame. In particular, the angular
acceleration that will be used is
α ( s )- s
---------- = -------------------
ω( s ) s 
 ---- + 1
 fc 
where α(s) is the angular acceleration of the reference frame in
the Laplace domain, ω(s) is angular velocity of the reference
frame in the Laplace domain, fc is the cut-off frequency in
radians/sec, and s is complex frequency.
For example, if a gyroscope is designed to sense angular rate
signals with frequency content up to 10 MHz or the angular rate
stimuli are known to not have frequency content beyond 10 MHz,
then setting fc to a value of 100 MHz is appropriate.
Gmin multiplier Factor multiplying the Cadence simulator's gmin value for 1e-12 --
for mechanical mechanical domain. This factor allows the user to specify a gmin
domain value for the mechanical domain, which will not impact the
Cadence-specific gmin value used for the electronics. This
parameter has no impact on Simulator or MATLAB simulations.
Maximum Number Sets the maximum number of degrees of freedom allowed in a 400000 --
of DoFs schematic. If a schematic exceeds this number, it will be reported
when the schematic is opened in Simulator.
An excessive number of DoFs is usually the result of hexahedral
meshing in suspensions. Hexahedral meshing uses parabolic
finite elements, so users can safely reduce the number of elements
in the mesh and preserve the accuracy of the results.
Increasing this setting is NOT recommended. Meshing is a beta
feature, and the solvers are not yet able to cope with large
systems.

Temperature Temperature of the modeled device. Used to compute thermal Variable T K or C

expansion or temperature-dependent material properties, such as
ambient gas viscosity and density.
Ambient Pressure Ambient pressure of the modeled device. This parameter is used Variable Pa or MPa
to compute pressure-dependent material properties, such mean Pressure
free path and density of the ambient gas.
Ambient Fluid This option includes a drop-down menu of all the fluid materials Material
in the material database associated with the active Innovator Air
model. It defines the fluid surrounding the modeled device. This
parameter affects the relative permittivity in electrostatic gaps and
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damping forces calculated by the fluidic components.
Squeezed Film Settings
Accommodation Default tangential momentum accommodation coefficient used 1 -

Coefficient by all squeezed-film damping models. It may have a value
between 0 and 1, where 0 is specular reflection and 1 is random
reflection. This coefficient is thought to be in the range of 0.8-1.0
for micromachined surfaces. For more information about how this
value is used, see page C6-39.
Edge Flow This option determines how the pressure drop over a component
Settings edge is calculated. It is only relevant to component edges set to
the Edge Flow Edge Type. For more information on this setting,
see page C6-41.
Rayleigh Damping Default Rayleigh Damping parameters used by all flexible (a=0,b=0)
mechanical components. See “Rayleigh Damping” on page C2-7
for additional information.
Unit Scale Factors Unit scale factors are essential for the correct simulation of the
created device. These settings assure that the different physical
quantities of a MEMS+ model (e.g. positions, angles, pressures,
voltages and currents) have similar orders of magnitude. Please
refer to “Unit Scale Factors” on page C2-8 for more details.
The unit scale factors are automatically updated as part of the
Wizard Actions (see “Using the Wizard to Set Scale Factors” on
page C2-8).
Rotation: 1[rad]= Angle to position scale factor 1e-04 m
Displacement:1 Position to voltage scale factor 1e06 V

[m] =
Velocity: 1 [m/s]= Velocity to voltage scale factor 1e-02 V
Acceleration 1[m/ Acceleration to voltage scale factor 1e-06 V

s^2] =
Force: 1 [N ]= Force to current scale factor 1e-03 A
Pressure:1 [Pa]= Pressure to voltage scale factor 1e-05 V
Volume flow:1 Volume flow to current scale factor 1e-12 A

[m3/s]=
Warping:1 [No Beam cross-section warping coefficient to position scale factor 1e-11 m
unit]

2.3: Numerical Simulation Settings

2.3.1: Contact Softening
Contact force is applied as a pressure load that is linearly dependent on the penetration of the two contact layers, as
illustrated in Figure 2-1:
Figure 2-1 Contact Force Softening
The gradient (or stiffness) of the linear contact pressure slope (marked by dashed line) depends on the modulus of
elasticity E and the thickness H of the two layers making contact:
E1 E2
c = --------------------------------
-
E1 H2 + E2 H1
In order to improve contact convergence, set the Contact Softening property to 0.05u (the default). Contact softening
acts as an exponential delay function that smoothens the pressure force increase at the moment of contact. The
improvement in contact convergence comes at the cost of an artificially deep penetration of the two contact surfaces.
Usually there is no need to change the default setting; changing this value should only be done with caution and only
in cases where convergence is difficult to achieve.
2.3.2: Adhesion Softening

Contact stiction can be added to the electrode contact models by setting the electrode’s contact property Adhesion
Force per Area > 0. A value of 100 serves as a good start. The adhesion force is applied as a pressure load whenever
the gap between the two contact planes is less than the contact property Adhesion Distance, as shown in Figure 2-2:
Figure 2-2 Adhesion Pressure Parameters

In order to avoid discontinuities during the contact simulation, the change of the adhesion pressure load is softened by
a sinusoidal transition function, marked by the red line in Figure 2-2. The sinusoidal function ensures a gradual rise or
fall of the adhesion pressure whenever the contact gap gets smaller or bigger than the adhesion distance. The period
of the sinusoidal transition function is defined with the top-level Components property Adhesion Softening. Usually,
there is no need to change the default setting of the specified adhesion softening. However, in simulations with large
adhesion forces, increasing the default value may improve solver convergence.
2.3.3: Linearization Gap for Electrostatics and Fluidics

The Electrostatic Linearization Gap and the Fluidics Linearization Gap are used during simulations involving electro-
static and fluidic forces respectively to prevent the generation of excessive force values. Note that the gap is defined
as the gap in the active region as opposed to any gap in the device. For both physical domains, as the gap approaches
zero, the electrostatic and fluidic forces tend toward infinity, which will prevent simulation convergence. For the
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respective domain, when the gap decreases to below the value specified for the Electrostatic Linearization Gap or
Fluidics Linearization Gap, the resulting electrostatic or fluidic forces are no longer derived analytically, but instead
are calculated with a linearized model that imposes a finite value for a 0 gap value.
Electrostatic Force and Linearization

The electrostatic force is applied as a pressure load that is dependent on the gap. The applied electrostatic pressure
load increases proportionally with 1/gap2, and would yield an infinite force as the two conductors contact, as illus-
trated in Figure 2-3:
Figure 2-3 Electrostatic Force Linearization
To avoid infinite forces at contact, MEMS+ models use a linearized electrostatic force (marked by the dotted gray
line in Figure 2-3). If the gap between the two conductors is larger than the value set for the Electrostatic Lineariza-
tion Gap (0.03 in the figure above), the electrostatic force is proportional to 1/gap2; if the gap is smaller than the value
set for the Electrostatic Linearization Gap, the electrostatic force is linearized. A sufficiently large linearization dis-
tance greatly improves contact convergence. The default Electrostatic Linearization Gap setting is sufficient for most
MEMS applications, and may only need to be changed for devices that operate with gaps on the order of nanometers.
As a general rule, the linearization gap should be smaller than 10% of the initial gap between the conductor layers.
Fluidic Force and Linearization

In the case of simulations involving fluidic connectors, the applied fluidic pressure force increases proportionally
with 1/gap3 and would yield an infinite force as the gap between the two solid structures decreases to zero. MEMS+
models avoid an infinite pressure load by limiting the maximum pressure force. For a gap larger than the Fluidic Lin-

earization Gap value, the fluidic force is proportional to 1/gap3; for values smaller than the Fluidic Linearization Gap,
the fluidic force is capped, as shown in Figure 2-4. The default Fluidics Linearization Gap setting is sufficient for
most MEMS applications and may need to be reduced only for devices that operate with gaps on the order of nanome-
ters. As a general rule, the linearization gap should be smaller than 10% of the initial gap between the solid layers.
Figure 2-4 Fluidic Force Linearization
Electrostatic and Fluidic Linearization with a Dielectric

As mentioned above for both electrostatic and fluidic forces, when the effective gap is equal to or falls below the
respective linearization gap parameter, the forces are linearized. For electrostatic calculations, the effective gap is
measured from conductor to conductor; for fluidic calculations, the effective gap is measured from solid to solid. For
example, in the image below, a dielectric layer is deposited on an electrode:
Conductor
Fluidic Electrostatic
Gap Gap
Dielectric
Conductor
The dielectric material is 0.01 µm thick. If both linearization gap parameters are set to the default value of 0.03 µm,
for an electrostatic simulation, when the simulated gap between the top conductor and the dielectric reaches 0.02 µm,
the results will start to be linearized (see Figure 2-5), because at that point the two conductors are 0.03µm apart
(effective gap = simulated gap between the two surfaces + the thickness of the dielectric). For fluidics simulation, lin-
earization will begin when the simulated gap between the top conductor and the dielectric reaches 0.03 µm.

Figure 2-5 Linearization with a Dielectric
Electrostatic Fluidic
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2.4: Rayleigh Damping
All flexible mechanical components feature a common Rayleigh damping parameter. Rayleigh damping has two sub-
parameters alpha (a) and beta (b). a and b are used to build an internal damping coefficients matrix D, which is mod-
eled according to the following equation:
D = aM + bK
The same approach is commonly used in standard FE simulation tools and corresponds to a damping of each eigen-
mode. Figure 2-6 shows the effect of Rayleigh damping on the frequency response of a Beam:
Figure 2-6 Effects of Rayleigh Damping Parameters a and b
In the example, the beam was fixed on one end and excited by a sinusoidal force source on the free end. The parame-
ters a and b act as high pass and low pass filters, respectively, on the frequency response of plate or beam eigen-
modes. The parameter b is particularly useful for suppressing high frequencies during transient simulations, which
can cause a dramatic decrease in the time step and lead to unnecessarily long simulation times. Specifying small
value for b is recommended for all transient simulations including massive beams or shape components with inertial

properties. Generally, as the value of b increases, simulation time and stability improve.
For information on how to calculate a and b, see the section beginning on page T2-94 of the MEMS Design and Anal-
ysis Tutorials.
2.5: Unit Scale Factors

MEMS+ Innovator maps mechanical motion, forces, pressure, and volume flow to voltages and currents when simu-
lating with the Cadence Virtuoso, MATLAB, and Simulink simulators. The simulators define and enforce precision
for voltages around 1V and currents around 1uA. It is important for performance and precision to get relevant
mechanical signals around those signals. If the scaling used leads to mechanical signals much higher than 1V and
1uA, it will likely increase the simulation speed and increase the precision enforced by the simulators on those sig-
nals. If they are much lower than 1V and 1uA, it will affect simulators' ability to compute an accurate result, or even
to compute a result at all in extreme cases.
Inputs and outputs in the MATLAB-Simulink integration are in SI units, regardless of the unit scale factors specified
in the top-level component properties. The unit scale factors are used to scale the system for numerical robustness;
however, a user does not need to scale inputs and outputs as is necessary in the Cadence Spectre integration. Please
refer to “Quantity Functions” on page U4-8 for more information about cadence parameter scaling.
On any MEMS+ Innovator imported device in Cadence Virtuoso, a SuggestScaling option is available in the model’s
Properties dialog. If this setting is turned on, a tool will analyze a transient simulation to suggest scaling coefficients
appropriate to your device and simulation. These recommendations will be printed to the Spectre log window, which
opens when the simulation is launched, and will appear at the end of the simulation. The suggested coefficients may
help speed up simulation time or increase the accuracy and precision of the simulation results (if the simulation
results are not in the desired range). For more details on how to use this tool, see page U4-17.
2.5.1: Using the Wizard to Set Scale Factors

The Wizard (see page R4-30) assembles the system matrices of the complete device and defines scale factors to
improve the conditioning of matrices. Only scale factors relevant to the device will be affected. Note that the algo-
rithm works on a fully linear system; nonlinear effects such as electrostatic or contact forces are not taken into
account. Though the scale factors computed are correct for most simulations, it might require some adjustments for
heavily nonlinear simulations (with the help from the SuggestScaling tool (page U4-17), when using Cadence simula-
tors, for instance).
2.6: Right Click Options

Because of its top-level place in the schematic hierarchy, the Components entry has unique right-click options in
addition to the common ones.
 Add: This option includes a submenu with all the second-level MEMS+ components, including Package,
Local Frame, beam components, Rigid Plate, shape components, Electrical Pad, and Electrical Path. Note
that the Package option can be used to apply substrate deformation; for more information on this option, see
page C5-1.
The user enters the expected displacement, and the software assembles the system matrices of the complete
device and defines scale factors to improve the conditioning of matrices. Only scale factors relevant to the de-
vice will be affected. Note that the algorithm works on a fully linear system; nonlinear effects such as electro-
static or contact forces are not taken into account. Though the scale factors computed are correct for most
simulations, it might require some adjustments for heavily nonlinear simulations (with the help from the Sug-
gestScaling tool, when using Cadence simulators, for instance).
 Get Info: This option reports information about the overall device model, including the number of degrees of
freedom, the number of connectors (according to type), and the number and type of components used in the
model.

Figure 2-7 Get Info for Top-Level Components
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 Properties: Opens the dialog for setting the device-level properties; see page C2-1 for details.

Notes

Section 3: Components Version 6.3
Section 3: Components
3.1: Local Frame

The Local Frame component is used to group components and define a common origin and orientation. It can be used
to exploit symmetry in a design or to place repeating elements.
3.1.1: Properties
This component has the same orienting properties as the Local Frame property in the Global Component Properties,
the Rigid Plate. See page C2-1 for more information on these properties.
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3.1.2: Example
The double mass gyroscope shown in Figure 3-1 uses local frames to make the design easier to create. By creating the
first plate structure and then putting in its own local frame, you can mirror repetitive elements, instead of adding them
one by one, and then offset the entire plate by specifying an origin for the local frame under which you group the
components. Then, by adding another local frame at 0,0 and putting the local frame with the plate under that new
local frame, you can mirror the entire plate structure about 0,0, instead of its own origin.
Figure 3-1 Double Mass Gyroscope Defined with Local Frames
Local Frame PlateRight

Origin (0,0)
Local Frame1
Origin (375, 0)
The model is created using the following steps:

1. Add a rigid plate and a perforated rectangular segment with an electrode.
2. To the rigid plate, add a comb and its stator in the positive X direction.
3. Mirror the comb structure about the Y axis.

4. Add a box beam.

5. Create and place three more box beams by mirroring the original about Y, and then mirroring both beams
about X.
6. Add the connector beams to one side of the rigid plate structure, then mirror it to create the beams on the
other side.
7. Select all the components you just created, and then right click and select Group. This puts all the compo-
nents in a Local Frame.
8. Double click on the Local Frame entry to open its properties. Set its Origin to x=375, y=0.
9. Right click on the top-level Components entry, and select Add > Local Frame. Make sure this Local Frame
has its origin at (0,0).
10. Click and hold on the local frame with the plate structure, then drag it under the local frame you just inserted
so that it is a hierarchical component in that local frame.
11. Right click on the top-level Local Frame (PlateRight in Figure 3-1), and select Mirror about Y. This creates
the second plate structure.
12. Add the vertical beams that are between the two plates.
The /Coventor/MEMS+6.3/Examples/DoubleMassGyro directory has the model files for this design. For a more
detailed explanation of how this model is constructed, see “Double Mass Gyroscope” on page T2-1 of the MEMS+
Tutorials.
For another example of using Local Frames to exploit design symmetry, see page T2-27 of the CoventorMP
Tutorials.
3.2: Package
The top-level Components’ Add > Package option allows the user to import external FEM results, which are used to
apply the effect of package/substrate deformation to the individual MEMS+ device components. This functionality is
explained in the section beginning on page C5-1.
3.3: SubSchematic
The top-level Components’ Add > SubSchematic option allows the user to import a schematic into another schematic.
This imported schematic is considered the subschematic in the master schematic. Common design features can be
created and saved as a schematic, and then imported as a subschematic in other designs that incorporate those fea-
tures.
When imported into a schematic, a sub-schematic has its own local frame, which allows it to be flipped, mirrored, and
replicated. A subschematic’s exposed variables and filepath become its component properties in the master sche-
matic. In the example shown in Figure 3-2, we created a schematic of a two-beam suspension, which has Beam vari-
ables that define the length and width of the beams. These exposed variables become properties in the imported sub-
schematic, which also includes a Local Frame property that is used to place the subschematic.

Figure 3-2 Subschematic Creation and Import
For a detailed example of how to create and use a subschematic, see the section beginning on page T2-13 of the
MEMS+ Tutorials.

The following guidelines must be adhered to when using a subschematic:

 Any component that the subschematic uses must also be in the master schematic’s component library; it has
to have the same name and the same properties.
 The subschematic component takes its top-level component properties from the master schematic, so exposed
variables should not be used to define the top-level component properties of the subschematic reference
design.
 It cannot use variables from its Component Library as exposed variables: Only exposed variables created in
Innovator can be used as parameters in the imported subschematic.
Note: When an exposed variable is renamed in the subschematic and the subschematic is saved, the property
is auto-refreshed in the master, and then reset to the default value. Any override to this renamed variable in
the master will be lost.
 It cannot override variables from the precedent tabs.
 It cannot contain a package.
 It must be saved to be auto-refreshed in the master.
 To transfer exposed capacitance output from the subschematic to the master, the electrical connectors associ-
ated with the exposed capacitance must also be exposed.
 It cannot have an individual degree of freedom of a mechanical component exposed.
 For the subschematic face that will be connected to other components in the master, all mechanical connec-
tors on that face must be exposed; otherwise, the wizard cannot solve face type connectivity. Additionally, if
the subschematic face has a Fixed Face Type, the mechanical connectors on that face must also be exposed.
Note that initially, an exposed DOF with a Fixed face type will appear in the master as unfixed and unex-
posed, but will be fixed after the running the Wizard.
As an example, we will use the device from the Microphone Tutorial. The device will be our subschematic.
Even though the Outer Radius of the ArcOuter components is set to a Fixed Face Type, we expose the me-
chanical connectors that coincide with the faces that are the point of connection in the master.
Figure 3-3 Exposing Connectors in the Subschematic
All the connectors on the faces that

will be connected to other components
in the master schematic must be exposed

Note that running the Wizard on the subschematic may result in a warning that the device is not properly con-
strained even though fixed face types have been set because the connectors are exposed and will not be fixed
until the Wizard is run on the master.
When the subschematic is added to the master, the exposed mechanical connectors on the fixed faces will ap-
pear unfixed and unexposed (orange in the figure below). But when they are connected to other subcompo-
nents, and the Wizard is run, they will appear properly constrained:
Figure 3-4 Connecting Subschematics in Master

Subschematic in Master After adding other subcomponents and running Wizard
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In the case of fluidic connectors, if the user wants to apply an Ambient Pressure on a face, the fluidic connec-
tors on that face can be left unexposed. In the example below, a Ambient Pressure boundary condition is ap-
plied to a fluidic connector that is on the symmetry face. If we leave this fluidic connector unexposed, the
Wizard correctly connects these fluidic connectors in the master schematic.
Figure 3-5 Fluidic Connectors in Subschematic and Master

Subschematic Master
Ambient Pressure,
Unexposed
Before including a subschematic in a master, run basic simulations such as modal and capacitance calculations on it
to validate its geometry and model choices.
After including a subschematic in a master, run the Wizard to ensure that connections are made correctly and the unit
scale factors calculated.

3.4: Rigid Plate

The Rigid Plate component is used for parts of the MEMS design that do not significantly affect the elasticity of the
MEMS structure. Rigid bodies move through space without changing shape. The advantage of rigid bodies over
deformable components such as the Straight Comb, Beams, or Suspensions is that the motion of a rigid body is
described completely by no more than six mechanical degrees of freedom. In contrast, deformable components have
many degrees of freedom and require expensive calculations to determine deformation. When such deformations are
negligible or not of interest, modeling a component as a Rigid Plate produces significant computational savings with-
out sacrificing accuracy.
Rigid Plates allow for either linear or nonlinear Model Types. The linear model is computationally more efficient
than the non-linear model, so it provides an increase in simulation performance. However, the linear model gives
accurate results only for small plate motions and rotations within the local frame and does not compute Coriolis force.
Thus, while the linear model does simulate inertial forces and so can be used to model the inertial mass of an acceler-
ometer; only the nonlinear model can simulate model mass components that are intended to sense Coriolis force, such
as in a gyroscope.
The Rigid Plate component acts as a hierarchical container for individual plate segments that define the overall plate
geometry; Figure 3-6 shows the available segment types. The user adds the Rigid Plate component to the Compo-
nents tree by selecting it from the Item Library. The individual segments are then added to the Rigid Plate by right
clicking on the Rigid Plate in the Components tree, and then selecting Add > Segment Name. The user can also add
combs and electrodes to the Rigid Plate component.
Figure 3-6 Parametric Segment Types of a Rigid Plate
If the Rigid Plate is comprised of several segments, these segments are Booleaned as they are added; so segments can
overlap. All segments of a rigid plate share the same mechanical connector, hence they move as one body. Innovator
aggregates all these subcomponents into one or multiple deposit layers that can be selected and viewed as a whole. If
you right click on a Rigid Plate and select Get Info, MEMS+ will report the location of the mechanical connector, the
mass, the center of mass, and the moments of inertia for Booleaned plate.

All Rigid Plate segments, except for the comb segment, have a Merge parameter that is used to either add or subtract
the segment properties from the overall structure. Note that for the mechanical or dielectric layers of the Rigid Plate,
it does not matter if the individual segments overlap, but electrical layers cannot overlap.
3.4.1: Rigid Plate Hierarchy

The Rigid Plate component acts as a hierarchical container that is used to define not only the mass and inertia of the
plate, but also the electrical components, which are included in the Rigid Plate because their definition depends on the
mass geometry. Figure 3-7 shows the Rigid Plate hierarchy for a gyroscope. In Components tree, the Rigid Plate has
a Rectangular Segment subcomponent, which in turn is used to define the electrode underneath it (not visible). The
Rigid Plate also has two Straight Comb subcomponents, which are defined relative to the Rectangular Segment. In
turn, each Straight Comb has a Straight Comb Stator subcomponent with an electrode underneath.
Figure 3-7 Rigid Plate Hierarchy
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When a segment is added to a Rigid Plate, its geometry is merged with any other Rigid Plate segments. Its 2-D
extents can be viewed by clicking on its entry in the Components Tree, but when it is added to the Rigid Plate, it does
not retain a separate 3-D geometry. Figure 3-8 shows the Rigid Plate hierarchy for a display mirror. Rectangular Seg-
ment MirrorPlate is used to define the overall geometry of the mirror. Rectangular Segment Hole is used to define the
hole in the mirror; its Merge parameter is set to Subtract. The Quadrilateral Segments and the Rectangular Segment
underneath TopElectrode are added to define the electrode underneath the mirror. When they are added to the Rigid
Plate, they are merged with the geometry of the rest of the mirror and no longer exist as separate 3-D entities. Click-
ing on the Rigid Plate Mirror selects the entire 3-D layer that makes up the mirror and displays 2-D geometry of all its
subcomponents. If you click on any of the segments making up the mirror or a layer nested directly underneath a seg-
ment, you will only see its 2-D extents.

Figure 3-8 Rigid Plate Hierarchy with Multiple Segments
The /Coventor/CoventorMP1.1/MEMS+6.3/Examples/Display_Mirror directory has the model files for this design.
For a more detailed explanation of how this model is constructed, see “Display Mirror Tutorial” on page T1-1 of
the MEMS+ Tutorials.
3.4.2: Rigid Plate Properties

To set the properties of the Rigid Plate, from the Components tree, right click and select Properties. Note that the
properties set on the Rigid Plate will be applied to all the hierarchical segments added to the Rigid Plate. The avail-
able properties are shown below:
Table 3-1 Properties of the Rigid Plate Component
Name Parameter Description Default Unit
Local Frame Orients the Rigid Plate relative to the parent Local Frame in the - -
Components tree.
Origin Position of the center of the plate x=0, y=0 µm or m
In-plane Angle Orientation of the plate with respect to the parent Local Frame 0 Degrees
or
Radians
Flip Flips the Rigid Plate about the Local X or Y. none -
Perforation Density Specifies homogeneous perforations of square, rectangular, circular, or - -

polygon-shaped holes for any segments added to the Rigid Plate. The
perforations are added to the entity created from a Boolean of all the
segments; therefore, this feature can be used to add perforations to
segments that do not have the perforation option in their Properties
dialog. Perforations are taken into account by adjusting the
corresponding material properties, such as density and the direction
depending modulus of elasticity (Young’s modulus). For more
information on this setting, see page C3-10.
Invisible If checked, the perforations are hidden in the Innovator canvas, but
will be taken into account in any simulations. Hiding the perforations
may speed up model rendering on the MEMS+ canvas.

Grid Alignment For this setting, the user has three options (see “Grid Alignment” on undef µm or m
page C3-10):
 Fixed to Geometry: Creates a perforation grid relative to the
bounding box of each plate deposit. The user specifies an X,Y
offset of the perforation grid relative to a reference perforation in
the lower left corner of the bounding box; see Figure 3-10. The
perforation grid itself is aligned with the axis of the Rigid Plate’s
local frame.
 Fixed to Local Frame: With this option, the user specifies the X,Y
coordinate of single (arbitrary) perforation in local rigid plate
coordinates, and the rest of the grid is created relative to the given
perforation position; see Figure 3-11. The perforation grid itself is
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aligned with the axis of the Rigid Plate’s local frame.
 Fixed to Global Frame: With this option, the user specifies the X,Y
coordinate of single (arbitrary) perforation in global (canvas)
coordinates. The rest of the grid is created relative to the given
position and aligned with the axis of the global coordinate system;
see Figure 3-9.
Minimum Creates an area around edges within which perforations will not be undef µm or m
Border Width created. It can be used to prevent perforations from getting too close to
model edges; see Figure 3-12.
Radius Specifies the radius of a single circular hole. radius= µm or m

(Circular) required
Size Specifies the size of a single rectangular hole in the X and Y x=required µm or m
(Rectangular directions. Note that using a Minimum Border Width with rectangular y=required
or Square) perforations may not eliminate holes close to the device edge if the
perforation’s aspect ratio is not close to 1.
Polygon: Specifies the x, y coordinates for at least three corners of a polygon. To x,y for µm or m
Corners add more points, right click on the Corners label, and select Add each corner
Element. With the Polygon perforation option, the user can create = required
triangular-shaped holes, hexagon-shaped holes, etc. Note that the
polygon perforations cannot overlap. For an example of polygon
perforations, see page C3-12.
Line Width Specifies the distance in the X and Y directions between each hole. x=undef µm or m
(Hole Spacing) y=undef
Holes If checked, each row of holes will be aligned such that the beginning of -- --
Staggered each hole aligns with the center of the hole above it.

Models Specifies a default capacitance model or a model based on power- Default --

function trend line. If set to Default, capacitance and electrostatic
forces are defined with the perforation model described on page C6-
31. If the Power Regression Points option is selected, the user has to
specify the gap and capacitance value for each point. To add points,
right click on the Power Regression Points label, and select Add
Element. The gap /capacitance pairs will be used to compute a power
function regression that describes the capacitance variation with the
gap of a perforation unit cell using the linear or nonlinear ordinary
least squares. The derivative of this function will be used to describe
the electrostatic force of the cell. The equation of the trend line
computed by MEMS+ is available in the Get Info window of any
component with an electrostatic model.
To model capacitance as a function of thickness, the Power Regression
Points option must be used. For more information about the Power
Regression Points option, see page C6-32. Note that this option can
only be used if perforations are specified.
Damping Gas damping coefficients. The six independent coefficients correspond x=0,y=0, x, y, z =
to the six degrees of freedom in the top-level Components (see page z=0, rx=0, kg/s
C2-1), and are applied to the speed variable of each DOF. ry=0,rz=0 rx, ry, rz =
Note: damping coefficients for rigid plates are additive; if you have kg*m2/s,
multiple rigid plates in a model, the overall damping coefficient for the or
device will be the sum of the coefficients specified in the individual kg*µm2/s
rigid plates.
Rayleigh Damping The two subparameters a and b define the internal damping matrix a=inherited -
D=a*M+b*K, where M and K are the mass and stiffness matrix of the b=inherited
structure. A value of b~1u is recommended for transient simulations
(see also “Rayleigh Damping” on page C2-7). If left to inherited, the
plate will have the damping values set in the top-level Components
properties (see page C2-1); if these values are set, they will override
the values set from Components.
Model Type Choices are Nonlinear and Linear. The linear model can be used to Linear -
speed up transient simulations. It will give correct results if the plate’s
motion is restricted to small rotation with respect to the canvas
coordinate system.
Fixed Geometry If this option is selected, the Rigid Plate will be considered fixed and off -
unmovable. The Wizard will automatically ground its mechanical
connector. When this option is selected, the user cannot add a Gap or
Comb component to the Rigid Plate or any of its subcomponents. For
an example of how to use this parameter, see the tutorial beginning on
page T5-1 of the MEMS+ Tutorials.
Perforation Density
The Perforation Density parameter applies an array of perforations to each Booleaned layer of the Rigid Plate. The
position of the applied perforation grid is defined by the perforation density subparameter Grid Alignment.
Grid Alignment
The perforation grid position can either be defined as Fixed to Geometry, Fixed to Local Frame or Fixed to Global
Frame, respectively. Figure 3-9 shows an example of a Rigid Plate layer perforated with a grid of square holes. The
Grid Alignment parameter is set to Fixed to Global Frame. The x and y subparameters of Fixed to Global Frame
define the position of a single (arbitrary) perforation hole in global (canvas) coordinates. All other perforations of the

grid are aligned according to the given reference position. The option Fixed to Global Frame renders the perforation
grid position independent of the geometry of the Rigid Plate and its position in space; therefore, it can easily be
shared between different rigid or even perforated Flexible Shapes. Fixing the perforation to the global grid is particu-
larly useful if the modeled device is perforated by a single uniform perforation mask.
Figure 3-9 Grid Alignment: Fixed to Global Frame
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The Grid Alignment /Fixed to Geometry option ties the perforation grid to the bounding box of the plate layers’
geometry, as seen in Figure 3-10. The location of the reference perforation is defined by the lower left corner of the
Rigid Plate layers’ bounding box and half the given Line Width parameters. With the Fixed to Geometry option,
because the perforation grid is tied to the geometry and position of the Rigid Plate, changing the position, size, or
number of the Rigid Plate child components will change the Rigid Plate layers’ bounding box and therefore the posi-
tion of the perforation grid.
Figure 3-10 Grid Alignment: Fixed to Geometry
Figure 3-11 shows a perforated plate layer example with the Grid Alignment parameter set to Fixed to Local Frame.
The x and y subparameters of Fixed to Local Frame define the position of a single (arbitrary) perforation hole within
the local frame of the Rigid Plate. The rest of the grid is created relative to the given position and aligned with the
axis of the local frame.

Figure 3-11 Grid Alignment: Fixed to Local Frame
Minimum Border Width

The Minimum Border Width parameter allows the user to reduce the perforated area of each corresponding Rigid
Plate layer, as seen in Figure 3-12. Perforation holes in the border area defined by the minimum border width are
ignored.
Figure 3-12 Minimum Border Width
Polygon Perforations Example

The example below shows how to included hexagon-shaped perforations in a Rigid Plate. Note that the perforations
are set on the Rigid Plate, not the Rectangular Segment; this ensures that the perforations on consistent across all seg-
ments that define a Rigid Plate. Also note that Minimum Border Width set, which prevents the holes from intersect-
ing with the edges of the plate.

Using polygon geometry to represent rectangle or square perforations is not recommended. For best results, use
rectangular geometry to represent rectangular perforations and square geometry to represent square perforations.

3.4.3: Component Information

The Rigid Plate includes the full set of 3-D kinematic equations describing a rigid mass in the moving reference coor-
dinate system. During the simulation, the forces and moments at the mechanical connector are calculated according to
Newton's law and Euler equations, taking into account the large substrate motions caused by applied angular rates
and linear accelerations (see Inputs on page R4-13). The Rigid Plate component calculates all necessary mechanical
properties like mass, moments of inertia, and center of mass automatically prior to the simulation.
To view the model information of a Rigid Plate, right click on the component in the Components tree, and select Get
Info. The window that opens displays the following:
 mechanical connector location
 center of mass location
 mass (sum of mass of all Rigid Plate child components)
 moments of inertia with respect to the center of mass
 linear damping matrix
 linear mass matrix
Note that this model information is only available on the top-level Rigid Plate, not the individual Rigid Plate segments.

3.4.4: Local Frame

Local frame components can be added within the Rigid Plate in order to displace, rotate or mirror individual or
groups of Rigid Plate segments with respect to the local frame of the Rigid Plate itself. For details on the Local Frame
component, see page R3-1. For an example of how to use Local Frames to orient one rigid plate segment with respect
to another, see the example that follows. For an example of how to use Local Frames to exploit symmetry, see page
T2-27 of the MEMS+ Tutorials.
Using Local Frames to Orient Segments

The following example shows how to use nested Local Frames to rotate one rigid plate segment about the endpoint of
another rigid plate segment, as shown below:
Figure 3-13 Using Local Frames to Rotate about an Endpoint
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10 µm
(0,0)
26 µm
(13,5)
To rotate the second rectangular segment with respect to an endpoint on the first rectangular segment:

1. Place a Local Frame at the endpoint you want to rotate about, with that endpoint as the Local Frame origin
and In-plane Angle at the desired rotation. In this example, we want to rotate about (13,5) with a rotation of
40 degrees. So the LocalFrame1 directly underneath the Rigid Plate component has the following properties:
2. Place another Local Frame under the first Local Frame, define its origin at the desired origin of the second
rectangular segment, and then add the rectangular segment to it. If you add the second rectangular segment to
the first Local Frame instead of the nested frame, that rectangular segment would be centered at (13, 5), and
the two segments would overlap.
(5,2.5)
5 µm
10 µm

3.4.5: Triangular Segment

Figure 3-14 Geometrical Properties of the Triangular Segment
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Table 3-2 Properties of the Triangular Segment
Local Frame Orients the segment with respect to Rigid Plate’s Local Frame. - -
Origin Specifies the position of the 90-degree vertex x=0, y=0 µm or m
In-plane Orients the XY-plane with respect to the Local Frame specified for the 0 Degrees
Angle parent Rigid Plate or
Radians
Flip Flips the segment about the X or Y axis of the Rigid Plate’s Local Frame none -
Merge Adds or subtracts segment geometry to/from rigid plate. If set to Ignore, Add -
the segment is not included in the model, nor will it appear on the canvas,
but the segment is not deleted from the model.
Deposits Specifies the deposit layer(s) on which the segment resides undef -
Material Overrides the material assigned to the deposit. The available materials are inherited
Override determined by the Material Database file associated with the process
assigned to the Innovator model.
Thickness Overrides thickness defined by the deposit(s) undef µm or m

Override
Cut Step Specifies the Straight Cut step that will define the boundaries of the
deposit. If no Straight Cut appears after the selected deposit in the
associated process, this field defaults to None. If only one Straight Cut
appears after the selected deposit, it will be selected and cannot be
changed. If more than one Straight Cut appear after the selected deposit,
they appear in the Cut Step drop-down menu, and the user can select
which Straight Cut step can be applied to the deposit.
Listed under the selected Straight Cut is the Layers parameter. If left to
Inherited, the layer designated as the Default Layer in the process step is
used. If there are more than one layer assigned to a mask, those layers will
appear in a drop-down menu for the Layers parameter, and the user can
select which layer will be used to define boundaries of the Cut Step. If set
to None, the layer associated with the cut step will not be exported to
GDS and Pcell.
For an example of how this setting can be used to etch a deposit with
multiple straight cuts, see the PZR Pressure Sensor Analysis of the
CoventorMP Tutorials.

Vertical Offset Offsets all specified component plate deposits in vertical direction; the 0 µm or m
offset is applied to the bottom plane of the bottom layer, but all layers are
moved accordingly.
Triangle Definition The user has the option to create a triangle using an angle or size or by
entering the corners of the triangle.
By Angle If this option is selected, the user specifies the Size, which defines the x=required, µm or m,
length of the segment sides in local X and Y direction, and the Opening y=required, Degrees
Angle, which orients the triangle with respect to the active Local Frame. Opening or Radian
Angle = 90
By Corners If this option is selected, the user specifies the x,y coordinates to the three Corner 1: µm or m
corners of the triangle. x, y=0
Corner 2,3:
x, y
=required
3.4.6: Rectangular Segment

Figure 3-15 Geometrical Properties of Rectangular Plate
Table 3-3 Properties of the Rectangular Segment
Origin Specifies the position of the Local Frame origin x=0, y=0 µm or m
In-plane Orients the XY-plane with respect to the Local Frame specified for the 0 Degrees or
Angle parent Rigid Plate Radians
Flip Flips the segment about the X or Y axis of the Rigid Plate’s Local Frame none
the segment is not included in the model, nor will it appear on the
canvas, but the segment is not deleted from the model.

Material Overrides the material assigned to the deposit. The available materials inherited
Override are determined by the Material Database file associated with the process
Thickness Overrides thickness defined by the deposit undef µm or m

Override
appears after the selected deposit, it will be selected, and it cannot be
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they will appear in the Cut Step drop-down menu, and the user can select
used. If there are more than one layer assigned to a mask, those layers
will appear in a drop-down menu for the Layers parameter, and the user
can select which layer will be used to define boundaries of the Cut Step.
If set to None, the layer associated with the cut step will not be exported
to GDS and Pcell.
multiple straight cuts, see the tutorial beginning on page T6-1 of the
Vertical Offset Offsets all plate layers in vertical direction; the offset is applied to the 0 µm or m
bottom plane of the bottom layer, but all layers are moved accordingly
Rectangle The user has the option to create a rectangular segment by defining the
Definition center and size in the x and y directions or by defining the opposite
corners of the rectangle.
By Size If this option is selected, the user specifies the Center, which defines the x=0, y=0; µm or m
X and Y coordinates of the center of the plate, and the Size, which x=required,
defines the size of plate in local X- and Y-directions. y= required
By Corners If this option is selected, the user defines the size of the rectangle by Corner 1: x, µm or m
defining the x,y coordinates to the opposite corners. y =0
Corner 2: x,
y =required
Perforation Allows the user to specify perforations in addition to the perforations - -

specified in the Rigid Plate component (those perforations are preserved,
not overwritten).
WARNING: It is recommended to set perforations on the Rigid Plate
component directly, as perforations specified in the Rectangular segment
will be invisible to electrodes not directly added to this specific segment.
Minimum Specifies the minimum size of a rectangular perforation in local X and Y x=0, y=0 µm or m
Hole Size directions. Note that this is a constraint, not an absolute value.
Line Width Specifies the distance between the perforation holes in X and Y x=0, y=0 µm or m
(Hole directions; see Figure 3-15.
Spacing)

3.4.7: Quadrilateral Segment

Figure 3-16 Geometrical Properties of the Quadrilateral Segment
Table 3-4 Properties of the Quadrilateral Segment
Origin Specifies the position of the Local Frame origin x=0, y=0 m or µm
In-plane Specifies the orientation in the XY-plane 0 degrees or

Angle radian
Flip Flips the segment about the X or Y axis of the Rigid Plate’s Local
Frame
Merge Adds or subtracts segment geometry to/from rigid plate. If set to Add -
Ignore, the segment is not included in the model, nor will it appear on
the canvas, but the segment is not deleted from the model.
Override are determined by the Material Database file associated with the
process assigned to the Innovator model.
Thickness Overrides thickness defined by the deposit undef m or µm

Override
changed. If more than one Straight Cut appear after the selected
deposit, they will appear in the Cut Step drop-down menu, and the user
can select which Straight Cut step can be applied to the deposit.
Inherited, the layer designated as the Default Layer in the process step
is used. If there are more than one layer assigned to a mask, those
layers will appear in a drop-down menu for the Layers parameter, and
the user can select which layer will be used to define boundaries of the
Cut Step. If set to None, the layer associated with the cut step will not
be exported to GDS and Pcell.

Vertical Offset Offsets the plate layers in the Z direction; the offset is applied to the 0 m or µm
bottom plane of the bottom-most layer, but all the layers are moved
accordingly
Corner 1, 2, 3, 4 Specifies the corners of the quadrilateral in counter-clockwise order; For each m or µm
see Figure 3-16. corner,
x=required,
y=required
3.4.8: Polynomial Segment
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Figure 3-17 Geometrical Properties of the Polynomial Segment
Table 3-5 Properties of the Polynomial Segment
Local Frame Orients the segment with respect to Rigid Plate’s Local Frame - -
Origin Specifies the origin of the local segment coordinate system x=0, y=0 µm or m
In-plane Specifies the segment orientation in the XY-plane 0 Degrees or

Angle Radians
Frame
Merge Adds or subtracts segment geometry to/from rigid plate. If set to Add -
Ignore, the segment is not included in the model, nor will it appear
on the canvas, but the segment is not deleted from the model.
Material Overrides the material assigned to the deposit. The available inherited
Override materials are determined by the Material Database file associated
with the process assigned to the Innovator model.

Override

associated process, this field defaults to None. If only one Straight
Cut appears after the selected deposit, it will be selected, and it
cannot be changed. If more than one Straight Cut appear after the
selected deposit, they will appear in the Cut Step drop-down menu,
and the user can select which Straight Cut step can be applied to the
deposit.
Listed under the selected Straight Cut is the Layers parameter. If left
to Inherited, the layer designated as the Default Layer in the process
step is used. If there are more than one layer assigned to a mask,
those layers will appear in a drop-down menu for the Layers
parameter, and the user can select which layer will be used to define
boundaries of the Cut Step. If set to None, the layer associated with
the cut step will not be exported to GDS and Pcell.
Vertical Offset Offsets the plate layers in the Z direction; the offset is applied to the 0 µm or m
accordingly
Size in x Specifies the length of the segment in local X direction required µm or m
Polynomial of the Specifies the constants of the polynomial function P(xl ) defining the c0 = required, (µm or m, --,
Top Edge shape of the upper plate segment edge : c1=0, c2 =0, 1/µm or 1/m,
2 3 4
P ( xl ) = c0 + c1 xl + c2 xl + c3 xl + c4 xl c3=0, c4 = 0 1/µm2 or 1/
m2, 1/µm3 or
Note that all plate sections created by a polynomial that crosses the 1/m3)
local X-axis are considered positive.

3.4.9: Circle Band Segment

Figure 3-18 Geometrical Properties of the Circle Band Segments
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Table 3-6 Properties of the Circle Band Segment
Origin Specifies the circle origin x=0, y=0 µm or m
In-plane Specifies the segment’s orientation in the XY-plane 0 Degrees or

Angle Radians
Frame
Merge Adds or subtracts segment geometry to/from the rigid plate. If set to Add -
Ignore, the segment is not included in the model, nor will it appear on

Override

deposit, they will appear in the Cut Step drop-down menu, and the user
the user can select which layer will be used to define boundaries of the
be exported to GDS and Pcell.
Vertical Offset Offsets the segment layers in the Z direction; the offset is applied to the 0 µm or m
accordingly
Radius Specifies the circle radius required µm or m
Top Edge Distance Specifies the top edge position; see Figure 3-18 required µm or m
to the Local x
Bottom Edge Specifies the bottom edge position; see Figure 3-18 0 µm or m
Distance to the
Local x

3.4.10: Circle Section Segment

Figure 3-19 Geometrical Properties of the Circle Section Segment
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Table 3-7 Properties of the Circle Section Segments
Origin Specifies the circle origin; see Figure 3-19 x=0, y=0 µm or m
In-plane Specifies the segment orientation in the XY-plane 0 Degrees or

Angle Radians

Override
appears after the selected deposit, it is selected and cannot be changed. If
more than one Straight Cut appear after the selected deposit, they are
listed in the Cut Step drop-down menu, and the user can select which
Straight Cut step can be applied to the deposit.
to GDS or Pcell.

Vertical Offset Offsets the segment deposit layers in the Z direction; the offset is applied 0 µm or m
to the bottom plane of the bottom-most layer, but all the layers are
moved accordingly
Section Vertex Specifies the vertex position used to define the section; see Figure 3-19. x=0, y=0 µm or m
If this value is not set, the Section Vertex will be the same as the Origin
set in the Local Frame.
Radius Specifies the circle radius; see Figure 3-19 required µm or m
Start Angle Specifies the start angle of the segment; see Figure 3-19 0 Degrees or
Radians
Extent Angle Specifies the extent of the circle section (Start Angle + Extent Angle required Degrees or
defines the End Angle); see Figure 3-19 Radians
3.4.11: Arc Segment

Figure 3-20 Geometrical Properties of the Arc Segment
Table 3-8 Properties of the Arc Segment
Origin Specifies the X and Y coordinates that locate the center of the arc x=0, y=0 µm or m
segment

Angle Radians


Override
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to GDS and Pcell.
accordingly
Inner Radius Specifies the inner radius of the segment 0 µm or m
Outer Radius Specifies the outer radius of the segment required µm or m
Start Angle Specifies the start angle of the segment 0 Degrees or

Radians
Extent Angle Specifies the extent of the segment (Start Angle + Extent Angle defines required Degrees or
the End Angle). Radian

3.4.12: Pie Segment

Figure 3-21 Geometrical Properties of the Pie Segment
Table 3-9 Properties of the Pie Segment
Origin Specifies the X and Y coordinates that locate the center of the pie x=0, y=0 µm or m
segment

Angle Radians
Flip Flips the segment about the X or Y axis of the Rigid Plate’s Local none -
Frame
Merge Adds or subtracts segment geometry to/from rigid plate geometry. If set Add -
to Ignore, the segment is not included in the model, nor will it appear on

Override

they will appear in the Cut Step drop-down menu, and the user can
select which Straight Cut step can be applied to the deposit.
is used. If there are more than one layer assigned to a mask, those layers
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to GDS and Pcell.
accordingly
Radius Specifies the pie radius; see Figure 3-21 required µm or m
Start Angle Specifies the start angle of the pie-shaped plate 0 Degrees or
Radians
Extent Angle Specifies the extent of the segment. The value must be between -90 and required Degrees or
90. Radian

3.4.13: Polygon Segment

Figure 3-22 Geometrical Properties of a Polygon Segment
Table 3-10 Properties of the Polygon Segment

Angle Radians
Flip Flips the segment about X or Y axis of the Rigid Plate’s Local Frame none -
canvas, but it is not deleted from the model.

Override
to GDS and Pcell.

accordingly.
Corners Specifies the X, Y location of each point on the polygon. A minimum of x=0, y=0/ µm or m
three points is required. To add more points, right click the Corners
label, and select Add Element.
Pattern This option creates a pattern of polygons using the defined Polygon -
segment. The first position element in the list defines the relative
distance between the individual elements, so no pattern appears with the
definition of the first position list. To add more points to the Position
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list, right click on the Point List label, and select Add Element.
Subsequent position list entries are not the positions of the individual
replicates. The points form relative displacement vectors from the
center of one replicate to the center of the next; see Figure 3-23 for an
illustration. Note that if the Merge property for the Polygon segment is
set to Subtract, the individual elements created by the Pattern property
cannot touch.
Figure 3-23 Pattern Property
Defined by third
point list entry
Center at (10, 60)
(20, 60) - (10, 0)
Defined by second
point list entry
Center at (-10,30)
(0,30) - (10,0)
Defined by the Corners property

Creating a Polygon from Imported GDS

The user can create a Rigid Plate/Polygon Segment from the layer(s) of an imported GDS file. For information on
creating a segment from a GDS file, see page C3-132.
3.4.14: Straight Comb Segment

The Straight Comb segment is added to the Rigid Plate hierarchy and creates movable fingers that are attached to the
Rigid Plate. The electrostatic component is created by adding a Straight Comb Stator or Straight Comb Split Stator to
the Straight Comb segment; see page C4-43 and page C4-52 respectively for more details.
Note that although the Straight Comb segment is added to the Rigid Plate, it is not Booleaned with the Rigid Plate
geometry. As a consequence,
 The mass of combs added to a rigid geometry is counted separately from the mass of the rigid geometry.
 When using a negative side wall angle in conjunction with etching from top, a spurious gap may be formed
between the rigid plate and the adjacent comb.
 Do not add combs inside a negative geometry (i.e. a Rigid Plate with a segment set to Subtract; see page C3-
8). This limitation is illustrated below
Comb Properties
The geometrical properties of the Straight Comb are illustrated in Figure 3-24, and each property is defined in Table
3-11.

Figure 3-24 Geometrical Properties of the Straight Comb Segment
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For capacitance results, the Straight Comb models will only take into account sidewall angles if the Straight Comb
Stator associated with it has the Account for Sidewall Angle parameter activated. For more information, see page
C4-50. Note that this option is not available for the Straight Comb Split Stator.
Table 3-11 Properties of the Straight Comb Segment
Local Frame Orients the segment with respect to Rigid Plate’s Local - -
Frame.
Origin Specifies the position of the comb origin. The origin is used x=0, y=0 µm or m
to define the position of the plate edges and the middle comb
fingers; see Figure 3-24.
In-plane Orients the movable comb fingers in the XY-plane; see Figure 0 Degrees or
Angle 3-24. Radians
Flip Flips the comb about the Local X or Y none -
Deposit Specifies the deposit layer on which the comb resides undef -
Override materials are determined by the Material Database file
associated with the process assigned to the Innovator model.

Override

Cut Step Specifies the Straight Cut step that will define the boundaries
of the deposit. If no Straight Cut appears after the selected
deposit in the associated process, this field defaults to None.
If only one Straight Cut appears after the selected deposit, it
will be selected, and it cannot be changed. If more than one
Straight Cut appear after the selected deposit, they will appear
in the Cut Step drop-down menu, and the user can select
Listed under the selected Straight Cut is the Layers parameter.
If left to Inherited, the layer designated as the Default Layer
in the process step is used. If there are more than one layer
assigned to a mask, those layers will appear in a drop-down
menu for the Layers parameter, and the user can select which
layer will be used to define boundaries of the Cut Step. If set
to None, the layer associated with the cut step will not be
exported to GDS and Pcell.
For an example of how this setting can be used to etch a
deposit with multiple straight cuts, see the tutorial beginning
on page T6-1 of the CoventorMP Tutorials.
Vertical Offsets the comb layer in vertical direction; the offset is 0 µm or m

Offset applied to the bottom plane of the layer.
Finger Width Width of the movable fingers; see Table 3-12. required µm or m
Finger Pitch Distance between the center lines of two adjacent fingers of required µm or m
the same comb; see Table 3-12.
Finger Grid Alignment in Specifies the position of a single comb finger on the local Y 0 µm or m
Y coordinate. All other comb fingers are created relative to the
given finger coordinate. For more information on this setting,
see “Finger Grid Alignment in Y” on page C3-35.
Plate Polynomial Defines the position and shape of the plate edge using a Polynomial
Edge polynomial; see Table 3-12.
Circular Defines the position and shape of the plate edge using an arc
of a circle; see Table 3-13.
Plate Edge Protrusion Offsets the plate edge on the left and right side of the straight 0 µm or m
fingers (seen from the plate edge to the finger tips); see Figure
3-31 and Figure 3-32.
Finger Tips Defines the position and shape of the movable fingers By Finger Length -
Polynomial Position and shape of the finger tip edge defined by a

polynomial; see Table 3-12.
Circular Position and shape of the finger tip edge defined by the arc of x=0, y=0, Radius µm or m
a circle; see Table 3-13. =undef; Finger
Position=outside
By Finger Position and shape of the anchor edge defined by a constant required µm or m
Length finger length and the plate edge

Table 3-12 Subproperties of Plate Edge, Finger Tips = Polynomial
Property Name Parameter Description Default Unit
Origin Defines the origin of the frame in which the polynomial is (x=0, y=0) µm or m
defined. It defaults to the origin of the comb segment.
Polynomial Constants of the polynomial defining the edge contour in the c0=0, c1=0, c2=0, µm or m, --,
Constants/c0..c4 local coordinate system (l) (see Figure 3-25): c3=0, c4=0 1/µm or 1/
2 3 4
P ( xl ) = c0 + c1 xl + c2 xl + c3 xl + c4 xl m, 1/µm2 or
1/m2,1/µm3
or 1/m3
Plate Edge Width Defines the width of the comb, which in turn determines how required µm or m
many fingers are included in the comb structure.
M
Table 3-13 Subproperties of Plate Edge, Finger Tips = Circular
Radius Edge radius; the comb origin defines the center of the edge required µm or m
radius; see Figure 3-25.
Start Angle (Plate Specifies the start angle of the arc edge required degrees
Edge)
Extent Angle (Plate Specifies the extent angle of the arc edge (Start Angle + required degrees
Edge) Extent Angle defines the End Angle)
Figure 3-25 Geometrical Subproperties of Plate Edge
Finger Grid Alignment in Y

The Finger Grid Alignment in Y parameter is applied as illustrated in Figure 3-26. The Finger Grid is determined by
the Plate Edge Width parameter minus the Protrusion parameters. The Finger Grid Alignment in Y parameter speci-
fies the position of a single comb finger on the local Y coordinate, relative to the Comb Origin. All other comb fin-
gers are created relative to the given finger coordinate. Note that no fingers are created outside the Finger Grid.

Figure 3-26 Finger Grid Alignment in Y Parameter
To further illustrate, see the example below. The Comb Origin is at (0,0), and the Finger Grid Alignment in Y value is
6. So the first finger is created at the Y coordinate of 6, and then all the other fingers are created relative to that finger.
No fingers are created outside the finger grid, which in our example is delineated for illustrative purposes with the
Rectangle component. The spacing of the fingers is determined by the Finger Pitch.

Figure 3-27 Finger Creation with Finger Alignment in Y Parameter
M
Finger created with Finger Grid Alignment in Y
Comb Origin

3.4.15: Curved Comb Segment

The Curved Comb segment is added to the Rigid Plate hierarchy and creates movable fingers that are attached to the
Rigid Plate. The electrostatic component is created by adding a Curved Comb Stator to the Curved Comb segment;
see page C4-61 for more details.
Note that although the Curved Comb segment is added to the Rigid Plate, it is not Booleaned with the Rigid Plate
geometry. As a consequence,
 The mass of combs added to a rigid geometry is counted separately from the mass of the rigid geometry.
 When using a negative side wall angle in conjunction with etching from top, a spurious gap may be formed
between the rigid plate and the adjacent comb.
 Do not add combs inside a negative geometry (i.e. a Rigid Plate with a segment set to Subtract; see page C3-
8). This limitation is illustrated below
Comb Properties
The geometrical properties of the Straight Comb are illustrated in Figure 3-28, and each property is defined in Table
3-14.
Figure 3-28 Geometrical Definition of a Curved Comb Segment

Curved comb models do not take into account sidewall angles. If the process deposit/etch sequence associated with
a Curved Comb segment has a sidewall angle, it will have no effect on the capacitance results.
Table 3-14 Properties of the Curved Comb Segment
Origin Specifies the position of the comb origin; it is used to define the x=0, y=0 µm or m
position of the plate edges and the middle comb fingers.
M
In-plane Orients the movable comb fingers in the XY-plane 0 Degrees
Angle or
Radians

Override
Cut Step Specifies the Straight Cut step that will define the boundaries of
the deposit. If no Straight Cut appears after the selected deposit in
the associated process, this field defaults to None. If only one
Straight Cut appears after the selected deposit, it will be selected,
and it cannot be changed. If more than one Straight Cut appear
after the selected deposit, they will appear in the Cut Step drop-
down menu, and the user can select which Straight Cut step can be
applied to the deposit.
Listed under the selected Straight Cut is the Layers parameter. If
left to Inherited, the layer designated as the Default Layer in the
process step is used. If there are more than one layer assigned to a
mask, those layers will appear in a drop-down menu for the Layers
parameter, and the user can select which layer will be used to
define boundaries of the Cut Step. If set to None, the layer
associated with the cut step will not be exported to GDS and Pcell.
For an example of how this setting can be used to etch a deposit
with multiple straight cuts, see the tutorial beginning on page T6-1
of the CoventorMP Tutorials.
Vertical Offset Offsets the comb layer in vertical direction; the offset is applied to 0 µm or m
the bottom plane of the layer.
Inner Radius Specifies the inner radius of the comb; see Figure 3-28 required µm or m
Outer Radius Specifies the outer radius of the comb; see Figure 3-28 required µm or m
Finger Width Width of the movable comb fingers required µm or m
Finger Pitch Distance between the center lines of two adjacent movable fingers required µm or m

Plate Edge Defines the plate edge of the comb structure (where the comb required µm or m
begins)
Start Angle Defines the orientation of the plate edge in the local frame of the
component; see Figure 3-28
Edge Origin Point on the edge defining the plate edge; see Figure 3-28. If not
defined, it defaults to 0 (relative to the Local Frame Origin).
Finger Tips Defines the limit of the finger tips (where the comb ends) required µm or m
Extent Angle Defines together with the Plate Edge Start Angle the orientation of
the finger tips in the local frame of the component; see Figure 3-28
Origin Point on the edge defining the finger tips; see Figure 3-28. If not
defined, it defaults to 0 (relative to the Local Frame Origin)

3.5: Rigid Geometry

The component allows the user to import a SAT or SAB file, which can be useful for creating geometry or for verify-
ing the extents of the Innovator model. The SAT file is converted to a Rigid Plate with most of the same properties as
the Rigid Plate component.
Table 3-15 Properties of the Rigid Geometry Component
Local Frame Orients the Rigid Plate relative to the parent Local Frame in the - -
Components tree.
Origin Position of the center of the plate x=0, y=0 µm or m
M
In-plane Orientation of the plate with respect to the parent Local Frame 0 Degrees or
Angle Radians
Flip Flips the Rigid Plate about the Local X or Y. none -
Filename File must have a .sab or .sat file extension. - -
Material The material list includes all the deposit materials specified in the - -
associated process file. Note that only one material can be selected;
for a device with multiple materials, import each material as a
separate file.
Damping Gas damping coefficients. The six independent coefficients x=0,y=0, x, y, z =

correspond to the six degrees of freedom in the top-level z=0, rx=0, kg/s
Components (see page C2-1), and are applied to the speed variable ry=0,rz=0 rx, ry, rz =
of each DOF. kg*m2/s,
Note: damping coefficients for rigid plates are additive; if you have or
multiple rigid plates in a model, the overall damping coefficient for kg*µm2/s
the device will be the sum of the coefficients specified in the
individual rigid plates.
D=a*M+b*K, where M and K are the mass and stiffness matrix of b=inherited
the structure. A value of b~1u is recommended for transient
simulations (see also “Rayleigh Damping” on page C2-7). If left to
inherited, the plate will have the damping values set in the top-level
Components properties (see page C2-1); if these values are set, they
will override the values set from Components.
Model Type Choices are nonlinear and linear. The linear model can be used to Nonlinear -
speed up transient simulations. It will give correct results if the
plate’s motion is restricted to small rotation with respect to the
canvas coordinate system.

3.6: Straight Comb

The Straight Comb models the inertial properties of straight rigid comb fingers on a flexible plate edge. The Straight
Comb supports straight, polynomial, and circular edges. The Straight Comb is an independent component that can be
added to the Global Component Properties or to a Local Frame.
Figure 3-29 Geometrical Properties of the Straight Comb
For capacitance results, the Straight Comb models will only take into account sidewall angles if the Movable
Straight Comb or Straight Comb Stator associated with it has the Account for Sidewall Angle parameter activated.
For more information, see page C4-50.
The Straight Comb has a variable number of mechanical connectors, which makes it adaptable to different kinds of
flexible or even rigid plate edges; see Figure 3-30:
Figure 3-30 Straight Comb Connection Examples

Mechanical Connectors
Mechanical Connectors
shared between Shell Mechanical Connectors shared between Rigid
and Straight Comb shared between Beam
Straight Comb Plate and Straight Comb
and Straight Comb
Beam
Rectangular Plate Model: Timoshenko Beam
Model: Shell Rigid Plate
Although Straight Combs can be used in conjunction with Rigid Plates, rigid plate fingers should be modeled by a
Straight Comb Segment whenever possible. Straight Comb segments have the advantage of being part of the Rigid
Plate hierarchy, which accounts for its mass and inertial contributions. Straight Combs, on the other hand, require a
separate model, leading to a somewhat slower simulation performance.

Table 3-16 Properties of the Straight Comb
Origin Specifies the position of the comb origin. The origin is used to x=0, y=0 µm or m
define the position of the plate edges and the middle comb
fingers; see Figure 3-24.
In-plane Angle Orients the movable comb fingers in the XY-plane; see Figure 0 Degrees or
3-24. Radians
M

Override
the deposit. If no Straight Cut appears after the selected deposit
in the associated process, this field defaults to None. If only one
Straight Cut appears after the selected deposit, it will be
selected, and it cannot be changed. If more than one Straight
Cut appear after the selected deposit, they will appear in the Cut
Step drop-down menu, and the user can select which Straight
Cut step can be applied to the deposit.
If left to Inherited, the layer designated as the Default Layer in
the process step is used. If there are more than one layer
layer will be used to define boundaries of the Cut Step. If set to
None, the layer associated with the cut step will not be exported
to GDS or Pcell.
with multiple straight cuts, see the tutorial beginning on page
T6-1 of the CoventorMP Tutorials.
Vertical Offset Offsets the comb layer in vertical direction; the offset is applied 0 µm or m
to the bottom plane of the layer.
Finger Width Width of the movable fingers; see Table 3-12. required µm or m
Finger Pitch Distance between the center lines of two adjacent fingers of the required µm or m
same comb; see Table 3-12.
Finger Grid Alignment Specifies the position of a single comb finger on the local Y 0 µm or m
in Y coordinate. All other comb fingers are created relative to the
given finger coordinate. For more information on this setting,
see “Finger Grid Alignment in Y” on page C3-35.
Plate Polynomial Defines the position and shape of the plate edge using a Polynomial
Edge polynomial; see Table 3-17.
Circular Defines the position and shape of the plate edge using an arc of
a circle; see Table 3-18.

Plate Edge Protrusion Offsets the plate edge on the left and right side of the straight 0 µm or m
fingers (seen from the plate edge to the finger tips); see Figure
3-31 and Figure 3-32.
Finger Tips Defines the position and shape of the finger tip edge; see Figure By Finger Length -
3-29.
Polynomial Position and shape of the finger tip edge defined by a

polynomial; see Table 3-19.
Circular Position and shape of the finger tip edge defined by the arc of a
circle; see Table 3-20.
By Finger Position and shape of the anchor edge defined by a constant required µm or m
Length finger length and the plate edge
Number of Plate Edge Defines the number of mechanical connectors on the edge. Note 3 -
Nodes that the number and location of the mechanical connectors
needs to match those of the flexible or rigid plate edge it is
attached to; see Figure 3-31 and Figure 3-32.
Mechanical Model
Rayleigh The two subparameters a and b define the internal damping inherited
Damping matrix D=a*M+b*K, where M and K are the mass and stiffness
matrix of the structure. A value of b~1u is recommended for
transient simulations (see also “Rayleigh Damping” on page
C2-7). If left to inherited, the beam will have the damping
values set in the top-level Components properties (see page C2-
1). If this value is set, it will override the values set from the
top-level Components. Note that the linear Straight Comb
model has no stiffness matrix K; therefore, the Rayleigh
Damping value b is ignored.
Model Type Linear models are preferable for most MEMS devices because
they simulate quickly and provide robust simulation
performance. They are recommended for all applications where
the displacements satisfy a linear system, including mechanical
forcing, electrostatics, as well as material deformation, such as
when subjected to thermal expansion. However, linear models
cannot capture nonlinear effects, including Coriolis force, the
preservation of angular momentum, or the stiffening associated
with constraining a component, which prevents the relaxation
of internal stresses through deformation.
Nonlinear models have no displacement or angular restrictions.
They are able to simulate inherently nonlinear applications,
including bistable behavior, such as the buckling of a fixed-
fixed beam under stress; large rotation angles; Coriolis forces;
as well as stress stiffening and the expected shift in resonance
frequency. However, they do not simulate as quickly and may
be numerically problematic in transient simulations because of
the complexity of the force and torque calculations. Hence, the
application of the nonlinear elements should be restricted to
truly nonlinear problems.

Table 3-17 Subproperties of Plate Edge = Polynomial
defined. It defaults to the origin of the comb’s local frame.
2 3 4
1/m2,1/µm3
or 1/m3
Plate Edge Width Defines the plate edge width of the comb structure along the 3 -
local Y coordinate (see Figure 3-31).
M
Figure 3-31 Straight Comb Fingers with Polynomial Edge
Table 3-18 Subproperties of Plate Edge = Circular
Radius Edge radius; the comb origin defines the center of the edge undef µm or m
Start Angle Specifies the start angle of the arc edge required degrees
Extent Angle Specifies the extent angle of the arc edge (Start Angle + required degrees
Extent Angle defines the End Angle)

Figure 3-32 Straight Comb Fingers with Circular Edge
Table 3-19 Subproperties of Finger Tips = Polynomial
defined. It defaults to the origin of the comb’s local frame.
2 3 4
1/m2,1/µm3
or 1/m3
Table 3-20 Subproperties of Finger Tips = Circular
Radius Edge radius; the comb origin defines the center of the edge required µm or m

3.7: Flexible Shapes

MEMS+ offers several options for creating flexible shapes. Flexible shapes can be drawn in two dimensions, with the
third dimension being the thickness of one or multiple material layers from which the component is formed. These
shapes can represent thin plates, as well as thick structures, such as anchors or bulk micromachined structures. Each
selected layer of a flexible shapes can either be modeled by single variable-order brick or by shell elements.
3.7.1: Rectangle
Figure 3-33 Geometrical Properties of the Rectangle
M
Table 3-21 Properties of the Rectangle
Local Frame Orients the plate relative to the parent Local Frame in the Components - -
tree.
In-plane Orients the plate with respect to the parent Local Frame 0 Degrees,
Angle Radians
Flip Flips the shape about the Local X or Y. none -
structure. A value of b~1u is recommended for transient simulations (see
also “Rayleigh Damping” on page C2-7). If left to inherited, the plate will
have the damping values set in the top-level Components (see page C2-1);
if these values are set, they will override the Components values.
Perforation Density Allows the user to enter homogeneous perforations of square, rectangular, - -
circular, or polygon-shaped holes of the plate. Entering a perforation
density will require the user to override the material properties of all
deposits assigned to the plate; the Deposit/Material Override field cannot
be left to inherited. The Perforation Density parameter is currently
ignored by underlying mechanical model; so the user must adjust the
material stiffness (Young’s Modulus) and density parameters to
correspond to the perforation density being specified. Note that the
Perforation Density is correctly taken into account for all child models of
the flexible plates, such as electrodes and squeezed-film dampers. Please
refer to “Face Type” on page C3-51 for additional information about how
the Face Type parameter affects the perforation of a flexible plate.

Invisible If checked, the perforations are hidden in the Innovator canvas, but will
be taken into account in any simulations. Hiding the perforations may
speed up model rendering.
Grid For this setting, the user has three options (see “Grid Alignment” on page undef µm or m
Alignment C3-10):
 Fixed to Geometry: Creates a perforation grid relative to the bounding
box of each plate layer. The user specifies an X,Y offset of the
perforation grid relative to a reference perforation in the lower left
corner of the bounding box. The perforation grid itself is aligned with
the axis of the plate’s local frame.
perforation position. The perforation grid itself is aligned with the axis
of the plate’s local frame.
coordinates. The rest of the grid is created relative to the given position
and aligned with the axis of the global coordinate system.
Note that the edges of the beam will also be perforated if its face type is
set to Internal, which can only be done by the Wizard.
model edges. Please also refer to “Face Type” on page C3-51 learn how
the Face Type affects the application of the Minimum Border Width.

(Circular) required
Size Specifies the size of a single rectangular hole in the X and Y directions. x=required, µm or m
(Rectangular Note that using a Minimum Border Width with rectangular perforations y=required
or Square) may not eliminate holes close to the device edge if the perforation’s
aspect ratio is not close to 1.
Polygon: Specifies the x, y coordinates for at least three corners of a polygon. To x, y for µm or m
Corners add more points, right click on the Corners label, and select Add Element. each corner
With the Polygon perforation option, the user can create triangular-shaped = required
holes, hexagon-shaped holes, etc. Note that the polygon perforations
cannot overlap. For an example of polygon perforations, see page C3-12.
Line Width Specifies the distance in the X and Y directions between each hole. x = undef µm or m
(Hole y = undef
Spacing)

Models Specifies a default capacitance model or a model based on power-function Default --

trend line. If set to Default, capacitance and electrostatic forces are
defined with the perforation model described on page C6-31. If the Power
Regression Points option is selected, the user has to specify the gap and
capacitance value for each point. To add points, right click on the Power
Regression Points label, and select Add Element. The gap /capacitance
pairs will be used to compute a power function regression that describes
the capacitance variation with the gap of a perforation unit cell using the
linear or nonlinear ordinary least squares. The derivative of this function
will be used to describe the electrostatic force of the cell. The equation of
the trend line computed by MEMS+ is available in the Get Info window of
any component with an electrostatic model.
M
Regression Points option, see page C6-32. Note that this option can only
be used if perforations are specified.
Deposits Deposit(s) on which the shape resides undef -
Material Overrides the material assigned to the deposit. The available materials are inherited
Override determined by the Material Database file associated with the process

Override
used. If there are more than one layer assigned to a mask, those layers will
select which layer will be used to define boundaries of the Cut Step. If set
to None, the layer associated with the cut step will not be exported to
GDS or Pcell.
Vertical Offset Offsets all plate layers in vertical direction; it is applied to the bottom 0 µm or m
plane of the bottom-most layer, but all layers are moved accordingly.
Rectangle Definition The user has the option to create a rectangular segment by defining the
center and size in the x and y directions or by defining the opposite
By Corners If this option is selected, the user defines the size of the rectangle by Corner 1: µm or m
defining the x, y coordinates to the opposite corners. x, y =0
Corner 2:
x, y
=required

By Size If this option is selected, the user specifies the Center, which defines the x=0, y=0; µm or m
X and Y coordinates of the center of the plate, and the Size, which defines x=required,
the size of plate in local X- and Y-directions. y= required
Face Type This option determines what type of connectors a face has and whether External -
the face is exposed to sidewall angles; see “Face Type” on page C3-51 for
a complete explanation.
Model Determines what type of finite element will be used to represent the
model. See page C6-1 for details on the underlying models.
Shell Element If this option is selected, MEMS+ will use shell elements (see page C6-11 3,3
for more details). With shell elements, there is only one simulation point/
mechanical connector in the Z direction. The user can specify up to six
nodes/simulation points in the X and Y directions.
Brick Element If this option is selected, MEMS+ will use brick elements (see page C6-14 3,3,3
for more details), and the user can set the number of nodes in Z, as well as
in X and Y directions. Note that brick elements are not supported for
multi-layer components.
Model Type Linear models are preferable for most MEMS devices because they linear -
simulate quickly and provide robust simulation performance. They are
recommended for all applications where the displacements satisfy a linear
system, including mechanical forcing, electrostatics, as well as material
deformation, such as when subjected to thermal expansion. However,
linear models cannot capture nonlinear effects, including Coriolis force,
the preservation of angular momentum, or the stiffening associated with
constraining a component, which prevents the relaxation of internal
stresses through deformation.
Nonlinear models have no displacement or angular restrictions. They are
able to simulate inherently nonlinear applications, including bistable
behavior, such as the buckling of a fixed-fixed beam under stress; large
rotation angles; Coriolis forces; as well as stress stiffening and the
expected shift in resonance frequency. However, they do not simulate as
quickly and may be numerically problematic in transient simulations
because of the complexity of the force and torque calculations. Hence,
nonlinear elements should only be used in truly nonlinear problems.
A linear hybrid model is activated when the option is set to Linear and at
least one angular velocity input is exposed. This model is significantly
faster for transient analyses. It accounts for inertial, Coriolis, and Euler
forces, but does not include mechanical nonlinearity. For more
information on the linear hybrid model, see page C6-20.
Optional Model This parameter allows the user to model additional physics for the plate. None -
Currently, only the Piezoelectric Model is available. It is used to model
the electromechanical behavior of a piezoelectric material in a flexible
structure. It can either be used to actuate a flexible shape or to convert
mechanical motion into an electrical signal based on the piezoelectric
effect. Note that it can only be used with Shell Elements. If there are no
piezoelectric materials in the deposit stack, the Properties dialog will
display an error when the user clicks on OK or Apply. For more
information on the Piezoelectric model, see page C6-58.
Piezoelectric Specifies the active PZE deposit for the Piezoelectric model. If left to default -
Deposit default, the first piezoelectric deposit (from the top down) in the
component stack will be considered the active PZE deposit.

Face Type
The Face Type property determines the boundary condition that is applied to a given edge. The face types are listed
below:
 External: Assumes the component face is exposed and is not connected to another component. With this set-
ting, any sidewall angles specified in the process will be applied; see Sidewalls on External Edges.
 Internal: Assumes that the component face is connected to another component and unexposed. Internal edges
are always vertical and are not affected by sidewall angle settings in the process file. Internal can only be
assigned by the Wizard, and once assigned, becomes a read-only property.
 Fixed: Assumes a fixed boundary condition on the given edge. Like internal edges, fixed edges are always
vertical and are not affected by sidewall angle settings in the process file.
 Symmetry about the XZ-plane: Defines a device symmetry edge in Y
M
 Symmetry about the YZ-plane: Defines a device symmetry edge in X
The face types can be set automatically using the Wizard (see page R4-30 of the MEMS+ Reference). In general it is
recommended to let the Wizard decide whether an edge is External, and only the Wizard can assign an Internal Face
Type. The user should override the Face Type properties only if the given edge needs to be fixed or defines a symme-
try edge.
With Perforations
If a Perforation Density is specified for a plate, external edges are not perforated. Perforation holes on an external
edge are ignored, as seen in Figure 3-34:
Figure 3-34 Face Type Impact on Perforation Density
Perforation holes on an internal edge are clipped out (see Figure 3-34) to allow for homogeneously perforated flexible
plates that are made of multiple flexible plate components; see Figure 3-35. Note that the Minimum Border Width
does not apply to internal edges.

Figure 3-35 Flexible Plate with Homogeneous Perforations
In cases where a perforation overlaps an internal edge and an external edge, the part of the perforation that is on the
internal edge may be created, but the part that coincides with the external edge is not; the result is a partial perfora-
tion, as shown in Figure 3-36:
Figure 3-36 Partial Perforation Created Because it Overlaps Internal and External Edges
Partial Perforation
Internal Edge
External Edge
To eliminate the partial perforations, adjust the Perforation Density parameters.
With Mechanical Connectors

If the Wizard is configured to apply component face conditions (see page R4-30 of the MEMS+ Reference), the
degrees of freedom of the mechanical edge connectors will be fixed or released according to the face type selected in
the component’s Properties dialog. For example, if the Face Type on the side of a rectangle plate is set to Fixed, the
mechanical connector(s) on that side will be fixed when the user runs the Wizard.
Note that if the number of nodes is changed, any mechanical connectors that were fixed will become unfixed. Always
rerun the Wizard after changing the number of integration nodes in any direction.
Sidewalls on External Edges

If the Face Type in a particular direction is set to External, those faces in that direction are exposed to any sidewall
angles specified in the associated process file.

3.7.2: Quadrilateral
Figure 3-37 Geometrical Properties of the Quadrilateral Shape
M
The plate area is defined by the four corner points. Each internal angle must be smaller than 180 degrees so that the
plate describes a convex area; in other words, a polygonal without indentations. Note that the accuracy of the model
degrades as the plate approaches the shape of a triangle.
Table 3-22 Properties of the Quadrilateral Shape
Local Frame Orients the plate relative to the parent Local Frame in the - -
Components tree.
In-plane Orients the plate with respect to the parent Local Frame 0 Degrees
Angle or
Radians
Flip Flips the plate about the Local X or Y none -
Perforation Density Allows the user to enter homogeneous perforations of square, - -

rectangular, circular, or polygon-shaped holes of the plate. Entering a
perforation density will require the user to override the material
properties of all deposits assigned to the plate; the Deposit/Material
Override field cannot be left to inherited. The Perforation Density
parameter is currently ignored by underlying mechanical model; so
the user must adjust the material stiffness (Young’s Modulus) and
density parameters to correspond to the perforation density being
specified. Note that the Perforation Density is correctly taken into
account for all child models of the flexible plates, such as electrodes
and squeezed-film dampers. Please refer to “Face Type” on page C3-
51 for additional information about how the Face Type parameter
affects the perforation of a flexible plate.

may speed up model rendering.
Grid For this setting, the user has three options (see “Grid Alignment” on undef µm or m
Alignment page C3-10):
bounding box of each plate layer. The user specifies an X,Y offset
of the perforation grid relative to a reference perforation in the
lower left corner of the bounding box; see Figure 3-10. The
perforation grid itself is aligned with the axis of the plate’s local
frame.
aligned with the axis of the plate’s local frame.
 Fixed to Global Frame: With this option, the user specifies the
X,Y coordinate of single (arbitrary) perforation in global (canvas)
see Figure 3-9.
Note that the edges of the plate will also be perforated if its face type
is set to Internal; which can only be done by the Wizard.
Border Width created. It can be used to prevent perforations from getting too close
to model edges. Please also refer to “Face Type” on page C3-51 learn
how the Face Type affects the application of the Minimum Border
Width.

(Circular) required
Size Specifies the size of a single rectangular hole in the X and Y x=required, µm or m
Polygon: Specifies the x, y coordinates for at least three corners of a polygon. x, y for µm or m
Corners To add more points, right click on the Corners label, and select Add each corner
(Hole y=undef
Spacing)
Holes If checked, each row of holes will be aligned such that the beginning -- --
Staggered of each hole aligns with the center of the hole above it.


M
To model capacitance as a function of thickness, the Power
Regression Points option must be used. For more information about
the Power Regression Points option, see page C6-32. Note that this
option can only be used if perforations are specified.
Deposits Deposit(s) on which the plate resides undef -

Override
deposit, they will appear in the Cut Step drop-down menu, and the
user can select which Straight Cut step can be applied to the deposit.
step is used. If there are more than one layer assigned to a mask, those
the user can select which layer will be used to define boundaries of
the Cut Step. If set to None, the layer associated with the cut step will
not be exported to GDS or Pcell.
accordingly.
Corner1...4 Position of plate corner 1 to 4; see Figure 3-37. Note that plate corners x=required, µm or m
can be entered in clockwise or counter-clockwise order. y=required
Face Type This option determines what type of connectors a face has and External
whether the face is exposed to sidewall angles; see “Face Type” on
page C3-51 for a complete explanation.

model. See page C6-1 for a detailed explanation of the underlying
models.
Shell Element If this option is selected, MEMS+ will use shell elements (see page 3,3
C6-11 for more details). With shell elements, there is only one
simulation point/mechanical connector in the Z direction. The user
can specify up to 6 nodes along the edges 1-2 and 3-4 and the edges
2-3 and 4-1 (see Figure 3-37).
Brick Element If this option is selected, MEMS+ will use brick elements (see page 3,3,3
C6-14 for more details.), and the user will be able to select the
number of nodes in Z, as well as in along the edges. Note that brick
elements cannot be used with multi-layer components.
simulate quickly and provide robust simulation performance. They
are recommended for all applications where the displacements satisfy
a linear system, including mechanical forcing, electrostatics, as well
as material deformation, such as when subjected to thermal
expansion. However, linear models cannot capture nonlinear effects,
including Coriolis force, the preservation of angular momentum, or
the stiffening associated with constraining a component, which
prevents the relaxation of internal stresses through deformation.
Nonlinear models have no displacement or angular restrictions. They
are able to simulate inherently nonlinear applications, including
bistable behavior, such as the buckling of a fixed-fixed beam under
stress; large rotation angles; Coriolis forces; as well as stress
stiffening and the expected shift in resonance frequency. However,
they do not simulate as quickly and may be numerically problematic
in transient simulations because of the complexity of the force and
torque calculations. Hence, the application of the nonlinear elements
should be restricted to truly nonlinear problems.
A linear hybrid model is activated when the option is set to Linear
and at least one angular velocity input is exposed. This model is
significantly faster for transient analyses. It accounts for inertial,
Coriolis, and Euler forces, but does not include mechanical
nonlinearity. For more information on the linear hybrid model, see
page C6-20.
Optional Model This parameter allows the user to model additional physics with the None -
plate. Currently, only the Piezoelectric Model is available. It is used to
model the electromechanical behavior of a piezoelectric material in a
flexible structure. It can either be used to actuate a flexible shape or to
convert mechanical motion into an electrical signal based on the
piezoelectric effect. Note that it can only be used with Shell Elements.
If there are no piezoelectric materials in the deposit stack, the
Properties dialog will display an error when the user clicks on OK or
Apply. For more information on the piezoelectric model, see page
C6-58.

3.7.3: Fillet
The Fillet component can be used to create a rectangular plate with a rounded corner.
Figure 3-38 Geometrical Properties of Fillet
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Table 3-23 Properties of the Fillet Shape
Local Frame Orients the plate relative to parent Local Frame in the Components tree. - -
Angle or
Radians
Flip Flips the plate about the Local X or Y none -
properties (see page C2-1); if these values are set, they will override the
values set from Components.

rectangular, or circular holes of the plate. Entering a perforation density
will require the user to override the material properties of all deposits
assigned to the plate; the Deposit/Material Override field cannot be left
to inherited. The Perforation Density parameter is currently ignored by
underlying mechanical model; so the user must adjust the material
stiffness (Young’s Modulus) and density parameters to correspond to
the perforation density being specified. Note that the Perforation
Density is correctly taken into account for all child models of the
flexible plates, such as electrodes and squeezed-film dampers. Please
refer to “Face Type” on page C3-51 for additional information about
how the Face Type parameter affects the perforation of a flexible plate.

bounding box of each plate layer. The user specifies an X,Y offset of
the perforation grid relative to a reference perforation in the lower
left corner of the bounding box;. The perforation grid itself is aligned
with the axis of the plate’s local frame.
perforation position. The perforation grid itself is aligned with the
axis of the plate’s local frame.
position and aligned with the axis of the global coordinate system.
Note that the edges of the plate will also be perforated if its face type is

(Circular) required
(Hole y=undef
Spacing)


function trend line. If set to Default, capacitance and electrostatic forces
are defined with the perforation model described on page C6-31. If the
Power Regression Points option is selected, the user has to specify the
gap and capacitance value for each point. To add points, right click on
the Power Regression Points label, and select Add Element. The gap /
capacitance pairs will be used to compute a power function regression
that describes the capacitance variation with the gap of a perforation
unit cell using the linear or nonlinear ordinary least squares. The
derivative of this function will be used to describe the electrostatic force
of the cell. The equation of the trend line computed by MEMS+ is
available in the Get Info window of any component with an electrostatic
M
model.

Override
to GDS or Pcell.
accordingly.
Radius Specifies the distance the rounding function will go into the corner of µm or m
the shape; see Figure 3-38.
Size in Y Specifies the height in Y of the fillet shape’s unrounded side; see Figure x=required, µm or m
3-38. y=required
Form Specifies whether the corner is rounded on the interior (Concave) or on Concave
the exterior (Convex); see Figure 3-38.

Face Type This option determines what type of connectors a face has and whether External
the face is exposed to sidewall angles; see “Face Type” on page C3-51
for a complete explanation.
models.
Shell Element If this option is selected, MEMS+ will use shell elements (see page C6- 3,3
11 for more details). With shell elements, there is only one simulation
point/mechanical connector in the Z direction. The user can specify up
to 6 nodes along the edges 1-2 and 3-4 and the edges 2-3 and 4-1 (see
Figure 3-37).
Brick Element If this option is selected, MEMS+ will use brick elements (see page C6- 3,3,3
14 for more details.), and the user will be able to select the number of
nodes in Z, as well as in along the edges. Note that brick elements
cannot be used with multi-layer components.
recommended for all applications where the displacements satisfy a
linear system, including mechanical forcing, electrostatics, as well as
material deformation, such as when subjected to thermal expansion.
However, linear models cannot capture nonlinear effects, including
Coriolis force, the preservation of angular momentum, or the stiffening
associated with constraining a component, which prevents the
relaxation of internal stresses through deformation.
are able to simulate inherently nonlinear applications, including bistable
the application of the nonlinear elements should be restricted to truly
nonlinear problems.
A linear hybrid model is activated when the option is set to Linear and
at least one angular velocity input is exposed. This model is
Coriolis, and Euler forces, but does not include mechanical nonlinearity.
For more information on the linear hybrid model, see page C6-20.

3.7.4: Arc
Figure 3-39 Geometrical Properties of the Arc Shape
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Table 3-24 Properties of the Arc Shape
Local Frame Orients the plate relative to parent Local Frame in the Components tree. - -
Origin Specifies the X and Y coordinates that locate the center of the arc x=0, y=0 µm or m
In-plane Angle Orients the plate with respect to the parent Local Frame 0 Degrees
or
Radians
Flip Flips the plate about the Local X or Y. none -

rectangular, or circular holes of the plate. Entering a perforation density
will require the user to override the material properties of all deposits
assigned to the plate; the Deposit/Material Override field cannot be left
to inherited. The Perforation Density parameter is currently ignored by
underlying mechanical model; so the user must adjust the material
stiffness (Young's Modulus) and density parameters to correspond to the
perforation density being specified. Note that the Perforation Density is
correctly taken into account for all child models of the flexible plates,
such as electrodes and squeezed-film dampers. Please refer to “Face
Type” on page C3-51 for additional information about how the Face
Type parameter affects the perforation of a flexible plate.

Grid Alignment For this setting, the user has three options (see “Grid Alignment” on undef µm or m
page C3-10):
bounding box of each plate layer. The user specifies an X,Y offset of
the perforation grid relative to a reference perforation in the lower
left corner of the bounding box; see Figure 3-10. The perforation
grid itself is aligned with the axis of the plate’s local frame.
see Figure 3-9.
Note that the edges of the plate will also be perforated if its face type is

(Circular) required


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model.

Override
to GDS or Pcell.
accordingly.
Inner Radius Specifies the inner radius of the arc required µm or m
Outer Radius Specifies the outer radius of the arc required µm or m
Start Angle Specifies the start angle of the arc 0 degrees
Extent Angle Specifies the extent of the arc (Start Angle + Extent Angle defines the required degrees
End Angle).

models.
Shell Element If this option is selected, MEMS+ will use shell elements (as in previous 3,3
releases of MEMS+; see page C6-11 for more details). With shell
elements, there is only one simulation point/mechanical connector in
the Z direction. The user can specify up to six nodes along the edges 1-
2 and 3-4 and the edges 2-3 and 4-1 (see Figure 3-37).
Brick Element If this option is selected, MEMS+ will use brick elements (see page C6- 3,3,3
14 for more details.), and the user will be able to select the number of
nodes in Z, as well as in along the edges. Note that brick elements
cannot be used with multi-layer components.
recommended for all applications where the displacements satisfy a
linear system, including mechanical forcing, electrostatics, as well as
material deformation, such as when subjected to thermal expansion.
are able to simulate inherently nonlinear applications, including bistable
the application of the nonlinear elements should be restricted to truly
nonlinear problems.
piezoelectric effect. Note that it can only be used with Shell Elements. If
there are no piezoelectric materials in the deposit stack, the Properties
dialog will display an error when the user clicks on OK or Apply. For
more information on the piezoelectric model, see page C6-58.

3.7.5: Pie
Figure 3-40 Geometrical Properties of the Pie Shape
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Table 3-25 Properties of the Pie Shape
Local Frame Orients the plate relative to the parent Local Frame in the - -
Components tree.
Origin Specifies the X and Y coordinates that locate the center of the pie- x=0, y=0 µm or m
shaped plate
Angle or
Radians
Flip Flips the shape about the Local X or Y. none -
Rayleigh Damping The two subparameters a and b define the internal damping matrix a=inherited, -

rectangular, or circular holes of the plate. Entering a perforation
deposits assigned to the plate; the Deposit/Material Override field
cannot be left to inherited. The Perforation Density parameter is
currently ignored by underlying mechanical model; so the user must
adjust the material stiffness (Young’s Modulus) and density
parameters to correspond to the perforation density being specified.
Note that the Perforation Density is correctly taken into account for
all child models of the flexible plates, such as electrodes and
squeezed-film dampers. Please refer to “Face Type” on page C3-51
for additional information about how the Face Type parameter affects
the perforation of a flexible plate.

bounding box of each plate layer. The user specifies an X,Y offset
of the perforation grid relative to a reference perforation in the
frame.
see Figure 3-9.
Note that the edges of the plate will also be perforated if its face type
is set to Internal, which can only be done by the Wizard.
to model edges. To learn how the Face Type affects the application of
the Minimum Border Width, see “Face Type” on page C3-51.

(Circular) required
Polygon: Specifies the x, y coordinates for at least three corners of a polygon. x, y for each µm or m
Corners To add more points, right click on the Corners label, and select Add corner =
Element. With the Polygon perforation option, the user can create required
(Hole y=undef
Spacing)


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Deposits Deposit(s) on which the shape resides undef -

Override
deposit, they will appear in the Cut Step drop-down menu, and the
user can select which Straight Cut step can be applied to the deposit.
not be exported to GDS or Pcell.
Vertical Offset Offsets all shape layers in vertical direction; the offset is applied to 0 µm or m
the bottom plane of the bottom-most layer, but all the layers are
moved accordingly.
Radius Specifies the pie radius; see Figure 3-40 required µm or m
Start Angle Specifies the start angle of the pie shape 0 degrees
Extent Angle Specifies the extent of the pie shape. degrees

models.
Shell Element If this option is selected, MEMS+ will use shell elements (see page 3,3
C6-11 for more details). With shell elements, there is only one
simulation point/mechanical connector in the Z direction. The user
can specify up to six nodes along the edges 1-2 and 3-4 and the edges
2-3 and 4-1 (see Figure 3-37).
Brick Element If this option is selected, MEMS+ will use brick elements (see page 3,3,3
C6-14 for more details), and the user can set the number of nodes in
Z, as well as in along the edges. Note that brick elements cannot be
used with multi-layer components.
are recommended for all applications where the displacements satisfy
a linear system, including mechanical forcing, electrostatics, as well
as material deformation, such as when subjected to thermal
are able to simulate inherently nonlinear applications, including
bistable behavior, such as the buckling of a fixed-fixed beam under
stress; large rotation angles; Coriolis forces; as well as stress
stiffening and the expected shift in resonance frequency. However,
they do not simulate as quickly and may be numerically problematic
in transient simulations because of the complexity of the force and
torque calculations. Hence, the application of the nonlinear elements
should be restricted to truly nonlinear problems.
page C6-20.
If there are no piezoelectric materials in the layer stack, the Properties

3.8: Beams
MEMS+ offers several different components to model beams. The library includes components to model beams, arc
beams, polynomial-shaped beams, as well as beams with or without constant width along the beam axis. All MEMS+
beams are defined based on their end point locations and all have, with the exception of the Vertical Beam, only two
Face Types, one for each beam end. Therefore, fixed and internal face, as well as the symmetry boundary conditions
can only be defined at the extremities of the beam component. The beam’s side edges are always considered to be
exposed and therefore free to move. MEMS+ beams support one or multiple beam layers. Each selected layer can
either be modeled by single variable-order finite brick, shell, or Timoshenko beam element. The beam components
with constant cross-section width offer an additional Bernoulli beam model choice. Please refer to “Finite Element
Models” on page C6-1 for further information about the available model choices.
3.8.1: Beam
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The Beam models a beam with a constant width along the beam axis.
Figure 3-41 Geometrical Properties of the Beam
Table 3-26 Properties of the Beam
Local Frame Orients the beam relative to the parent Local Frame in the
Components tree.
Origin Specifies the X, Y coordinates of the arc center x=0, y=0 µm or m
In-plane Angle Orients the beam with respect to the parent Local Frame 0 Degrees
or
Radians
Flip Flips the beam about the Local X or Y. none -
beam will have the damping values set in the top-level Components
properties (see page C2-1); if this value is set, it will override the


adjust the material stiffness (Young's Modulus) and density
 Fixed to Geometry: The perforation grid is relative to the bounding
box of each plate layer. The user specifies an X,Y offset of the
corner of the bounding box; see Figure 3-10. The perforation grid
itself is aligned with the axis of the plate’s local frame.
see Figure 3-9.
Note that the edges of the beam will also be perforated if its face type
to model edges. To learn how the Face Type affects the application of
the Minimum Border Width, see “Face Type” on page C3-51

(Circular) required


M
Deposits Deposit(s) on which the beam resides. For each deposit specified, the undef -
parameters listed below are available.

Override
deposit, they are in the Cut Step drop-down menu, and the user can
layers appear in a drop-down menu for the Layers parameter, and the
user can select which layer will be used to define boundaries of the
be exported to GDS or Pcell.
Protrude Left defines the layer protrusion on the left beam edge as seen from Left=undef, µm or m
start point to the end point (see Figure 3-45). Right defines the layer Right=undef
protrusion on the right beam edge as seen from start point to the end
point.

Vertical Offset Offsets all beam layers in the vertical direction; the offset is applied to 0 µm or m
the bottom plane of the bottom-most layer, but all layers are moved
accordingly. Note: When the Piezoresistive model is added to a
component, the Vertical Offset is ignored.
Position Defines the position of the beam by the location of its endpoints. If 0 µm or m
End 1 is not defined, it defaults to (0,0,0).
 When adding a series of beams that align end to end, you can
right click on the End 2 label of the first beam and select Copy.
Then in the next beam, you can right click on the End 1 label
and select Paste.
End 1 Defines the X, Y coordinates of End 1 in the active Local Frame. If x=0, y=0, µm or m
Vertical Offset=0, the vertical position of the beam is defined by the Vertical
Z-position of the first beam layer. Offset =0
End 2 Defines the X, Y coordinates of End 2 in the active Local Frame. If x=required, µm or m
Vertical Offset=0, the vertical position of the beam is defined by the Z y=0, Vertical
position of the first beam layer. Offset=0
Width Default beam width; see Figure 3-41 required µm or m
Model Determines what type of element will be used to represent the model. Bernoulli
See page C6-1 for a detailed explanation of the underlying models. Beam
Bernoulli If this option is selected, MEMS+ will use a single Bernoulli beam -
Beam element to model the complete structure. Bernoulli beam elements
have only two mechanical connectors, one at each beam end. For
more information, see page C6-2. Note: Adding residual stress to a
Bernoulli beam will only affect bending results; it will have no
effect on torsional results.
Timoshenko If this option is selected, MEMS+ will use a single Timoshenko beam 3
Beam element to model each of the selected layers. The user will be able to
select the number of nodes along the beam axis. For more
information, see page C6-7. Note: a beam made of multiple layers
and Timoshenko beam elements will not yield accurate torsional
results.
Shell Element If this option is selected, MEMS+ will use a single shell element to 3,3
model each of the selected layers. With shell elements, there is only
one simulation point/mechanical connector in the Z direction. The
user can specify up to six nodes along the width and the length of the
beam. For more information, see page C6-11.
Brick Element If this option is selected, MEMS+ will use a single brick element as 3,3,3
underlying model. The user can set the number of nodes in Z as well
as along the length and the width of the beam. Note that brick
elements cannot be used with multi-layer components. For more
information, see page C6-14.

are recommended for all applications where the beam ends rotate less
than about ten degrees, including mechanical forcing, electrostatics,
as well as material deformation, such as when subjected to thermal
Nonlinear models have no angular restriction and deliver accurate
results for any given beam position in space. They are able to simulate
inherently nonlinear applications, including bistable beam behavior,
M
such as the buckling of a fixed-fixed beam under stress; large rotation
angles as in mirror suspensions in a rotating gimbal; Coriolis forces
for gyroscopes; crab-leg beam structures; as well as stress stiffening
and the expected shift in resonance frequency. However, they do not
simulate as quickly and may be numerically problematic in transient
simulations because of the complexity of the force and torque
calculations. Hence, the application of the nonlinear beams should be
restricted to truly nonlinear problems.
page C6-20.
beam. The beam component has these options:
Piezoelectric Model: models the electromechanical behavior of a
piezoelectric material in a flexible structure. It can either be used to
actuate a flexible shape or to convert mechanical motion into an
electrical signal based on the piezoelectric effect. Note that it can only
be used with Shell Element model. If there are no piezoelectric
materials in the layer stack, the Properties dialog will display an error
when the user clicks on OK or Apply. For more information on the
piezoelectric model, see page C6-58.
Piezoresistive Model: models the electromechanical behavior of a
piezoresistive material in a flexible structure. It can be used to detect
the variation of axial strain of the mechanical element, based on the
piezoresistive effect. Note that it can only be used with a Bernoulli
Beam model. If there are no piezoresistive materials in the layer stack,
the Properties dialog will display an error when the user clicks on OK
or Apply. For more information on the piezoresistive model For more
information on the piezoresistive model, see page C6-60.
Piezoelectric This parameter appears if the Piezoelectric Model is selected. It default -

Deposit specifies the active PZE deposit for the Piezoelectric model. If left to
default, the first piezoelectric deposit (from the top down) in the
Piezoresistive This parameter appears if the Piezoresistive Model is selected. It

Deposit specifies the active PZR deposit for the Piezoresistive model. If left to
default, the first deposit (from the top down) in the component stack
will be considered the active PZR deposit.

The beam cross-section geometry is defined by the Deposit parameter. The number of supported beam deposits is not
restricted (except for the brick element model). Each deposit width and in-plane position with regard to the beam’s
Width parameter can be adjusted individually using the Protrude parameter. Figure 3-42 shows various examples of
protrude settings used in conjunction with sidewall angles for each etch step.
Figure 3-42 Cross-Section Properties of a Beam with Sidewall Angles and Protrude
If Protrude = undef, the corresponding deposit edge position is defined with respect to the bottom edge of the deposit
above. The Protrude parameter always refers to the top side of the deposit unless the corresponding etch step is
defined as a backside etch. In this case Protrude refers to the bottom side of the deposit. The beam’s Width parameter
provides a reference for all Protrude parameters.
3.8.2: Tapered Beam

The Tapered Beam models a beam whose width changes linearly along the beam axis.
Figure 3-43 Geometrical Properties of the Tapered Beam
Table 3-27 Properties of the Tapered Beam
Components tree.
In-plane Orients the beam with respect to the parent Local Frame 0 Degrees
Angle or
Radians


M
adjust the material stiffness (Young’s Modulus) and density
frame.
see Figure 3-9.
Width.

(Circular) required

(Hole y=undef
Spacing)

Deposits Deposit(s) on which the beam resides. undef -

Override

deposit, they appear in the Cut Step drop-down menu, and the user
user can select which layer will be used to define boundaries of the
M
be exported to GDS or Pcell.
Protrude Left defines the deposit protrusion on the left beam edge as seen from Left=undef, µm or m
start point to the end point (see Figure 3-42 on page C3-74). Right Right=undef
defines the deposit protrusion on the right beam edge as seen from
start point to the end point.
Vertical Offset Offsets all beam deposits in the vertical direction; the offset is applied 0 µm or m
to the bottom plane of the bottom-most deposit, but all deposits are
moved accordingly.
Position Defines the position of the beam by the location of its endpoints. If End1: x, y µm or m
End 1 is not defined, it defaults to (0,0,0). =0, Vertical
 When adding a series of beams that align end to end, you can Offset=0
End2:
right click on the End 2 label of the first beam and select Copy.
x=required,
Then in the next beam, you can right click on the End 1 label
y=0,
and select Paste.
Vertical
Offset=0
Width End 1, Width End 2 These settings allows the user taper the beam width along its axis. The Width End µm or m
user specifies a Width End 1, and a Width End 2, and the beam will 1, Width
be tapered from End 1 to End 2 to accommodate the change in width; End 2 =
see Figure 3-43 for an illustration. required
Model Determines what type of element will be used to represent the model. Timoshenko
Beam element to model each of the selected deposits. The user will be able
to select the number of nodes along the beam axis. For more
information, see page C6-7. Note: a beam made of multiple deposits
results.

model each of the selected deposits. With shell elements, there is only
one node/mechanical connector in the Z direction. The user can
specify up to six nodes along the width and the length of the beam.
For more information, see page C6-11.
underlying model. The user will be able to select the number of nodes
in Z as well as along the length and the width of the beam. Note that
brick elements cannot be used with multi-deposit components. For
more information, see page C6-14.
are recommended for all applications where the beam ends rotate less
than about ten degrees, including mechanical forcing, electrostatics,
angles as in mirror suspensions in a rotating gimbal; Coriolis forces
for gyroscopes; crab-leg beam structures; as well as stress stiffening
and the expected shift in resonance frequency. However, they do not
calculation, so nonlinear beams should be used only in truly nonlinear
problems.
page C6-20.
beam. Currently, only the Piezoelectric Model is available. It is used
to model the electromechanical behavior of a piezoelectric material in
a flexible structure. It can either be used to actuate a flexible shape or
to convert mechanical motion into an electrical signal based on the
Apply. For more information on the piezoelectric model, see page
C6-58.

3.8.3: Varying-Width Beam

The Varying Beam models a beam whose width changes along the beam axis.
Figure 3-44 Geometrical Properties of the Varying-Width Beam
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Table 3-28 Properties of the Varying-Width Beam
Components tree.
or
Radians
inherited, the beam will have the damping values set in the top-level
Components properties (see page C2-1); if this value is set, it will
override the Components damping values.

for additional information about how the Face Type parameter

frame.
position and aligned with the axis of the global coordinate
system; see Figure 3-9.
Width.

(Circular) required
(Rectangular directions. Note that using a Minimum Border Width with y=required
or Square) rectangular perforations may not eliminate holes close to the device
edge if the perforation’s aspect ratio is not close to 1.


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Override
Cut appears after the selected deposit, it will be selected and cannot
be changed. If more than one Straight Cut appear after the selected
those layers appear in a drop-down menu for the Layers parameter,
and the user can select which layer will be used to define boundaries
of the Cut Step. If set to None, the layer associated with the cut step
will not be exported to GDS or Pcell.
Protrude Left defines the deposit protrusion on the left beam edge as seen Left=undef, µm or m
from start point to the end point (see Figure 3-42 on page C3-74). Right=undef
Right defines the deposit protrusion on the right beam edge as seen
from start point to the end point.
Vertical Offset Offsets all beam deposits in the vertical direction; the offset is 0 µm or m
applied to the bottom plane of the bottom-most deposit, but all
deposits are moved accordingly.

Position Defines the position of the beam by the location of its endpoints. If End1: x=0, µm or m
End 1 is not defined, it defaults to (0,0,0). y=0, Vertical
When adding a series of beams that align end to end, you can right Offset=0
click on the End 2 label of the first beam and select Copy. Then in the End2:
next beam, you can right click on the End 1 label and select Paste. x=required,
y=0, Vertical
Offset=0
Width Specifies the default width for the beam. The Cross-Sections/Width Width = µm or m
Offset settings will be applied relative to this width setting; see Table required
3-28 for an illustration.
Cross- Specifies Width Offsets along the axis of the beam. The user can add Width Offset µm or m
Sections/Width more Width Offsets by right clicking on the Cross-Sections label and =0
Offsets select Add Element. There is a limit of six cross-sections. The Width
Offsets will be relative to the Width, will be spaced evenly along the
axis of the beam, and a node will be created at the location of each
offset; see Table 3-28 for more details.
Model Determines what type of element will be used to represent the model. Timoshenko
Timoshenko If this option is selected, MEMS+ will use a single Timoshenko 3

Beam beam element to model each of the selected deposits. The number of
nodes along the beam axis are indirectly defined by the number of
Width Offsets under the Cross-Sections property; see Table 3-28. For
more information, see page C6-7. Note: a beam made of multiple
deposits and Timoshenko beam elements will not yield accurate
torsional results.
model each of the selected deposits. With shell elements, there is
only one node/mechanical connector in the Z direction. The user can
specify up to six nodes along the width of the beam. The number of
Width Offsets under the Cross-Sections property, see Table 3-28. For
underlying model. The user will be able to select the number of
nodes in Z as well as along the width of the beam. The number of
Width Offsets under the Cross-Sections property; see Table 3-28.
Note that brick elements cannot be used with multi-deposit
components. For more information, see page C6-14.

are recommended for all applications where the beam ends rotate
less than about ten degrees, including mechanical forcing,
electrostatics, as well as material deformation, such as when
subjected to thermal expansion. However, linear models cannot
capture nonlinear effects, including Coriolis force, the preservation
of angular momentum, or the stiffening associated with constraining
a component, which prevents the relaxation of internal stresses
through deformation.
results for any given beam position in space. They are able to
M
simulate inherently nonlinear applications, including bistable beam
behavior, such as the buckling of a fixed-fixed beam under stress;
large rotation angles as in mirror suspensions in a rotating gimbal;
Coriolis forces for gyroscopes; crab-leg beam structures; as well as
stress stiffening and the expected shift in resonance frequency.
However, they do not simulate as quickly and may be numerically
problematic in transient simulations because of the complexity of the
force and torque calculations, so nonlinear beams should only be
used in truly nonlinear problems.
page C6-20.
to model the electromechanical behavior of a piezoelectric material
in a flexible structure. It can either be used to actuate a flexible shape
or to convert mechanical motion into an electrical signal based on
the piezoelectric effect. Note that it can only be used with Shell
Elements. If there are no piezoelectric materials in the deposit stack,
the Properties dialog will display an error when the user clicks on
OK or Apply. For more information on the piezoelectric model, see
page C6-58.

3.8.4: Arc Beam

The Arc Beam models a beam with a constant width along an arc-shaped beam axis.
Figure 3-45 Geometrical Properties of an Arc Beam
Table 3-29 Properties of the Arc Beam
Components tree.
In-plane Angle Orients the beam with respect to the parent Local Frame 0 Degrees or
Radians
override the values set from Components.


frame.
M
position and aligned with the axis of the global coordinate
system; see Figure 3-9.
Width.

(Circular) required


Deposits Deposit(s) on which the beam resides undef -

Override
from start point to the end point (see Figure 3-42). Right defines the Right=undef
deposit protrusion on the right beam edge as seen from start point to
the end point.
Vertical Offset Offsets all beam deposits in vertical direction; the offset is applied to 0 µm or m
the bottom plane of the bottom-most deposit, but all the deposits are
moved accordingly.
Radius Average arc radius defined from the origin to the center line of the required µm or m
beam; see Figure 3-45

Start Angle Angular position of the start point; note that the start point is 0 Degrees or
positioned according the origin, start angle, and radius. Radians
Extent Angle Specifies the extent of the arc (Start Angle + Extent Angle defines required Degrees or
the End Point). Radians
Width Beam width; see Figure 3-45 required µm or m
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Bernoulli If this option is selected, MEMS+ will use Bernoulli beam elements -
Beam to model the structure. Bernoulli beam elements have only two
mechanical connectors, one at each beam end. For more information,
see page C6-2. Note: Adding residual stress to a Bernoulli beam
will only affect bending results; it will have no effect on torsional
results.
Also note that you cannot use Perforation Density with Bernoulli
Beam elements.

Beam beam element to model each of the selected deposits. The user will
be able to select the number of nodes along the beam axis. For more
results.
only one simulation point/mechanical connector in the Z direction.
The user can specify up to six nodes along the width and the length
of the beam. For more information, see page C6-11.
nodes in Z as well as along the length and the width of the beam.

force and torque calculations. Hence, the application of the nonlinear
beams should be restricted to truly nonlinear problems.
page C6-20.
in a flexible structure. It can either be used to actuate a flexible shape
or to convert mechanical motion into an electrical signal based on
the piezoelectric effect. Note that it can only be used with Shell
Elements. If there are no piezoelectric materials in the deposit stack,
the Properties dialog will display an error when the user clicks on
OK or Apply. For more information on the piezoelectric model, see
page C6-58.

3.8.5: Arc Tapered Beam

The Arc Tapered Beam models a beam whose width changes linearly along an arc-shaped beam axis.
Figure 3-46 Geometrical Properties of an Arc Tapered Beam
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Table 3-30 Properties of the Arc Tapered Beam
Components tree.
or
Radians


will be taken into account in any simulations. Hiding the
perforations may speed up model rendering.
frame.
 Fixed to Local Frame: With this option, the user specifies the
X,Y coordinate of single (arbitrary) perforation in local rigid
plate coordinates, and the rest of the grid is created relative to the
given perforation position; see Figure 3-11. The perforation grid
itself is aligned with the axis of the plate’s local frame.
X,Y coordinate of single (arbitrary) perforation in global
(canvas) coordinates. The rest of the grid is created relative to
the given position and aligned with the axis of the global
coordinate system; see Figure 3-9.
Note that the edges of the beam will also be perforated if its face
type is set to Internal, which can only be done by the Wizard.
to model edges. Please also refer to “Face Type” on page C3-51
learn how the Face Type affects the application of the Minimum
Border Width.

(Circular) required
Holes If checked, each row of holes will be aligned such that the -- --
Staggered beginning of each hole aligns with the center of the hole above it.


31. If the Power Regression Points option is selected, the user has
to specify the gap and capacitance value for each point. To add
points, right click on the Power Regression Points label, and select
Add Element. The gap /capacitance pairs will be used to compute a
power function regression that describes the capacitance variation
with the gap of a perforation unit cell using the linear or nonlinear
ordinary least squares. The derivative of this function will be used
to describe the electrostatic force of the cell. The equation of the
trend line computed by MEMS+ is available in the Get Info window
M
of any component with an electrostatic model.

Override
and the user can select which layer will be used to define
the cut step will not be exported to GDS or Pcell.
from start point to the end point (see Figure 3-42). Right defines the Right=undef
deposit protrusion on the right beam edge as seen from start point to
the end point.
Vertical Offset Offsets all beam deposits in vertical direction; the offset is applied 0 µm or m
to the bottom plane of the bottom-most deposit, but all the deposits
are moved accordingly.
Radius Specifies the inner radius of the arc required µm or m
Start Angle Angular position of the start point; note that the start point is 0 Degrees
positioned according the origin, start angle, and radius. or
Radians

Extent Angle Specifies the end angle of the arc required Degrees
or
Radians
Width End 1, Width End The user specifies a Width End 1, and a Width End 2, and the beam Width End 1, µm or m
2 will be tapered from End 1 to End 2 to accommodate the change in Width End 2
width; see Figure 3-46. = required
Model Determines what type of element will be used to represent the Timoshenko
model. See page C6-1 for a detailed explanation of the underlying Beam
models.

Beam beam element to model each of the selected deposits. The user will
be able to select the number of nodes along the beam axis. For more
information, see page C6-7. Note: a beam made of multiple
deposits and Timoshenko beam elements will not yield accurate
torsional results.
only one node/mechanical connector in the Z direction. The user
can specify up to six nodes along the width and the length of the
beam. For more information, see page C6-11.
nodes in Z as well as along the length and the width of the beam.

of angular momentum, or the stiffening associated with
constraining a component, which prevents the relaxation of internal
stresses through deformation.
M
problematic in transient simulations because of the complexity of
the force and torque calculations. Hence, the application of the
nonlinear beams should be restricted to truly nonlinear problems.
page C6-20.
in a flexible structure. It can either be used to actuate a flexible
shape or to convert mechanical motion into an electrical signal
based on the piezoelectric effect. Note that it can only be used with
Shell Elements. If there are no piezoelectric materials in the deposit
stack, the Properties dialog will display an error when the user
clicks on OK or Apply. For more information on the Piezoelectric
model, see page C6-58.
Piezoelectric Specifies the active PZE deposit for the Piezoelectric model. If left default -
Deposit to default, the first piezoelectric deposit (from the top down) in the
Adding a Gap
Users can add an Inherited Gap or one of the independently shaped gaps to an Arc Tapered Beam. The Gap can be
used to add a electrode/contact model and/or a squeezed-film model to the beam.To add one of these components,
right click on the beam, select Add, and then select the desired component. For details on the Inherited Gap compo-
nent, see page C4-2. For details on the independently shaped gaps, see page C4-6.

3.8.6: Arc Varying-Width Beam

The Arc Varying Width Beam models a beam whose width changes along an arc-shaped beam axis.
Figure 3-47 Geometrical Properties of an Arc Varying-Width Beam
Table 3-31 Properties of the Arc Varying-Width Beam
Local Frame Orients the beam relative to the parent Local Frame in the Components
tree.
or
Radians
Perforation Density Creates homogeneous square, rectangular, or circular perforations in - -

the component. Entering a perforation density will require the user to
override the material properties of all deposits assigned to the plate; the
Deposit/Material Override field cannot be left to inherited. The
Perforation Density parameter is currently ignored by underlying
mechanical model; so the user must adjust the material stiffness
(Young's Modulus) and density parameters to correspond to the
perforation density being specified. Note that the Perforation Density
is correctly taken into account for all child models of the flexible
plates, such as electrodes and squeezed-film dampers. Please refer to
“Face Type” on page C3-51 for additional information about how the
Face Type parameter affects the perforation of a flexible component.

the lower left corner of the bounding box. The perforation grid itself
is aligned with the axis of the plate’s local frame.
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perforation position. The perforation grid itself is aligned with the
axis of the plate’s local frame.
position and aligned with the axis of the global coordinate system.
model edges. Please also refer to “Face Type” on page C3-51 learn
Width.

(Circular) required


deposit, they appear in the Cut Step drop-down menu, and the user can
user can select which layer will be used to define boundaries of the Cut
Step. If set to None, the layer associated with the cut step will not be
exported to GDS or Pcell.

Override
Protrude Left defines the deposit protrusion on the left beam edge as seen from Left=undef µm or m
start point to the end point (see Figure 3-42). Right defines the deposit ,
protrusion on the right beam edge as seen from start point to the end Right=und
point. ef
moved accordingly.
Radius Specifies the inner radius of the arc required µm or m

Start Angle Angular position of the start point; note that the start point is 0 Degrees
positioned according the origin, start angle, and radius. or
Radians
Extent Angle Specifies the end angle of the arc required Degrees
or
Radians
Width Specifies the default width for the beam. The Cross-Sections/Width Width = µm or m
Offset settings will be applied relative to this width setting; see Figure required
3-47 for an illustration.
Cross- Specifies Width Offsets along the axis of the beam. The user can add Width µm or m
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Sections/Width more Width Offsets by right clicking on the Cross-Sections label and Offset = 0
Offsets select Add Element. There is a limit of six cross-sections. The Width
Offsets will be relative to the Width, will be spaced evenly along the
axis of the beam, and a node will be created at the location of each
offset.
Model Determines what type of element will be used to represent the model. Timoshenk
See page C6-1 for a detailed explanation of the underlying models. o Beam
Beam element to model each of the selected deposits. The number of nodes
along the beam axis are indirectly defined by the number of Width
Offsets under the Cross-Sections property; see Table 3-31. For more
results.
model each of the selected deposits. With shell elements, there is only
one node/mechanical connector in the Z direction. The user can
specify up to six nodes along the width of the beam. The number of
Width Offsets under the Cross-Sections property; see Table 3-31. For
underlying model. The user will be able to select the number of nodes
in Z as well as along the width of the beam. The number of nodes
along the beam axis are indirectly defined by the number of Width
Offsets under the Cross-Sections property; see Table 3-31.

recommended for all applications where the beam ends rotate less than
about ten degrees, including mechanical forcing, electrostatics, as well
as material deformation, such as when subjected to thermal expansion.
angles as in mirror suspensions in a rotating gimbal; Coriolis forces for
gyroscopes; crab-leg beam structures; as well as stress stiffening and
the expected shift in resonance frequency. However, they do not
page C6-20.
beam. Currently, only the Piezoelectric Model is available. It is used to
Apply. For more information on the Piezoelectric model, see page C6-
58.
Adding a Gap
Users can add an Inherited Gap component or one of the independently shaped gaps to an Arc Varying-Width Beam.
The Gap can be used to add a electrode/contact model and/or a squeezed-film model to the beam. To add one of these
components, right click on the beam, select Add, and then select the desired component. For details on the Inherited
Gap component, see page C4-2. For details on the independently shaped gaps, see page C4-6.

3.8.7: Freeform Beam

The Freeform Beam is the most general of all MEMS+ beam models. It can model a beam with varying width along a
polynomial-shaped beam axis. In fact, all other beams can be made with a freeform beam.
Figure 3-48 Geometrical Properties of a Freeform Beam
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Table 3-32 Properties of the Freeform Beam
Local Frame Orients the beam relative to the parent Local Frame in the Components
tree.
or
Radians
Perforation Density Creates homogeneous square, rectangular, or circular perforations in - -

the component. Entering a perforation density will require the user to
override the material properties of all deposits assigned to the plate; the
Deposit/Material Override field cannot be left to inherited. The
Perforation Density parameter is currently ignored by underlying
mechanical model; so the user must adjust the material stiffness
(Young's Modulus) and density parameters to correspond to the
perforation density being specified. Note that the Perforation Density
is correctly taken into account for all child models of the component,
such as electrodes and squeezed-film dampers. For additional
information about how the Face Type parameter affects the perforation
of a flexible component, refer to “Face Type” on page C3-51.

Grid Alignment For this setting, the user has three options: undef µm or m
perforation grid is aligned with the axis of the plate’s local frame.
 Fixed to Local Frame: Specifies the X,Y coordinate of single
(arbitrary) perforation in local rigid plate coordinates, and the rest
of the grid is created relative to the given perforation position; see
Figure 3-11. The perforation grid is aligned with the axis of the
plate’s local frame.
 Fixed to Global Frame: Specifies the X,Y coordinate of single
(arbitrary) perforation in global (canvas) coordinates. The rest of
the grid is created relative to the given position and aligned with the
axis of the global coordinate system; see Figure 3-9.
model edges. See“Face Type” on page C3-51 to learn how the Face
Type affects the application of the Minimum Border Width.

(Circular) required


M

Override
Protrude Left defines the deposit protrusion on the left beam edge as seen from Left=undef µm or m
the start point to the end point (see Figure 3-42). Right defines the Right=
deposit protrusion on the right beam edge as seen from the start point undef
to the end point.
moved accordingly.
Width Default beam width; this can be varied along the length of the beam required µm or m
using the Cross-section parameter; see below.

Cross-sections This parameter specifies the number and properties of all cross-
sections that define the shape of the freeform beam (see Figure 3-48).
A mechanical connector is added at the center of each cross-section.
To add cross-sections, right click on the Cross-sections label, and
select Add Element.
For more information on defining cross-section locations, see page C3-
103.
Position Specifies the X, Y location of the cross-section in the local frame; this x=required, µm or m
parameter also determines the location of the mechanical node. y=0
Width
Offset=0
Model Determines what type of finite element will be used to represent the Timoshenko
component. See page C6-1 for a details of the underlying models. Beam
Timoshenko MEMS+ uses a single Timoshenko beam element to model each of the -
Beam selected deposits. The number of nodes along the beam axis are
indirectly defined by the number of Cross-Sections (see above). For
more information on this model, see page C6-7. Note: a beam made of
multiple deposits and Timoshenko beam elements will not yield
accurate torsional results.
Shell Element MEMS+ uses a single shell element to model each of the selected 3
deposits. With shell elements, there is only one node/mechanical
connector in the Z direction. The user can specify up to six nodes along
the width of the beam. The number of nodes along the beam axis are
indirectly defined by the number of Cross-Sections property (see
above). For more information, see page C6-11.
Brick Element MEMS+ uses a single brick element as underlying model. The user 3,3
will be able to select the number of nodes in Z as well as along the
width of the beam. The number of nodes along the beam axis are
indirectly defined by the number of Cross-sections (see above).

M
at least one angular velocity input is exposed. It is significantly faster
for transient analyses. It accounts for inertial, Coriolis, and Euler
forces, but does not include mechanical nonlinearity. For more
information on the linear hybrid model, see page C6-20.
beam. Currently, only the Piezoelectric Model is available. It is used to
If there is no piezoelectric material in the deposit stack, the Properties
Defining Cross-Sections
Cross-section positions are used to define the mapping to the isoparametric domain [-1, 1] x [-1,1]. The model
assumes that nodes are evenly spaced along the first axis. For a 3-node beam, the first node will be at (-1,0), the sec-
ond at (0,0) and the third at (1,0) in the isoparametric coordinate system.
The node location then influences how the isoparametric domain maps onto the actual beam. Figure 3-49 is an exam-
ple of a beam 100 µm long and 10 µm wide. The green points are the cross-section positions. The red points are the
surface control points. For the first beam, the middle node is placed at the center of the beam; for the second beam,
the middle node is displaced from the center to 70% of the beam length, and for the third beam, the middle node is
displaced from the center to 80% of the beam length. Note how the isoparametric domain deforms with the change in
position of the middle node. When the middle node is placed at 80% of the beam length, the isoparametric domain
even warps out of the actual beam shape. This is an invalid mapping, and when the user clicks on Apply or on OK in
the Freeform Beam properties dialog, the following error message is displayed:
"Beam construction failed due to an invalid mapping to the isoparametric domain. Please edit the cross-section defi-

nitions so that the model is evenly discretized."
Figure 3-49 Isoparametric Domain Mapping with Freeform Beam Cross-Sections
Adding a Gap
Users can add a Inherited Gap component or an independently shaped Gap to a Freeform Beam. The Gap can be used
to add a electrode/contact model and/or a squeezed-film model to the beam. To add one of these components, right
click on the beam, select Add, and then select the desired component. For details on the Inherited Gap component, see
page C4-2. For details on the independently shaped gaps, see page C4-6.
3.8.8: Vertical Beam

The vertical beam is a specialized beam model used to simulate vertical beams with different cross-section shapes. It
has two mechanical connectors oriented in the vertical direction, as opposed to other beams that have two mechanical
beams oriented in the horizontal direction.
Figure 3-50 Vertical Beam
+veZ
-veZ

Table 3-33 Properties of the Vertical Beam
Local Frame Orients the beam relative to the parent Local Frame in the Components - -
tree.
or
Radians
M
properties (see page C2-1); if this value is set, it will override the values
set from Components.

Override
select which layer will be used to define boundaries of the Cut Step. If
set to None, the layer associated with the cut step will not be exported to
GDS or Pcell.
Vertical Offset Offsets the beam deposits in the vertical direction. The offset is applied 0 µm or m
to the bottom plane of the bottom-most deposit, but all the deposits are
moved accordingly.
Center Specifies the X and Y coordinates of the center of the beam x=0, y=0, µm or m
Cross-Section Specifies the shape of the vertical beam Rectangular

Rectangular Specifies a rectangular cross section for the beam. The user specifies x=required, µm or m
the x and y dimensions to define the size of the cross section. y=required
Circular Specifies a circular cross section for the beam. The user specifies a Radius= µm or m
radius to define the size of the cross section. required
The options are Beam
Bernoulli Beams: Discretizes the model as a one-dimensional line
elements in the three-dimensional space of the canvas/reference
coordinate system. See page C6-2 for a detailed explanation of the
underlying model.
Hexahedral Mesh: Discretizes the model using hexahedral elements;
the user specifies the element size in X and Y and the number of
elements in Z. See page C6-15 for a detailed explanation of the
underlying model.

3.8.9: Beam Model Information

To view the mechanical connectors, stiffness, damping, and mass matrices of a beam, right click on the beam in the
Components tree or in the canvas, and select Get Info. A sample window for a Beam component is shown below:

3.9: Suspensions
MEMS+ offers a series of suspension models like the Serpentine, the Box Beam, the Beam Path, and the J-Beam. All
suspension models calculate their stiffness and mass matrices prior to simulation by assembling individual Bernoulli
beam stiffness and mass matrices. The internal nodes of the interconnected beam elements are removed using Guyan
reduction, which yields a two-node suspension model with a stiffness equivalent to the original model made of indi-
vidual Bernoulli beam elements.
While exact at zero frequency, Guyan-reduced models show certain inaccuracies in their dynamic behavior. [9][10] In
particular, the mass of a suspension component is inexact. If the suspensions represent a significant part of the device
(by mass), this may result in a wrong Q factor calculation.
3.9.1: J-Beam
Figure 3-51 Geometrical Properties of the J-Beam
Table 3-34 Properties of the J-Beam
Local Frame Orients the beam relative to the parent Local Frame in the - -
Components tree.
Angle or
Radians


Override
M
from beam end 1 to beam end 2. Right defines the deposit protrusion Right=undef
on the right beam edge as seen from beam end1 to beam end 2.
Position Defines the position of the beam by two end points; see Figure 3-51 - -
Vertical Offset=0, the vertical position of the beam is defined by the Vertical Offset
Z position of the first suspension deposit. =0
Vertical Offset=0, the vertical position of the beam is defined by the y=0, Vertical
Z position of the first suspension deposit. Offset=0
Width Width of the parallel and perpendicular beams; see Figure 3-51 Parallel= µm or m
required;
Perpendicular
= required
Beam Length 1, Beam Length of the parallel beams 1 and 2; see Figure 3-51 Beam Length µm or m
Length 2 1=required;
Beam Length
2= required
Length of the Tabs Length of Tab 1 at End 1 and length of Tab 2 at End 2. Negative tab at End 1=0, µm or m
length values are supported and result in an inward tab orientation; at End 2=0
see Figure 3-51
First Turn First turn of the beam when going from End 1 to End 2 Left -
Turn Shape Shape of the parallel beam: straight or curved; see Figure 3-51 Straight -

underlying model.
underlying model.
force and torque calculations. Hence, the application of the nonlinear
beams should be restricted to truly nonlinear problems.
Note that the linear hybrid model is not available for this component.

3.9.2: Box Beam

Figure 3-52 Geometrical Properties of a Box Beam
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Table 3-35 Properties of the Box Beam
tree.
or
Radians
beam has the damping values set in the top-level Components
properties (see page C2-1); if this value is set, it overrides the values set
from Components.

Override

GDS or Pcell.
beam end 1 to beam end 2. Right defines the deposit protrusion on the Right=undef
right beam edge as seen from beam end1 to beam end 2.
Position Defines the position of the beam by two end points; see Figure 3-52 0 µm or m
Vertical Offset=0, the vertical position of the beam is defined by the Z- Vertical
position of the first suspension deposit. Offset =0
Vertical Offset=0, the vertical position of the beam is defined by the Z- y=0,
position of the first suspension deposit. Vertical
Offset=0
Width Width of the parallel and perpendicular beams; see Figure 3-52 Parallel = µm or m
required,
Perpendicul
ar= required
Amplitude Size of the box turns; see Figure 3-52 Left=require µm or m

d, Right =
required
Length of the Tabs Length of Tab 1 at End 1 and length of Tab 2 at End 2. Negative tab at End 1 = µm or m
length values are supported and result in an inward tab orientation; see required,
Figure 3-52. at End 2 =
required
Box Indentation Beam box indentations at End 1 and 2; see Figure 3-52 at End 1=0 µm or m
at End 2=0

underlying model.
underlying model.
M

3.9.3: Serpentine
Figure 3-53 Geometrical Properties of the Serpentine
Table 3-36 Properties of the Serpentine Beam
tree.
Angle or
Radians
Flip Flips the beam about the Local X or Y none -
properties (see page C2-1); if this value is set, it will override the values
set from Components.

Override

M
GDS or Pcell.
beam end 1 to beam end 2. Right defines the deposit protrusion on the Right=undef
right beam edge as seen from beam end1 to beam end 2.
Position Defines the position of the beam by two endpoints; see Figure 3-53 - -
Vertical Offset=0, the vertical position of the beam is defined by the Z- Vertical Offset
position of the first suspension deposit. =0
Vertical Offset=0, the vertical position of the beam is defined by the Z- y=0, Vertical
position of the first suspension deposit. Offset=0
Width Width of the parallel and perpendicular beams; see Figure 3-53 Parallel= µm or m
required,
Perpendicular
= required
Amplitude Extension of the serpentine turns; see Figure 3-53 Left=required, µm or m

Right=
required
Pitch Pitch between the parallel beam center lines; see Figure 3-53 required
Minimum Length of Minimum length of Tab 1 at End 1 and minimum length of Tab 2 at End at End 1=0, µm or m
the Tabs 2. The actual tab length is calculated by the model and depends on the at End 2=0
number of turns that fit between the specified end point locations; see
Figure 3-53.
First Turn First turn of the beam when going from End 1 to End 2 Left
Turn Shape Shape of the parallel beam: straight or curved; see Figure 3-53 Straight -

underlying model.
underlying model.
Serpentine beams should not be used for thick-structure suspension applications; the simulation results may not be
accurate.

3.9.4: Beam Path

Figure 3-54 Beam Path Geometrical Properties
M
Table 3-37 Properties of the Beam Path
tree
Angle or
Radians

Override

the Start Point to the first End Point. Right defines the deposit Right=undef
protrusion on the right beam edge as seen from the Start Point to the
first End Point.
moved accordingly.
Path Width Defines the width of the beam required µm or m
Start Point Defines the beginning of the beam path x=0, y=0 µm or m
Path Segments Defines the end point of each path segment relative to the preceding x,y=required, µm or m
point (for the first segment, this is the Start Point). The Width Offset Width
can be used to widen or narrow the path width for a particular segment. Offset=0
To add more segments, right click on Path Segments label, and select
Add Element.
underlying model.
underlying model.

M
3.9.5: Beam Model Information

To view the model information of a suspension model, right click on the component in the Components tree or in the
canvas, and select Get Info. The window that opens displays mechanical connector locations, and the stiffness, damp-
ing, and mass matrices.

3.10: Spring
The spring is a generic component without a geometrical representation on the canvas. This component has two
mechanical connectors, one for each end. The spring can be used to model suspensions that are difficult or even
impossible to define using the geometrical components of the MEMS+ library such as Beam or Freeform Beam.
Instead of specifying the geometry of the component, the user directly defines the spring stiffness matrix of the corre-
sponding model. The stiffness parameters can be either derived from measurements or simulations with external
finite element code. The Spring component can be added to the Global Component Properties or to a Local Frame.
Note that at least one mechanical connector must coincide with a mechanical connector of another component, but
the second mechanical connector does not have to coincide with another mechanical connector; in that case, the sec-
ond connector must be fixed.
Table 3-38 Properties of the Spring
Local Frame Orients the spring relative to the parent Local Frame in the - -
Components tree
In-plane Orients the spring with respect to the parent Local Frame 0 Degrees
Angle or
Radians
Rayleigh Damping The two subparameters a and b define the internal damping a=inherited, -
matrix D=a*M+b*K, where M and K are the mass and stiffness b=inherited
transient simulations (see also “Rayleigh Damping” on page C2-
7). If left to inherited, the spring will have the damping values set
in the top-level Components properties (see page C2-1); if this
value is set, it will override the values set from Components.
Position Defines the position of the spring by two end points; see Figure 3- 0 µm or m
52
End 1 Defines the X, Y coordinates of End 1 in the active Local Frame. x=0, y=0, µm or m
The vertical position of the spring endpoint is defined by the Vertical
specified deposit, which by default is defined at the middle plane Offset =0
of that deposit. The user can modify the Z coordinate by defining
a Thickness Override, a Vertical Offset, and placement of the end
point on the Top, Middle, or Bottom of the deposit plane.
End 2 Defines the X, Y coordinates of End 2 in the active Local Frame. x=required, µm or m
The vertical position of the spring endpoint is defined by the y=0, Vertical
specified deposit, which by default is defined at the middle plane Offset=0
Stiffness Constants Defines the coefficients of the linear stiffness matrix expressed in Diagonal N/m,
the local frame of the component. There are two options: Matrix N*m/rad
Diagonal Matrix and Full Matrix; see Spring Stiffness Matrix for
further details.

3.10.1: Spring Stiffness Matrix

The spring model has two mechanical connectors with six degrees of freedom each. The complete stiffness matrix K
is a 12x12 matrix made up of four sub matrices Ks. For the stiffness constants, the user has the option of entering the
constants for a diagonal matrix or the full matrix, as seen below:
Figure 3-55 Diagonal Matrix

K xx 0 0 0 0 0
0 K yy 0 0 0 0
0 0 K zz 0 0 0 KS –KS
KS = ,K =
0 0 0 K rxrx 0 0 –KS KS
M
0 0 0 0 K ryry 0
0 0 0 0 0 K rzrz
Figure 3-56 Full Matrix
K xx K xy K xz K xrx K xry K xrz

. K yy K yz K yrx K yry K yrz
. . K zz K zrx K zry K zrz KS –KS
KS = ,K =
. . . K rxrx K rxry K rxrz –KS KS
. . . . K ryry K ryrz
. . . . . K rzrz
The full matrix includes the cross-axis terms. Note that the full matrix is symmetric, so the dots represent mirrored
coefficients.
Stiffness constants must be positive. Using a stiffness constant that is insignificant (e.g. 1e-20) is valid, but will lead
to the device not being properly constrained, and consequently, the Wizard will fail. If you want to use an insignifi-
cant number to define a spring constant, you need to constrain the device either by grounding appropriate mechanical
degrees of freedom or by adding flexible components, effectively constraining the device.
If you right click on a Spring component and select Get Info, MEMS+ will report the location of the mechanical con-
nector and the complete stiffness matrix K.
3.10.2: Spring Example

In the example below, we show how you can use the Spring component to model suspensions. For our tutorial gyro-
scope (see page T2-1 of the MEMS+ Tutorials), we use L-shape tethers to suspend the perforated plate. If we were at
the point in our gyroscope design in which we had not converged on the suspension shape, we could add the Spring
component to model the suspension of the plate, and simulate the device, as shown below.
Note that one mechanical node of the Spring coincides with the mechanical connector of the plate, and when the Wiz-
ard is run, those two nodes are connected. The second mechanical connector of Spring is located on the electrode
layer, and it has to be fixed.
For the Spring stiffness coefficients, we used calculated values for the X, Y, and Z directions (the directions of inter-
est), but constrained movement in the other directions by assigning very high values. Compare the modal results for
the gyroscope with the spring to the modal results of the tutorial gyroscope (see page T2-34). The first three modes of
the gyroscope with the spring model correspond to the first, second and fourth modes of the tutorial gyroscope.

Figure 3-57 Spring Example
Mechanical Connector View

3.11: Damper
Like the Spring, the Damper is a generic component without a geometric representation on the canvas. The Damper
has two mechanical connectors, one for each end. The damper can be used to model linear or nonlinear damping
effects. Instead of specifying a geometry as for the Gap, the user directly defines the linear or nonlinear damping
coefficients of the corresponding model. The damping parameters can be either derived from measurements or simu-
lations with external finite element code. The Damper component can be added to the Global Component Properties
or to a Local Frame.
Table 3-39 Properties of the Damper
Local Frame Orients the damper relative to the parent Local Frame in the - -
M
Components tree
In-plane Orients the damper with respect to the parent Local Frame 0 Degrees
Angle or
Radians
Flip Flips the damper about the Local X or Y none -
Rayleigh Damping The two subparameters a and b define the internal damping a=inherited, -
matrix D=a*M+b*K, where M and K are the mass and stiffness b=inherited
transient simulations (see also “Rayleigh Damping” on page C2-
7). If left to inherited, the damper will have the damping values
set in the top-level Components properties (see page C2-1); if this
value is set, it will override the values set from Components.
Position Defines the position of the damper by two end points; see Figure 0 µm or m
3-52
End 1 Defines the X, Y coordinates of End 1 in the active Local Frame. x=0, y=0, µm or m
The vertical position of the damper endpoint is defined by the Vertical
specified deposit, which by default is defined at the middle plane Offset =0
End 2 Defines the X, Y coordinates of End 2 in the active Local Frame. x=required, µm or m
The vertical position of the damper endpoint is defined by the y=0, Vertical
specified deposit, which by default is defined at the middle plane Offset=0
Damping Coefficients Defines the coefficients of the damping matrix. See Damping Required N/m,
Matrix for further details. N*m/rad

3.11.1: Damping Matrix

The Damper model has two mechanical connectors with six degrees of freedom each. The complete damping matrix
D is a 12x12 matrix made up of four sub matrices Ds as seen in the equation below:
D xx 0 0 0 0 0
0 D yy 0 0 0 0
0 0 D zz 0 0 0 DS –DS
DS = ,D =
0 0 0 D rxrx 0 0 –DS DS
0 0 0 0 D ryry 0
0 0 0 0 0 D rzrz
The damping values in the diagonal of the Ds matrix (Dxx, Dyy, Dzz ... Drzrz) are specified by a position-independent
constant c and a position-dependent function f . For example, the damping coefficient Dyy is given by:
D yy = c y f ( Δy 2 – Δy 1 )
Where Δy1 and Δy2 is the displacement of the dampers end point 1 and end point 2 along the local y-axis, respec-
tively.
The position-dependent function f is defined by the corresponding Damping Coefficients subparameter Position
Dependence. The Position Dependence parameter offers three choices: No, Polynomial Function, and Rational Func-
tion. The choice No is equivalent to a position function equal f=1. The corresponding damping coefficient is linear.
Nonlinear damping coefficients can be defined by a polynomial or a rational function.
If you right click on a Damping component and select Get Info, MEMS+ will report the location of the mechanical
connector and the linear damping matrix D.

3.12: Electrical Pad

The Electrical Pad is used to add geometrical representations for bond pads or contact areas. It has no underlying
model for simulation.
Figure 3-58 Geometrical Properties of the Electrical Pad
M
Table 3-40 Properties of the Electrical Pad
Local Frame Orients the pad relative to the parent Local Frame in the Components
tree.
In-plane Angle Orients the pad with respect to the parent Local Frame 0 Degrees or
Radians
Flip Flips the pad about the Local X or Y. none -
Deposits Deposit(s) on which the pad resides undef -

Override

Protrude Defines the deposit protrusion from the pad edge in the X and Y undef µm or m
directions
Vertical Offset Offsets all pad deposits in vertical direction; the offset is applied to the 0 µm or m
bottom plane of the bottom-most deposit, but all the deposits are
moved accordingly.
Center Defines the X, Y coordinates of the pad center in the active Local x=0, y=0 µm or m
Frame
Size Sets the size of the pad in X and Y with respect to the center. x=required, µm or m
y=required

3.12.1: Electrical Path

The Electrical Path is used to add geometry for transmission lines or electrical conductor. It has no underlying model
for simulation.
Figure 3-59 Geometrical Properties of the Electrical Path
M
Table 3-41 Properties of the Electrical Path
Local Frame Orients the path relative to the parent Local Frame in the Components
tree
In-plane Angle Orients the path with respect to the parent Local Frame 0 Degrees or
Radians
Flip Flips the path about the Local X or Y. none -
Deposits Deposit(s) on which the path resides undef -

Override

Protrude Left defines the deposit protrusion on the left path edge as seen from Left = µm or m
Start Point to the first End Point. Right defines the deposit protrusion undef,
on the right path edge as seen from Start Point to the first End Point. Right=
undef
Vertical Offset Offsets all path deposits in vertical direction. The offset is applied to 0 µm or m
moved accordingly.
Path Width Specifies the path width required µm or m
Start Point Defines the beginning of the electrical path x = 0, y = 0 µm or m
Path Segments Defines the end point of each path segment relative to the preceding x, y = µm or m
point (for the first segment, this is the Start Point). The Width Offset required,
can be used to widen or narrow the path width for a particular segment. Width
To add more segments, right click on Path Segments label, and select Offset=0
Add Element.

3.13: Layout
The Layout component can be used to import a 2-D GDS into a schematic, which can be useful for verifying the
extents of the Innovator model. Once imported, 2-D layers can be hidden, deleted, or converted to Rigid Plate\Poly-
gon segments.
To add a layout, right click in the Components tree, and select Add > Layout. The dialog shown below opens:
M
Table 3-42 Properties of the Layout Component
Local Frame Orients the layout relative to the parent Local Frame in the - -
Components tree
Origin Specifies where the layout appears on the canvas with respect to the x, y, z =0 µm or m
parent Local Frame
Orientation Orients the layout with respect to the parent Local Frame rx, ry, rz =0 Degrees
or
Radians
Filename Allows the user to specify the GDS file to import. Use the Browse - -
icon to select the file. the damper about the Local X or Y
In the example below, a GDS file of a microbolometer is imported into the Innovator canvas using the Layout Com-
ponent.

Figure 3-60 Viewing GDS Extents
Properties of GDS Layers

For individual GDS layers, you can set the color and face, edge, and vertices visibility. To open the Properties dialog,
double click on its entry in the Layout Component hierarchy or right click on its entry and select Properties. The dia-
log that opens has a visibility option for all of these features:

3.13.1: Creating Geometry from Layout Top Cell

After a GDS layout has been imported, an entire top cell can be made into a Rigid Plate with polynomial segments or
individual GDS layers can be made into a Rigid Plate/Polynomial segment.
To create solid geometry from a top cell, users have two options: Import as a Rigid Plate or Construct 3D Model.
These options are discussed in detail in the Solid Model Creation section of the CoventorMP User Guide. An exam-
ple of Import as a Rigid Plate is shown below.
1. Expand the Layout Component so that you can see the top cells.
2. Right click on the top cell, and select Import as a Rigid Plate. The result is shown below.
Note that the Layer Table in the Process Editor and the Component Library file are crucial to getting the correct
geometry when creating an entire device from a top cell. For more information, see the Solid Model Creation section
of the CoventorMP User Guide.

3.13.2: Create Geometry from a GDS Layer

Rather than create the entire geometry using an imported GDS, users have the option to create geometry from the
individual GDS layers using the Import as a Polygon Segment function, which is available as a right-click menu
option for the Top Cell’s individual GDS layers. To use this functionality, the Component Library file that will be
used for the Innovator schematic must have a Rigid Plate\Polygon Segment. To show how this functionality works,
we use our tutorial gyroscope (see the section beginning on page T2-1 of the CoventorMP Tutorials). If we use the
Component Library that is included with the tutorial, a Rigid Plate/Polygon Segment is included, but no specific
deposit/layer combination is specified for that segment, so we can use that segment to create solid model geometry
from each GDS layer:
1. Expand the top cell in the Layout Component so that you can see the individual GDS layers.
2. Right click on the desired layer and select Import as a Polygon Segment.
3. In the dialog that opens, select the process deposits and layers you would like to associate with the selected
GDS layer, then click on OK. Note that for this device, the MechMask only has one layer, so we can leave the
Layers parameter to Inherited. If there are more than one layer specfied for a mask in the Process Editor’s
Layer table, the user must select a layer; leaving it to Inherited will generate an error.
Add to an existing Rigid Plate or create a new

Rigid Plate
Add/subtract geometry to an existing Rigid Plate
The result is shown in Figure 3-61:

Figure 3-61 Polygon Created from Imported GDS Layer
M
The features of the L3D0 layer are created with several Polygon Segments. The Properties for the upper left beam are
shown in Figure 3-61. The Position list shows the center point of each repeated feature in the design. This GDS
layer\model only has one feature, so there is one entry. If the GDS had repeated features such as holes or comb fin-
gers, the Vertices list would report the corners of the first repeated feature, and the Position List would report the cen-
ter point of each repeated feature.
What is missing from the gyroscope created from L3D0 are the plate perforations and the electrodes. These features
are on separate GDS layers, so they were not created. To create the perforations, right click on L3D1, and select
Import as Polygon Segment. Configure the dialog that opens to add the polygon to the existing Rigid Plate and set the
Merge parameter to Subtract. The setup and result are shown below:
Figure 3-62 Importing Polygon as a Negative Geometry

Figure 3-63 Result of Importing Perforation Layer
Note that all the perforations are considered to be on one Polygon Segment, but the Point List for the segment’s Prop-
erties dialog includes the center point of each perforation.
To create the electrodes, the user would have to import the L1D0 as a polygon.
The gyroscope is a rather simple example. With more complicated devices, mapping the correct deposits to each GDS
layer and setting the Merge parameter correctly as each layer was imported to the selected Rigid Plate\Polygon Seg-
ment(s) can be challenging. So unless you only want to create a portion of your device, Coventor recommends creat-
ing the entire device using the Top Cell\Import as a Rigid Plate or Construct 3D Model; see the Solid Model Creation
section of the CoventorMP User Guide for more details.
Using Import as a Polygon with a Restrictive Component Library

In our example above, the Rigid Plate\Polygon Segment in the reference Component Library did not have a deposit
and layer specified. If a deposit and layer is specified for that segment in the Component Library, the Import as Poly-
gon Segment function will only generate geometry if the same deposit and layer is specified in the Import as Polygon
Segment’s properties dialog. If any other deposit or layer is specified, Innovator displays an error. For example, for
the Gyroscope’s Component Library, we restrict the Rigid Plate\Polygon Segment to the Electrodes deposit. Now, if
we try to import the L3D0 layer as a polygon segment, we get an error, as shown below:

Figure 3-64 Using Import as Polygon Segment with Restrictive Component Library
M
If your Component Library restricts the Polygon Segment to a particular deposit or to a particular deposit layer com-
bination, you can create as many Polygon Segments as needed in the Component Library. Then, when you import as
a polygon segment, select the corresponding deposit and layer.
Also note that if a mask has more than one layer associated with it, the Import as Polygon Segment properties dialog
will still display Inherited. Leaving it to Inherited rather than selecting the desired layer will generate the same error
shown above. For example, if we divide the Gyroscope GDS layout so that gyroscope rigid plate, flexible parts and
comb parts are on different layers, as shown in the Process Editor Layer Table below, leaving the Import as Polygon
Segment properties dialog to Inherited rather than selecting one of the layers generates an error.

Figure 3-65 Import as Polygon Error when Mask has Multiple Layers

3.14: Fluid Components

MEMS+ has three generic fluid components that allow the user to alter a fluidic network to add resistance, compli-
ance, or inertia. These fluidic components have no geometric representation on the canvas, but have two fluidics con-
nectors, one at each end, with one degree of freedom. These components are helpful for modeling fluidic venting
(leakage) dynamically; for example, they can be used to model the front volume of a microphone.
Table 3-43 lists the properties that are common to all three fluid components. The properties unique to each compo-
nent are listed in appropriate sections.
Table 3-43 Generic Properties of the Fluid Components
M
Local Frame Orients the component relative to the parent Local Frame in the - -
Components tree
Origin Specifies the position of the component’s Local Frame origin x, y, z =0 µm or m
In-plane Orients the component with respect to the parent Local Frame 0 Degrees
Angle or
Radians
Flip Flips the component about the Local X or Y none -
inherited, the component will have the damping values set in the top-
level Components properties (see page C2-1); if these values are set,
they will override the values set from Components.
Pin 1 Defines the position of the first end point fluidic connector (pin)
Location Defines the X, Y, Z coordinates of pin 1 in the active Local Frame x,y, z= µm or m
required
Pin 2 Defines the position of the second end point fluidic connector (pin)
Location Defines the X, Y, Z coordinates of pin 2 in the active Local Frame x,y, z= µm or m
required
The flux quantities in MEMS+ follow the generator convention: the direction of flux on a component is determined
by the direction of flux on the generator (e.g. current Isource).
Figure 3-66 Flux Convention
For example, for a fluidic resistance putting F1=+1 Pa and ambient pressure on F2 yields Qv_F1 > 0 (left figure). In
the other case, F2=+1 Pa and F1 at ambient pressure also yields a positive flux Qv_F2 > 0 (right figure). You can

observe this behavior both in the simulation results and in the analysis’ Get Info window.
3.14.1: Fluid Resistance

Table 3-44 Resistance Property
Resistance Specifies the Resistance coefficient, which is used in the resistance None kg/(s*m4)
model Pressure = R*Flow.
Note that the resistance is a linear value.
3.14.2: Fluid Compliance

Table 3-45 Compliance Property
Compliance Specifies the Compliance coefficient (C), which is used in the equation None m4/
1 (s2*kg)
Pressure = ----  Flow dt
C
3.14.3: Fluid Inertia

Table 3-46 Inertia Property
Inertia Specifies the Inertia coefficient (I), which is used in the equation None kg/m4
d
Pressure = I ----- Flow
dt
Note that two Inertia components cannot be used in parallel.
The Fluid Inertia component can be difficult to simulate with MATLAB/Simulink because the constructed equation
for any schematic that includes an inertia component is a differential-algebraic equation (DAE) with an index that
is greater than 1. The solver can fail with theses kind of equations if the initial state is incorrect. For information on
how to simulate/troubleshoot these schematics, see page U5-8 of the MEMS+ User Guide.

3.14.4: Modeling Leakage

Figure 3-67 show the corresponding fluid equivalent circuit created with the fluidic components to model leakage. It
shows the Fluid Inertia and Fluid Resistance components added to a model that also includes a fluid back chamber.
Figure 3-67 Fluidic Circuit with Fluid Resistance and Inertia
M
The resistance of the leakage flow serves to dissipate energy from the system, and is thus represented by a resistor
element. The Fluid Resistance\ Resistance property value is required. The leakage flow inertia is represented in the
equivalent schematic by an inductor because the inertia of the escaping fluid flow serves to store kinetic energy. The
values for these parameters may be obtained by measurements or detailed finite element analysis with external solv-
ers.
The external pressure pin can be created by exposing the free end of the last component in the series. It can then be
used to impose an initial pressure other than ambient pressure in the cavity or to allow for fluid to move in and out of
the cavity as the flexible plate moves up and down.

Notes

Section 4: Component Add-Ons Version 6.3
Section 4: Component Add-Ons
This section documents the possible component add-ons. There are four types of add-ons:
 Gap: These add-ons are used to model a gap between fixed and movable parts. The gap can be used to model
an electrode/contact and/or squeezed-film damping depending on which model the user selects for the gap. If
the Electrode/Contact model is selected, the gap provides electromechanical coupling between fixed and
movable parts of the MEMS structure or simply adds a contact plane that restricts the motion of mechanical
structure. If the Squeezed-Film model is selected, the gap is used to apply gas damping to movable structures.
Gap components include Inherited Gap, Independently Shaped Gap, Inherited Movable Gap, and Side Gap.
 Comb Stators: These electromechanical add-ons are used to model capacitive sensing and actuation. The
M
comb components create electrical connectors, which if exposed, can be used to apply voltages to the device
during simulation. The components include Straight Comb Stator, Straight Comb Split Stator, and Curved
Comb Stator.
 Stack Components: The Stack component is used to model additional geometry added to a device. It can be
used to model displacement and piezoelectric effects. Stack components include Inherited Stack and Inde-
pendently Shaped Stack Components.
 Fluidic: These add-ons are used to impose pressure boundary conditions. Fluidic components create fluidic
connectors which, if exposed, can be used to apply pressure stimulus to mechanical structures. The fluidic
add-ons include Fluid Back Chamber, Fluid Side Chamber, and Pressure Load.
If an add-on is available for a component, it will be listed under the component’s entry in the User Library pane of the
Component Library, as demonstrated below:

4.1: Gap
The Gap component can be used to model an out-of-plane electrode/contact and/or squeezed-film damping. The user
selects the type of Gap model in the component’s Properties dialog, and then configures the gap properties based on
that model. Users can add a Gap to all mechanical components EXCEPT the following:
 Rigid Plate/Circle Band Segment and Circle Section Segment
 Straight Comb
 Arc Beam that uses the Bernoulli beam model
 Suspensions (J-Beam, Box Beam, Serpentine, Beam Path)
 Vertical Beam
To add a Gap to a component, right click on the component in the Components tree, and select Add > Inherited Gap
(or select one of the shape Gaps). Another option is to click on the component to select it, then click on the Add icon
in the menu bar and select Gap.
Note that to add a Gap to the top and bottom of a component, add two separate Gaps: one that uses a deposition layer
(or layers) above the component layer(s), and one that uses a deposition layer (or layers) below the component
layer(s).
To set the properties for the Gap, from the Components tree, double click on it, or right click on it and select Proper-
ties. Note that the properties set in the top-level Components entity also affect the behavior of the Gap; see page C2-1
for more details.
A Gap component can include an Electrode/Contact model and a Squeezed-Film model. The mechanical component
provides the deposition layer(s) and shape of the movable structure while the Gap component defines the deposition
layer(s) and shape of the fixed structure.
The MEMS+ library distinguishes between three different types of gaps: Inherited Gap and independently shaped
Gaps, such as the Triangular Gap, Rectangular Gap, Quadrilateral Gap, Arc Gap, and Pie Gap, and the Side Gap.
4.1.1: Inherited Gap

The geometry of Inherited Gap is defined in relation to the component to which it is added. By default, the Inherited
Gap’s fixed deposit has the same shape as the component it is added to, but the shape can be changed by setting the
Fixed Deposit Protrusion property.
Table 4-1 Properties of the Inherited Gap
Fixed Deposits Designates the fixed deposit(s) on the other side of the gap. For each undef -
deposit, the user can specify a material override, a thickness override,
and a cut step, as explained below.
Thickness Overrides thickness defined by the Fixed Deposit(s) undef µm or m

Override

they will be in the Cut Step drop-down menu, and the user can select
M
to GDS and Pcell.
Vertical Offset of the Offsets the fixed deposition layers in vertical direction; it is applied to 0 µm or m
Fixed Deposits the bottom plane of the bottom-most layer, but all the layers are moved
accordingly.
Fixed Deposit Optional; specifies homogeneous perforations. For the electrode model, - -
Perforation the perforations parameter is taken into account by adjusting the
electrostatic field density at each integration point; see “Perforation” on
page C6-31 for more information.
For the squeezed-film damping model, the perforation parameter is taken
into account by adding a flow through the fixed plate layers;
see “Perforation” on page C6-47 for more information.
speed up model rendering on the canvas.
Grid For this setting, the user has three options: undef µm or m
Alignment  Fixed to Geometry: Creates a perforation grid relative to the bounding
box of each component layer. The user specifies an X,Y offset of the
corner of the bounding box; see Figure 3-10. The perforation grid
itself is aligned with the axis of the component’s local frame.
(arbitrary) perforation in local rigid plate coordinates, and the rest of
the grid is created relative to the given perforation position; see
Figure 3-11. The perforation grid itself is aligned with the axis of the
component’s local frame.
(arbitrary) perforation in global (canvas) coordinates. The rest of the
grid is created relative to the given position and aligned with the axis
of the global coordinate system; see Figure 3-9.
For more information, see “Grid Alignment” on page C3-10.
model edges.

(Circular) required

NOTE: Using polygon geometry to represent rectangular or square
perforations is not recommended for the Electrode Gap model. For best
results, use the rectangular or square geometry option.
Line Width Specifies the distance in the X and Y directions between each hole. For x=undef µm or m
(Hole the Square option, there is only one value that is applied in both y=undef
Spacing) directions.

that describes the capacitance variation with the gap of a perforation unit
cell using the linear or nonlinear ordinary least squares. The derivative of
this function will be used to describe the electrostatic force of the cell.
The equation of the trend line computed by MEMS+ is available in the
Get Info window of any component with an electrostatic model.
Gap Fluid Defines the fluid surrounding the comb fingers; it specifies the relative inherited -
permittivity used in the corresponding electrostatic comb model. If left
to inherited, it assumes the Ambient Fluid designated in the top-level
Components Properties (see page C2-1).
Merge (Rigid Plate) Adds or subtracts the fixed-layer shape from the overall fixed layer. If inherited -
left to inherited, the gap component takes on the Merge properties of the
plate segment it is added to. Note that gap segments that make up the gap
for the rigid plate cannot overlap.
Fixed Deposit Offsets the edges of the fixed deposit by the specified values. If not set, - -
Protrusion the fixed deposit shape will have the same shape as the component it is
added to. The parameters are determined by the type of component the
gap is added to.
Triangular Offsets the three sides of the triangular gap (x, Diagonal, y). Negative x, µm or m
(Rigid Plate) values will inset the sides. Diagonal,
y= 0

Rectangular Offsets the four sides of the rectangular gap (Lower y, Upper x, Upper y, Rigid Plate µm or m
Lower x). Negative values will inset the sides of the gap. Segment=
0
Rectangle
shape=
inherited
Quadrilateral Offsets the four edges of the quadrilateral gap (Edge 1 2, Edge 2 3, Edge Rigid Plate µm or m
3 4, Edge 4 1). Negative values will inset the edges of the gap. segment=
0;
Quadrilater
al shape=
M
inherited
Polynomial Offsets the sides of the polynomial gap. Negative values will inset the y-, x+, y+, µm or m
(Rigid Plate) sides of the gap. x- = 0
Arc Offsets the angle edges and inner and outer radii of the arc gap. Negative Rigid Plate Angle:
values will inset the edges of the gap. Segments= deg or
0 Arc rad
shape= Radius:
inherited µm or m
Pie (Rigid Offsets the radius, start angle, and extent angle of the pie gap. Negative Radius,
Plate) values will inset the edges of the gap. Start
Angle,
Extent
Angle=0
Fixed Deposit End 1 defines the gap protrusion at Beam End 1 (defined by the Beam’s End 1, End µm or m
Protrusion (Beams) Position parameter). End 2 defines the gap protrusion at Beam End 2. If 2=
left to inherited, the fixed deposit shape will be the same size as the inherited;
beam it was added to. Left defines the fixed deposit shape protrusion on Left,
the left beam edge as seen from beam end 1 to beam end 2. Right defines Right=0
the fixed deposit shape protrusion on the right beam edge as seen from
beam end1 to beam end 2.
The gap added to the Arc Beam, Arc Tapered Beam, or Arc Varying-
Width Beam has the Inner (edge) and Outer (edge) designation rather
than Left and Right.
Gap Models Defines the type of gap (electrostatic, squeezed film or both). Contact/
 Electrode/Contact: models the capacitance and electrostatic Electrode
forces acting on a movable mechanical component located above
or below a fixed planar electrode. It includes a built-in contact
model that will prevent the mechanical component from
penetrating the specified electrode deposition layer.
 Squeezed Film: models the damping effects of fluid being forced
in and out of small, horizontal gaps between the moving and fixed
parts of devices.
The remaining parameters for the gap will be determined by which
model is selected. For more information on the parameters for an
Electrode/Contact model, see “Electrode/Contact Model” on page C6-
28. For more details on the parameters for a Squeezed Film Gap model,
see “Squeezed Film Damping Model” on page C6-39.

Effect of Positive and Negative Protrusion

The examples below demonstrate how to use the Fixed Deposit Protrusion parameter. Figure 4-1 demonstrates the
effect of positive and negative protrusion values on a gap component in relation to the plate to which it has been
added. For this example the gap is defined with an electrode model. The electrode on the left has positive Fixed
Deposit Protrusion values assigned to each electrode edge, and the electrode on the right has negative Fixed Deposit
Protrusion values assigned to each electrode edge.
Figure 4-1 Positive and Negative Fixed Deposit Protrusion Values
+20
Rectangular
+20
Plate Segment
Electrode
+20 Rectangular
+20
-20 Plate Segment
-20
Electrode
-20 -20
In this next example, a Rigid Plate is created with two rectangular plate segments; but for the smaller segment, the
Merge parameter is set to Subtract, so its dimensions are subtracted from the larger segment. A gap/electrode is added
to each rectangular segment, and for each, the Merge parameter is set to Inherited, so the area of the smaller electrode
is subtracted from the area of the larger electrode. For the electrode on the left, the smaller electrode has Fixed
Deposit Protrusion values set to 20 on all the edges, so the area of the smaller electrode is increased by 20 in each
direction, thereby increasing the area that is subtracted from the larger electrode. For the electrode on the right, the
smaller electrode has a Fixed Protrusion values set to -20 on all the edges, so the area of the smaller electrode is
decreased by 20 in each direction, thereby decreasing the area that is subtracted from the larger electrode.
Figure 4-2 Positive and Negative Protrusion Values on Subtracted Segments

Protrusion on subtracted electrode = +20 Protrusion on subtracted electrode = - 20
Booleaned
Electrode
Booleaned Rigid Plate
Booleaned
Rigid Plate
Booleaned Electrode
Effect of Subtracting an Electrode on Fringing Field Computation

For a Rigid Plate, whether a user adds or subtracts an electrode segment, fringing field effects on capacitance and
forces are always included in the system. The consequence of this is that removing part of an electrode strictly within
a bigger segment, as shown in Figure 4-1 and Figure 4-2, will lead to the correct computation of the electrical field.
Removing a piece on the border of an electrode requires careful attention: coincident borders must all use a Neumann
boundary condition (protrusion = no fringing fields; see Figure 6-40 on page C6-34). The examples that follow illus-
trate the appropriate usage of the protrusion specification on subtracted segments. The examples in green demonstrate
the correct usage, while those in red demonstrate design errors. In the explanation of each example, electrode protru-

sion parameters that are not mentioned are not relevant to the appropriate or inappropriate use of protrusion specifica-
tion, and the actual value used for the protrusion is not of great relevance for the purpose of demonstration.
Example 1
In this example, the electrode protrusion on the subtracted segment is only limited by the need for the piece sub-
tracted from the electrode to be within the defined positive electrode segment. All the edges with a protrusion specifi-
cation on the subtracted piece are within a defined positive geometry (for this example, completely contained within
the rectangle).
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Example 2
In this example, a disk shape is created with four Pie Segments and then used to subtract that area from a Booleaned
rectangular and triangular electrode. Note the following:
 The common edge to the rectangular and triangular segment uses a Neumann boundary condition.
 Even though the start angle and extent angle edges of the shape do not effectively exist when the shape is
parameterized to form the disk, their electrode protrusion values must have Neumann boundary conditions.
 The radius of the each pie segment uses a protrusion specification if the Rigid Plate above it also has a hole,
but it is strictly within a defined positive geometry. If there is no hole in the Rigid Plate above, the radius of
each Pie segment should use a Neumann boundary condition. Note that specifying a protrude value on the
radius creates a fringing field along the edge created by that radius; see page C3-28 for more information on
the Pie segment parameters.

Example 3
In this example, the common edges to the rectangular and Pie segments are defined with a Neumann boundary condi-
tion, so the correct electrical fields will be computed.
Example 4
This example shows the same model used in Example 3, but with wrong protrusion values. The rectangular and Pie
coincident edges do not use a Neumann boundary condition, so the electrical fields will not be computed correctly.
The radius protrusion on the Pie defines a subtracted piece strictly within a positive geometry, so it is valid.
Example 5
In this example the created model is invalid because the coincident edges of the triangle and the rectangle have a pro-
tusion=0 condition, which means that the solver will not subtract fringing field computation for the subtracted piece.
The protrusion=0 condition on the diagonal edge of the triangle effectively adds a fringing field on the resulting edge,
and this is valid because this edge is strictly within a positive geometry.

An appropriate way of modeling this geometry is to apply Neumann boundary conditions to the x+ and y+ edges of
the rectangle and to the top and right edges of the triangle, as shown below:
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Another approach would be to use a quadrilateral segment for the top half of the geometry and a rectangular segment
for the bottom half, as pictured below in an exploded view. The common edge of the rectangle and the quadrilateral
use a Neumann boundary condition. Note that the resulting fringing field computations for these two valid models
will be different; which approach is best to use depends on the conditions to be imposed on the top and right edges of
the geometry.
Example 6
As in Examples 4 and 5, this model is not valid because coincident edges of added and subtracted segments do not
use a Neumann boundary condition. The top, left, and bottom edges of the subtracted rectangle define an adequate
fringing field for the resulting geometry.
An appropriate way of modeling this geometry is to apply Neumann boundary conditions to the x+ edges of the small
and large rectangles.

Another appropriate model of only positive segments is pictured below in an exploded view; coincident edges use a
Neumann boundary condition. As with the previous example, the decision on which model best fits a user’s needs
depends on the surrounding geometry.

4.1.2: Independently Shaped Gap

To add a Gap that is a different shape than the parent component, use the Triangular Gap, Rectangular Gap, Quadri-
lateral Gap, Arc Gap, or Pie Gap (different components will have restrictions as to which of these gaps can be added).
Multiple gap components can be added to a single component; however, the gaps must not overlap. Overlapping gaps
will each contribute their own forces, resulting in an over-prediction in capacitance, force, and/or damping calcula-
tions.
Triangular Gap
A Triangular Gap can be added to a Rigid Plate, Straight Comb, Flexible Shapes, and Beams.
Figure 4-3 Geometrical Properties of the Triangular Gap
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Table 4-2 Properties of the Triangular Gap
Local Frame Orients the gap relative to the component it is added to - -
Origin Specifies the gap origin x=0, y=0 µm or m
In-plane Angle Specifies the gap orientation in the XY-plane 0 Degrees

or
Radians
Flip Flips the gap about the X or Y axis of the Rigid Plate’s Local Frame
Fixed Deposits Designates the fixed deposit on the other side of the gap undef -

Override

to GDS and Pcell.
Vertical Offset of the Offsets the fixed deposition layers in vertical direction; the offset is 0 µm or m
Fixed Deposits applied to the bottom plane of the bottom-most layer, but all the layers
For the squeezed-film damping model, the perforation parameter is
taken into account by adding a flow through the fixed plate layers;
Grid For this setting, the user has three options: undef µm or m
Alignment  Fixed to Geometry: Creates a perforation grid relative to the
bounding box of each component deposition layer. The user specifies
an X,Y offset of the perforation grid relative to a reference
perforation in the lower left corner of the bounding box; see Figure
3-10. The perforation grid itself is aligned with the axis of the
coordinate of single (arbitrary) perforation in local frame
aligned with the axis of the component’s local frame.
see Figure 3-9.
model edges.

Circular Specifies the radius of a single circular hole. Radius= µm or m

Perforation required
Shape: Radius
Rectangular Specifies the size of a single rectangular hole in the X and Y directions. x=required, µm or m
or Square Note that using a Minimum Border Width with rectangular perforations y=required
Perforation may not eliminate holes close to the device edge if the perforation’s
Shape: Size aspect ratio is not close to 1.
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Line Width Specifies the distance in the X and Y directions between each hole. For x=undef µm or m
(Hole the Square option, there is only one value that is applied in both y=undef
Spacing) directions.

model.
Gap Fluid Defines the fluid within the gap. If left to inherited, it assumes the inherited -
Ambient Fluid designated in the top-level Components Properties
dialog (see page C2-1). For the electrode model, the Gap Fluid
parameter defines the relative permittivity used in the corresponding
electrostatic model.
Movable Deposits Designates deposition layers of the movable structure; the gap will be undef -
(Rigid Plate) created in relation to this structure

Thickness Overrides thickness defined by the Movable Deposit(s) undef µm or m

Override
deposit. For more information, see Fixed Deposits\Cut Step.
Vertical Offset of the Offsets the movable deposition layers in vertical direction; the offset is 0 µm or m
Movable Deposits applied to the bottom plane of the bottom-most layer, but all the layers
(Rigid Plate) are moved accordingly.
Merge (Rigid Plate) Adds or subtracts the fixed layer shape from the overall fixed layer. Add -
Note that gap segments that make up the gap for the rigid plate cannot
overlap.
Triangle Definition The user has two options for defining the triangle shape: By Angle or By
Corners.
By Size Defines the size of the triangle using the length of the segment sides in x=required, µm or m,
local X and Y direction, and the Opening Angle, which orients the y=required, Degrees
triangle with respect to the active Local Frame. Opening or
Angle = 90 Radian
By Corners Defines the size of the triangle by its three corners. The user has to enter Corner1: µm or m
the X,Y coordinates for each corner. 0,0
Corner2
and 3: x=
required
y=
required
Movable Deposit Offsets the three sides of the triangular shape created on the movable x, µm or m
Protrusion (Rigid Plate) deposition layer (as seen in Electrical Viewing mode); see right image Diagonal,
or in Figure 4-3. The outline created by the protrude parameter (dashed y= 0
Plate Layer Protrusion line) defines the size of the movable plate as seen by the underlying
(beams and shape fixed model. Negative values will inset the sides.
components)
Gap Models Defines the type of gap (electrostatic, squeezed-film, or both). Contact/
penetrating the specified electrode layer.
in and out of small, horizontal gaps between the moving and
fixed parts of devices.

Movable Deposit Protrusion

The Movable Deposit Protrusion or Plate Deposit Protrusion parameter for the independently shaped gaps offsets the
fringing fields created between the electrode and the component to which it is added. Unlike the Inherited Gap, the
dimensions of all independently shaped electrode/contacts are defined by the user, and the fringing fields are changed
by changing the protrusion on the electrodes.
The fringing field boundaries can only be seen in Electrical Viewing mode, as illustrated below in Figure 4-4 and Fig-
ure 4-5. In Figure 4-4 the Electrical Viewing mode shows the outline of the triangular electrode and the projected
fringing fields on the movable mechanical plate above it. The Movable Deposit Protrusion parameter defaults to 0,
which means the shape on the plate is the same size as the triangular electrode, and there are no fringing fields (the
boundary condition information can be obtained by right clicking on the component and selecting Get Info). How-
ever, the user can extend the area of fringing field contribution by applying a positive protrusion, as shown in Figure
4-5. Conversely, to reduce the area contributing to fringing fields, the user can apply negative protrusions.
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Note that for the force and capacitance calculation, only the projected shape on the movable deposit and the actual
shape of the electrode are taken into account.
Figure 4-4 Triangular Electrode/Contact with Default Protrusion

Figure 4-5 Triangular Electrode/Contact with Positive Protrusion

Rectangular Gap
A Rectangular Gap can be added to a Rigid Plate, Flexible Shapes, and Beams.
Figure 4-6 Geometrical Properties of the Rectangular Gap
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Table 4-3 Properties of the Rectangular Gap
Local Frame Orients the gap relative to the component it is being added to. - -
In-plane Angle Orients the gap with respect to the parent Local Frame 0 Degrees
or
Radians
Flip Flips the gap about the Local X or Y. none -
Rectangle Definition The user has the option to create a rectangular gap by defining the
center and size in the x and y directions or by defining the opposite
By Size If this option is selected, the user specifies the Center, which defines x=0, y=0; µm or m
the X and Y coordinates of the center of the gap, and the Size, which x=required,
defines the size of gap in local X- and Y-directions. y= required
By Corners If this option is selected, the user defines the size of the rectangle by Corner 1: x, µm or m
defining the x, y coordinates to the opposite corners. y =0
Corner 2: x,
y =required
Fixed Deposits Designates the fixed deposition layer on the other side of the gap undef -

Override

deposit, they will be in the Cut Step drop-down menu, and the user
not be exported to GDS and Pcell.
Vertical Offset of the Offsets the fixed deposition layers in vertical direction; the offset is 0 µm or m
Fixed Deposits applied to the bottom plane of the bottom-most layer, but all the
layers are moved accordingly.
Fixed Deposit Optional; specifies homogeneous perforations. For the electrode - -

Perforation model, the perforations parameter is taken into account by adjusting
the electrostatic field density at each integration point; see
“Perforation” on page C6-31 for more information.
Invisible If checked, the perforations are hidden in the Innovator canvas, but unchecked
bounding box of each component deposition layer. The user
specifies an X,Y offset of the perforation grid relative to a
reference perforation in the lower left corner of the bounding box;
see Figure 3-10. The perforation grid itself is aligned with the axis
of the component’s local frame.
(arbitrary) perforation in local frame coordinates, and the rest of
the grid is created relative to the given perforation position; see
Figure 3-11. The perforation grid itself is aligned with the axis of
the component’s local frame.
see Figure 3-9.
to model edges.

Perforation Specifies the radius of a single circular hole radius= µm or m

Shape: required
Circular
Perforation Specifies the size of a single rectangular hole in the X and Y x=required, µm or m
Shape: directions. Note that using a Minimum Border Width with rectangular y=required
Rectangular or perforations may not eliminate holes close to the device edge if the
Square perforation’s aspect ratio is not close to 1.
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perforations is not recommended for the Electrode Gap model. For
best results, use the rectangular or square geometry option.
Line Width Specifies the distance between the perforation holes in X and Y x=undef, µm or m
(Hole Spacing) directions y=undef

Ambient Fluid designated in the top-level Components Properties
Movable Deposits (Rigid Designates deposition layers of the movable structure; the gap will be undef -
Plate) created in relation to this structure.

Override

Vertical Offset of the Offsets the movable deposition layers in vertical direction; the offset 0 µm or m
Movable Deposits is applied to the bottom plane of the bottom-most layer, but all the
Merge (for Rigid Plate) Adds or subtracts the fixed deposit shape from the overall fixed layer. Add -
Note that electrode segments that make up the electrode for the rigid
plate cannot overlap.
Movable Deposit Offsets the four sides of the rectangular shape created on the movable Lower y, -
Protrusion (Rigid Plate) deposit (as seen in Electrical Viewing mode); see right image in Upper x,
or Plate Deposit Figure 4-6. The outline created by the protrude parameter (dashed Upper y,
Protrusion (shape line) defines the size of the movable plate as seen by the fixed model. Lower x-= 0
components or beams) Negative values will inset the sides.
forces acting on a movable mechanical component located
above or below a fixed planar electrode. It includes a built-in
contact model that will prevent the mechanical component
from penetrating the specified electrode deposit.
 Squeezed Film: models the damping effects of fluid being
forced in and out of small, horizontal gaps between the moving
and fixed parts of devices.
Electrode/Contact model, see “Electrode/Contact Model” on page
C6-28. For more details on the parameters for a Squeezed Film Gap
model, see “Squeezed Film Damping Model” on page C6-39.

Quadrilateral Gap
A Quadrilateral Gap can be added to a Rigid Plate, Straight Comb, Flexible Shapes, and Beams.
Figure 4-7 Geometrical Properties of the Quadrilateral Gap
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Table 4-4 Properties of the Quadrilateral Gap
or
Radians
Corner1...4 Position of gap corner 1 to 4; see Figure 4-7. Note that the corners can x=required, µm or m
be entered in clockwise or counter-clockwise order. y=required
Fixed Deposit(s) Designates the fixed deposition layer on the other side of the gap undef -

Override

to GDS and Pcell.
Vertical Offset of the Offsets the fixed deposits in vertical direction; the offset is applied to 0 µm or m
Fixed Deposits the bottom plane of the bottom-most deposit, but all the deposits are
moved accordingly.
taken into account by adding a flow through the fixed plate deposits;
Invisible If checked, the perforations are hidden in the Innovator canvas, but will unchecked
bounding box of each component deposit. The user specifies an X,Y
offset of the perforation grid relative to a reference perforation in the
perforation grid itself is aligned with the axis of the component’s
local frame.
(arbitrary) perforation in local frame coordinates, and the rest of the
grid is created relative to the given perforation position; see Figure
3-11. The perforation grid itself is aligned with the axis of the
(arbitrary) perforation in global (canvas) coordinates. The rest of the
grid is created relative to the given position and aligned with the axis
of the global coordinate system; see Figure 3-9.
model edges.


Shape: required
Circular
Perforation Specifies the size of a single rectangular hole in the X and Y directions. x=required, µm or m
Shape: Note that using a Minimum Border Width with rectangular perforations y=required
Rectangular or may not eliminate holes close to the device edge if the perforation’s
Square aspect ratio is not close to 1.
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capacitance pairs are used to compute a power function regression that
describes the capacitance variation with the gap of a perforation unit
cell using the linear or nonlinear ordinary least squares. The derivative
of this function is used to describe the electrostatic force of the cell. The
equation of the trend line computed by MEMS+ is available in the Get
Info window of any component with an electrostatic model.
ambient fluid designated in the top-level Components Properties dialog
(see page C2-1). For the electrode model, the Gap Fluid parameter
defines the relative permittivity used in the corresponding electrostatic
model.
Movable Deposit(s) Designates deposition layers of the movable structure; the gap will be undef -

Override

Movable Deposits applied to the bottom plane of the bottom-most layer, but all the layers
(Rigid Plate) are moved accordingly.
Merge (Rigid Plate) Adds or subtracts the fixed deposit shape from the overall fixed layer. Add -
Note that segments that make up the gap for the rigid plate cannot
overlap.
Rigid Plate: Movable Offsets the four sides of the quadrilateral shape created on the movable Edges = 0 µm or m
Deposit Protrusion deposit (as seen in Electrical Viewing mode); see right image in Figure
Shape components or 4-7. The outline created by the protrude parameter (dashed line) defines
Beams: Plate Deposit the size of the movable plate as seen by the fixed model. Negative
Protrusion values will inset the sides.
penetrating the specified electrode deposit.

Arc Gap
An Arc Gap can be added to a Rigid Plate, Flexible Shapes. and Beams.
Figure 4-8 Geometrical Properties of the Arc Gap
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Table 4-5 Properties of the Arc Gap
or
Radians
Inner Radius Specifies the inner radius of the arc gap required µm or m
Outer Radius Specifies the outer radius of the arc gap required µm or m
Start Angle Specifies the start angle of the arc gap 0 degrees
Extent Angle Specifies the extent of the arc gap (Start Angle + Extent Angle required degrees
defines the End Angle).

Override

not be exported to GDS and Pcell.
moved accordingly.
Fixed Deposit Optional; specifies homogeneous perforations. For the electrode - -

Perforation model, the perforations parameter is taken into account by adjusting
the electrostatic field density at each integration point; see
“Perforation” on page C6-31 for more information.
Invisible If checked, the perforations are hidden in the Innovator canvas, but unchecked
bounding box of each component deposition layer. The user
specifies an X,Y offset of the perforation grid relative to a
reference perforation in the lower left corner of the bounding box;
see Figure 3-10. The perforation grid itself is aligned with the axis
of the component’s local frame.
see Figure 3-9.
to model edges.


Shape: required
Circular
Perforation Specifies the size of a single rectangular hole in the X and Y x=required, µm or m
Shape: directions. Note that using a Minimum Border Width with rectangular y=required
Rectangular or perforations may not eliminate holes close to the device edge if the
Square perforation’s aspect ratio is not close to 1.
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perforations is not recommended for the Electrode Gap model. For
best results, use the rectangular or square geometry option.
Staggered of each hole aligns with the center of the hole above it

ambient fluid designated in the top-level Components Properties
Movable Deposits Designates deposition layers of the movable structure; the gap will be undef -

Override

Vertical Offset of the Offsets the movable deposition layers in vertical direction; the offset 0 µm or m
Movable Deposits is applied to the bottom plane of the bottom-most layer, but all the
overlap.
Movable Deposit Offsets the sides of the arc shape created on the movable deposition Inner Radius:
Protrusion (Rigid Plate) layer (as seen in Electrical Viewing mode); see right image in Figure Radius, Start µm or m,
or 4-8. The outline created by the protrude parameter (dashed line) Angle, Angle:
Plate Deposit defines the size of the movable plate as seen by the fixed model. Outer degree or
Protrusion (shape Negative values will inset the sides. Radius, End radian
components or beams) Angle= 0
forces acting on a movable mechanical component located
above or below a fixed planar electrode. It includes a built-in
contact model that will prevent the mechanical component
from penetrating the specified electrode deposit.
 Squeezed Film: models the damping effects of fluid being
forced in and out of small, horizontal gaps between the moving
and fixed parts of devices.
Electrode/Contact model, see “Electrode/Contact Model” on page
C6-28. For more details on the parameters for a Squeezed Film Gap
model, see “Squeezed Film Damping Model” on page C6-39.

Pie Gap
A Pie Gap can be added to a Rigid Plate, Flexible Shapes. and Beams.
Figure 4-9 Geometrical Properties of the Pie Gap
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Table 4-6 Properties of the Pie Gap
or
Radians
Radius Specifies the radius of the pie gap required µm or m
Start Angle Specifies the start angle of the pie gap 0 degrees
Extent Angle Specifies the extent of the pie gap (Start Angle + Extent Angle defines required degrees
the End Angle).

Override

to GDS and Pcell.
Vertical Offset of the Offsets the fixed deposits in vertical direction; it is applied to the 0 µm or m
Fixed Deposits bottom plane of the bottom-most deposit, but all deposits are moved
accordingly.
Invisible If checked, the perforations are hidden in the Innovator canvas, but will unchecked
bounding box of each component layer. The user specifies an X,Y
local frame.
see Figure 3-9.
model edges.


Shape: required
Circular
Perforation Specifies the size of a single rectangular hole in the X and Y directions. x=required µm or m
Shape: Note that using a Minimum Border Width with rectangular perforations y=required
Rectangular or may not eliminate holes close to the device edge if the perforation’s
Square aspect ratio is not close to 1.
Corners add more points, right click on the Corners label, and select Add each
Element. With the Polygon perforation option, the user can create corner =
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triangular-shaped holes, hexagon-shaped holes, etc. Note that the required
Line Width Specifies the distance between perforation holes in X and Y directions x=undef, µm or m

model.
Gap Fluid Defines the fluid within the gap. If left to inherited, it uses the ambient inherited -
fluid designated in the top-level Components Properties dialog (see
page C2-1). For the electrode model, the Gap Fluid parameter defines
the relative permittivity used in the corresponding electrostatic model.
Movable Deposits (Rigid Designates deposition layers of the movable structure; the gap will be undef -
Plate) created in relation to this structure

Override

deposit. For more information, see Fixed Deposit(s)/Cut Step.
Movable Deposits applied to the bottom plane of the bottom-most layer, but all the layer
overlap.
Rigid Plate: Movable Offsets the sides of the pie shape created on the movable deposit (as Radius, Radius:
Deposit Protrusion seen in Electrical Viewing mode); see right image in Figure 4-9. The Start µm or m,
Shape components or outline created by the protrude parameter (dashed line) defines the size Angle, Angle:
Beams: Plate Deposit of the movable plate as seen by the fixed model. Negative values will Extent degree or
Protrusion inset the sides. Angle= 0 radian
4.1.3: Gap Model Information

To view a Gap’s electrode and/or damping information, right click on the component in the Components tree or in the
Canvas, and select Get Info. The information displayed in the window that opens depends on which models were
selected for the Gap, as shown below:

Gap with Electrode/Contact model only Gap with Electrode/Contact and Damping
models
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Gap with Damping model only

4.2: Inherited Movable Gap

The Movable Gap component models electrode/contact and/or squeezed-film damping acting between two moving
components. Users can add a movable gap to all Rigid Plate segments except Polygon, Circle Band, and Circle Sec-
tion, and to all flexible plates except Fillet and to flexible beams.
To use the Inherited Movable Gap:
1. Add a Movable Gap to a component: right click on the component in the Components tree, and select Add >
Inherited Movable Gap. Another option is to click on the component to select it, then click on the Add icon in
the menu bar and select Inherited Movable Gap. Note that when added to a component, no geometry for the
Movable Gap appears on the canvas; it appears only in wireframe. For the Rigid plate, the Movable Gap cre-
ates an electrostatic gap and a mechanical connector. For the other components, the number of mechanical
components is determined by the type of model selected for the Connect to option.
When any electrode (including a Movable Electrode/Contact) is added to a component, one electrical connec-
tor is assigned to the component, and one electrical connector is added to the electrode. These two connectors
define the voltages applied to the plate and the electrode, and the electrical behavior is modeled by a capacitor
and a contact conductance between the two connectors. Note that the electrical connectors are only created if
both the component and Movable Electrode Deposit are conductors.
2. Add an additional component to the schematic. This component must occupy the space defined by the wire-
frame created by the Movable Gap, and it should be assigned to the same deposit as the Movable Deposit
specified in the Movable Gap. This second component should also have the same perforation and merge
parameters as the Movable Gap. A Movable Gap should NOT then be added to this second component to
coincide with the first component as this will double count the electrostatic capacitance and force.
To set the properties for the gap, from the Components tree, double click on it, or right click on it and select Proper-
ties. The available properties are listed in Table 4-1. Note that the properties set in the top-level Components entity
also affect the behavior of the gap; see page C2-1 for more details.
The underlying model for the Movable Gap is very similar to the model used for the fixed Gap. Please refer to Elec-
trode/Contact Model for additional information.
Table 4-7 Properties of the Inherited Movable Gap
Movable Deposits Designates the movable electrode deposition layer undef -

Override

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GDS or Pcell.
moved accordingly.
Movable Deposit Optional; specifies homogeneous perforations. For the electrode model, - -
bounding box of each component deposit. The user specifies an X,Y
local frame.
see Figure 3-9.
model edges.

Circular: Specifies the radius of a single circular hole. radius= µm or m

Radius required
Rectangular or Specifies the size of a single rectangular hole in the X and Y directions. x=required, µm or m
Square: Size Note that using a Minimum Border Width with rectangular perforations y=required
may not eliminate holes close to the device edge if the perforation’s

model.
Ambient Gas designated in the top-level Components Properties dialog
(see page C2-1). For the electrode model, the Gap Fluid parameter
defines the relative permittivity used in the corresponding electrostatic
model.
Merge (for Rigid Plate Adds or subtracts the fixed-deposit shape from the overall fixed layer. If inherited -
segments only) left to inherited, the Gap component takes on the Merge properties of
the plate segment it is added to. Note that segments that make up the
gap for the rigid plate cannot overlap.

Connect to (for flexible Specifies what type of model will be on the other side of the movable Shell -
plates and beams only) gap, and therefore determines how many mechanical connectors the Elements
movable gap will include. Note that if you specify one type of model,
but then add another type of model on the other side of the gap, the
Wizard will generate an error when executed. For more information on
this parameter, see page C4-38.
Movable Deposit Offsets the edges of the movable deposition layer by the specified - -
Protrusion values. Negative values will inset the sides. If not set, the movable
deposit shape will have the same shape as the component it is added to.
The parameters are determined by the type of component the gap is
added to.
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Note that these values define the fringing field approximation along the
edges created by those values, as shown in Figure 6-40. A no fringing
fields value defines a Neumann boundary condition on the
corresponding plate edge; to define a protrusion value as no fringing
fields, delete the set value, and hit Enter.
Triangular Offsets the three sides of the triangular gap (x, Diagonal, y). x, µm or m
(Rigid Plate) Diagonal,
y= 0
Rectangular Offsets the four sides of the rectangular gap (Lower y, Upper x, Upper Rigid Plate µm or m
y, Lower x). Segment=
0
Rectangle
shape=
inherited
Quadrilateral Offsets the four edges of the quadrilateral gap (Edge 1 2, Edge 2 3, Rigid Plate µm or m
Edge 3 4, Edge 4 1). segment=
0;
Quadrilater
al shape=
inherited
Polynomial Offsets the sides of the polynomial gap. y-, x+, y+, µm or m
(Rigid Plate) x- = 0
Arc Offsets the angle edges and inner and outer radii of the arc gap. Rigid Plate Angle:
Segments= deg or
0 Arc rad
shape= Radius:
inherited µm or m
Pie (Rigid Offsets the radius, start angle, and extent angle of the pie gap. Negative Radius,
Plate) values will inset the edges of the gap. Start
Angle,
Extent
Angle=0

Movable Gap Models Defines the type of gap: Contact/

Connect To Property
The Connect to property specifies what type of model will be on the other side of the movable gap. The model choice
determines how many mechanical connectors will be created for the Movable Gap component. The choices are Shell
Element, Brick Element, and Rigid Plate. Each of these options are illustrated below:
Figure 4-10 Mechanical Nodes Created with Connect To Property

Shell Element Brick Element Rigid Plate
Movable Gap Parent

Component
When adding the second surface, it should use the same model type as specified for this property and have the same
number of nodes (for Shell and Brick elements). The mechanical connectors on the Movable Gap and the second
component should be connected when the Wizard in run on the model, as illustrated below:
Second rectangle occupies same space as Running the Wizard connects the nodes on
movable gap and nodes coincide movable gap and second rectangle.

4.2.1: Side Gap

The Side Gap can be used to model the electrostatic force acting on a straight side of a component, or squeezed film
damping on the straight side of a component, or both. The Side Gap can be added to the following components:
 Rigid Plate/Rectangular Segment
 Rigid Plate/Arc Segment
 Rigid Plate/Quadrilateral Segment
 Rectangle
 Quadrilateral
 Arc
 Beam and Arc Beam
M
To add a Side Gap to a component, right click on it in the Components tree, and select Add > Side Gap. Another
option is to click on the component to select it, then click on the Add icon in the menu bar and select Side Gap.
To set the properties for the Side Gap, from the Components tree, double click on it, or right click on it and select
Properties. The available properties are listed in Table 4-8. Note that the properties set in the top-level Components
entity also affect the behavior of the gap; see page C2-1 for more details.
Table 4-8 Properties of the Side Gap
Deposit Designates the fixed deposition layer for the side gap; must be undef -
on one of the layers of the parent component
Thickness Overrides thickness defined by the Deposit undef µm or m

Override
the deposit. If no Straight Cut appears after the selected deposit
in the associated process, this field defaults to None. If only one
Straight Cut appears after the selected deposit, it will be
selected and cannot be changed. If more than one Straight Cut
appear after the selected deposit, they will be in the Cut Step
drop-down menu, and the user can select which Straight Cut
step can be applied to the deposit.
If left to Inherited, the layer designated as the Default Layer in
the process step is used. If there are more than one layer
layer will be used to define boundaries of the Cut Step. If set to
None, the layer associated with the cut step will not be exported
to GDS and Pcell.
with multiple straight cuts, see the tutorial beginning on page
T6-1 of the CoventorMP Tutorials.
Vertical Offset Offsets the fixed side deposit in vertical direction; the offset is 0 µm or m
applied to the bottom plane of the deposit.
Width Width of the fixed side deposit required m

Protrusion (Rectangular or Offsets the edges of the fixed side deposit on the left and right (Left=0, um or m
Quadrilateral Rigid Plate side of the plate (seen from the direction of the face normal to Right=0)
segment, or Rectangle shape the plate). To define a Neumann boundary condition, as shown
component) in Figure 6-40 on page C6-34; delete the set value, and hit
Enter; no fringing fields then appears in the field. Negative
values will inset the edges.
Protrusion (Arc Segment, Offsets the edges of the electrode by the specified values. Start Start Point = 0 degrees or
Arc shape component, or Arc Point defines electrode protrusion at beginning angle, and End End Point =0 radians.
Beam) Point defines electrode protrusion at the terminal angle. To
define a Neumann boundary condition (no fringing fields) as
shown in Figure 6-40 on page C6-34; delete the set value, and
hit Enter.
Protrusion for Beam Offsets the edges of the electrode from the ends of the beam. at End 1=0 µm or m
End 1 defines fixed deposit protrusion at beam end1. at End 2 End 2=0
defines fixed deposit protrusion at beam end2. To define a
Neumann boundary condition (no fringing fields) as shown in
Figure 6-40 on page C6-34; delete the set value, and hit Enter.
Plate Segment Edge (Rigid Specifies the position of the electrode relative to the undef
Plate) component. For the Rectangle shapes, the options are x+, x-,
Plate Edge (shape) y+, and y-. For the Quadrilateral segment, the options are Edge
1 2, Edge 23, Edge 3 4, and Edge 4 1. For the Arc Segment and
Arc Plate, the options are Inner and Outer.
Beam Edge (for Beam or Arc For the beam, this setting defines the position of the gap’s fixed undef -
Beam) model to be either on the left- or right-hand side of the beam, as
seen from beam end1 to beam end2. For the arc beam, this
setting defines the position of the fixed deposit either from the
inner or outer edge.
Gap Gap between component and side component required m
Gap Fluid Defines the fluid within the gap. If left to inherited, it assumes inherited -
the Ambient Gas designated in the top-level Components
Properties dialog (see page C2-1). For the electrode model, the
Gap Fluid parameter defines the relative permittivity used in
the corresponding electrostatic model.
Gap Models Designates the side component as a side electrode, a squeezed

film damping component or both.
Gap Model: Contact Models the electrostatic force acting on single side of a
Electrode component; for more information on the side electrode contact
model, see“Side Electrode/Contact Model” on page C6-38.
Contact Defines the parameters of the built-in contact model - -

Settings
Adhesion Adhesion force per area. Optional force that includes stiction in 0 Pa or MPa
Force per the contact model. See “Adhesion Softening” on page C2-4 for
Area more information.
Adhesion Minimal gap at which the adhesion force starts acting between 0 µm or m
Distance the contact layers. See “Adhesion Softening” on page C2-4 for
more information.

Conductivity Conductivity in the contact region. This parameter should take 1e12 S/m or pS/
into account the conductivity of the two materials in contact and µm
their surface roughness. See “Contact Model” on page C6-35
for more details.
Integration Defines the number of integration points used in the electrode 3 -

Points and contact model along the side of the electrode adjacent to the
parent component. The number of integration points has an
impact on simulation time and contact behavior. For more
information on integration points, see page C6-30.
Gap Model: Squeezed Film Models the damping effects of fluid being forced in and out of a
M
Damping small, vertical gap between the moving and fixed parts of a
device
Number of Determines the number of simulation points/fluidic connectors 3

Nodes created in the specified direction or on the specified edge. The
parameters depend on the type of component the side
companion is added to:
Rectangular: in x, in y
Quadrilateral: on Edge 1-2 and 3-4, Edge 2-3 and 4-1
Arc: in Angular Direction, in Radial Direction
Beam: In-Plane, In Z
Edge Type This parameter specifies whether fluid escaping along the - -
particular edge is subjected to edge-turning resistance.
User options are inherited, Edge Flow, and Zero Flow.
 inherited: Boundary condition is determined by the Face
Type of the parent mechanical component; see Connecting
Adjacent Squeezed Film Damping Components.
 Edge Flow: Models fluid flow in/out of the domain,
accounting for flow resistance at the edge (see “Edge
Boundary Conditions” on page C6-41). It assumes that the
flow going out of the gap into open space is governed by
ambient pressure (variable set in the root Components).
 Zero Flow: Models the flow along the edge with a Fixed
Face Type in the mechanical element; the assumption is that
there is no fluid flow in/out of the domain along this edge.
The Internal edge type can only be assigned by the Wizard, and
is a read-only property. The Wizard assigns this edge type if the
edge is attached to another component, so fluid will flows in/out
from one domain to the adjacent damping element domain.
Package Attachment If a package has been added to the device, this parameter At Layer For
specifies how the gap’s fixed deposit is attached to that common
package. The options are At Layer or At Point in Global Frame. point: um
Use At Layer to attach the side electrode to a single layer, which or m
is most likely to be the substrate. Use At Point in Global Frame
to attach the package at the specified X, Y, and Z coordinate.
For more information on attaching a package to a side gap, see
page C5-9.
For the plates, the length of the side gap is implicitly defined by the length of the corresponding component edge and
the Protrusion parameter. For the beams, the length of the side gap is implicitly defined by the end points of the beam
and the Protrusion parameter.

Figure 4-11 Geometrical Properties of the Side Gap for a Rectangle Shape
Figure 4-12 Geometrical Properties of Side Gap for Beam
Table 4-9 Geometrical Properties of Side Gap for a Arc Plate or Arc Beam

4.3: Comb Stators

Comb stators are common structures in MEMS used for capacitive sensing and actuation. The MEMS+ library offers
three different types of comb stators: the Straight Comb Stator, Straight Comb Split Stator, and Curved Comb Stator.
4.3.1: Straight Comb Stator

The Straight Comb Stator component is an add-on to the Straight Comb and the Straight Comb Segment of the Rigid
Plate. It creates the straight fingers of a fixed comb structure as seen in Figure 4-13. The component can be used for
various applications, such as longitudinal, lateral, and vertical actuation, as well as in- and out-of-plane position
detection.
Figure 4-13 Straight Comb with Stator Geometry
M
The Straight Comb Stator component includes an accurate, analytical description of the position-dependent capaci-
tance and the forces between the fixed and movable comb fingers. The comb component has three possible field rep-
resentations: a comb without electrode, a comb with bottom electrode or a comb with top and bottom electrode; a
comb with only a top electrode is not allowed. The field representation is automatically selected based on the number
of electrode layers specified in the properties window. The Straight Comb Stator has four possible electrical connec-
tors: F (fixed finger voltage), M (movable plate voltage), Eb (bottom electrode voltage), and Et (top electrode volt-
age). The electrical behavior is modeled by a network of variable capacitors between the four electrical pins, as
shown in Figure 4-14:
Figure 4-14 Electrical Equivalent Circuit of a Straight Comb Stator
To add a stator to a Straight Comb or a Straight Comb Segment component, select the Straight Comb in the Compo-
nents tree, then right click and select Add > Straight Comb Stator. The properties for the stator are listed in Table 4-
10.

Figure 4-15 Geometrical Definition of a Straight Comb Stator
Table 4-10 Properties of the Straight Comb Stator
Gap Fluid Defines the fluid surrounding the comb fingers. The Gap Fluid inherited -
parameter defines the Relative Permittivity used in the
corresponding electrostatic comb model.
If left to inherited, it assumes the Ambient Fluid designated in the
top-level Components Properties dialog (see page C2-1).
Numerical Integration Number of Gaussian integration points used in every field section 2 -
Settings Points to evaluate the capacitance and force contribution to the comb
cell. The integration point setting has an important effect on the
simulation performance: the more integration points used, the
better the results, but at the cost of a longer simulation. See
“Numerical Settings” on page C6-50 for more information.
Comb Cells Number of comb cells taken into account to approximate the 2 -
overall comb force and capacitance contribution. The options are
By Number or All. The more comb cells used, the better the
approximation, but at the cost of a longer simulation. Note that 1
is often sufficient for combs with straight, perpendicular edges; 2
and 3 are recommended for polynomial and circular edges. In
order to optimize the simulation performance, the user might
want to compare simulations results for different settings. See
“Numerical Settings” on page C6-50 for more information.
Comb Stator Deposit Deposit name of the comb fingers. If left to inherited, the deposit inherited -
defaults to the same deposit as the one defined for the Straight
Comb, and Thickness Override and Vertical Offset are not
available.

Override

Straight Cut appears after the selected deposit, it will be selected
and cannot be changed. If more than one Straight Cut appear after
the selected deposit, they will be in the Cut Step drop-down
menu, and the user can select which Straight Cut step can be
applied to the deposit.
mask, those layers will appear in a drop-down menu for the
M
Layers parameter, and the user can select which layer will be used
to define boundaries of the Cut Step. If set to None, the layer
associated with the cut step will not be exported to GDS and
Pcell.
with multiple straight cuts, see the tutorial beginning on page T6-
1 of the CoventorMP Tutorials.
Vertical Offsets the stator deposit in vertical direction; the offset is applied 0 µm or m
Offset to the bottom plane of the deposit.
Top Electrode Name of the electrode deposit above the comb fingers. This undef -
deposit should not be defined for vertical comb applications or if
there is a large air gap above the fingers. Note that a top electrode
can only be specified if a bottom electrode is specified.

Override
the deposit. For more information, see Comb Stator Deposit\Cut
Step.
Vertical Offsets the top electrode deposit in vertical direction; the offset is 0 µm or m
Offset applied to the bottom plane of the deposit
Bottom Electrode Name of the electrode deposit underneath the comb fingers (see undef -
Figure 6-58 on page C6-53). This deposit should not be defined
for vertical comb applications or if there is a large air gap
underneath the fingers.

Override
the deposit. For more information, see Comb Stator Deposit\Cut
Step.

Vertical Offsets the bottom electrode deposit in vertical direction; the 0 µm or m

Offset offset is applied to the bottom plane of the deposit
Account for Out-of-Plane If this option is turned on, the simulator will compute the off -
Finger Disengagement electrostatic force between the movable fingers and the stators as
the vertical overlap between the finger pairs is modified. For
example, if the comb fingers become increasingly disengaged
from each other - as the rotors become vertically elevated beyond
the stators - the electrostatic force will decrease appropriately.
If this option is turned off, the simulator will seek to maintain
continuity of the electrostatic force; thus, even as the rotors
become vertically elevated beyond the stators, the electrostatic
force will remain constant. For more information on this property,
see “Account for Out-of-Plane Finger Disengagement” on page
C4-47.
Account for Sidewall If this option is checked, any sidewall angle applied to the stator off -
Angle deposit in the Process Editor will be taken into account for the
capacitance calculation. To use this option:
 Account for Out-of-Plane Finger Disengagement option must
also be checked.
 It is only accurate for angles < 2 degrees.
For more information on this property, see “Account for Out-of-
Plane Finger Disengagement” on page C4-47.
Finger Tip/Plate Gap Distance between the fixed finger tips and the plate edge (set in required µm or m
the Straight Comb component); see page C4-52 for more details.
Finger Tip/Anchor Gap Distance between the movable finger tips and the anchor edge. inherited µm or m
The anchor edge location is determined by the length of the
movable fingers + Finger Tip/Anchor Gap value; see Straight
Comb Split Stator. If left to inherited, it has same value as the
Finger Tip/Plate Gap (set in the Straight Comb). For any other
value, the anchor location is offset, effectively changing the
length of the stator fingers.
Finger Width Width of the fixed comb fingers; see page C4-52 for more details. Movable µm or m
If left to inherited, it have the same value as the movable finger Finger Width
width (set in the Straight Comb)
Lateral Finger Offset Optional displacement of the stator perpendicular to the finger 0 µm or m
direction
Anchor Width Width of the fixed finger anchor. required m
Enclosure Determines the location of the stator in relation to the movable Full -
fingers, see Straight Comb Stator Enclosure.
Package Attachment If a package has been added to the device, this specifies how the At Finger For
stator is attached to that package. The options are At Finger Ends, Ends common
which would be defined by the finger parameters, or At Point in point: um
Global Frame, which would attach the package at the specified X, or m
Y, and Z coordinate. For more information on attaching a package
to a comb stator, see page C5-7.

Optional Model Use this option to specify squeezed-film damping for the comb Number of -
model. It models the damping effects of fluid being forced in and Nodes = 3
out of small, horizontal gaps between the moving and fixed parts Accommodat
of devices. When the Squeeze Film option is selected, these ion
parameters appear: Coefficient =
Number of Nodes in Length: Sets the number of pressure pins Inherited
along the finger length.
Number of Nodes in Width: Sets the number of pressure pins
along the finger width.
Number of Nodes in Height: Sets the number of pressure pins
along the finger height.
Accommodation Coefficient: Defines tangential momentum
M
accommodation coefficient. By default this value is set in the top-
level Components properties dialog (see page C2-1) and is
inherited in the squeezed-film damping model. The user can
override this setting for an individual component by entering a
value in the Accommodation Coefficient field under the
squeezed-film damping model.
For more details on the parameters for a Squeezed Film model,
see “Squeezed Film Damping Model” on page C6-39
Account for Out-of-Plane Finger Disengagement

The Account for Out-of-Plane Finger Disengagement option should be turned on if the user anticipates simulating a
displacement of the Rigid Plate in Z-direction such that the comb fingers do not overlap anymore. If this option is not
turned on and the fingers become completely disengaged, the capacitance and electrostatic force calculation are not
reliable. This is demonstrated in the example of a single finger comb drive. The model and the dimensions are shown
below:
Material:Polysilicon
Comb Finger Z Thickness = 140µm,
Comb Finger X Width = 20µm,
Comb Finger X Gap = 2.75µm,
Comb Finger Y Length = 220µm,
Comb Finger Y Overlap = 203.49µm,
The inner finger is free to move vertically (in the Z-direction), but other degrees of freedom are fixed.
Below we compare simulation results with and without the Account for Out-of-Plane Finger Disengagement turned
on to CoventorWare simulation results and to analytical results. The CoventorWare mesh is shown below:

Global Refinement = 3
Manhattan mesh:10, 10, 25 99688 panels
1440 surface elements
We run a DC Sweep on the finger position in Z. The finger Z dimension is 140µm, so we sweep the value from
-160µm to 160µm (steps of 2µm). The sweep is thus from a bottom total disengagement of 20µm to a top total disen-
gagement of 20µm (as shown below. For values between -140µm to 140µm, the finger is partially overlapping
(except Z=0µm, in which the finger is fully engaged).
Figure 4-16 DC Sweep of Comb Finger

z = -160 z=0 z = 160
The capacitance results for MEMS+ with and without the disengagement property, for analytical results, and for Cov-
entorWare are shown below. The analytical results were obtained with the basic capacitance formula (C=εS/g); the
many parasitic contributions were not taking into account.

M
As expected, we see that the maximum capacitance occurs when the finger is fully engaged (face-to -face surface is at
a maximum). We clearly see the effect of the Account for Out-of-Plane Finger Disengagement property: When the
disengagement is not taken into account, the results are questionable for the displacement z >140µm and z <-140µm.
Moreover, the capacitance even goes negative for z >155µm, which is not possible for such metric. On the other
hand, when -140µm < z < 140µm, the plots with and without Account for Out-of-Plane Finger Disengagement are
identical.
The Rigid Plate rectangular segments attached to movable combs are used for viewing and SAT export. The Finger
Tip to Movable component capacitance represented by this portion of the movable plate is already included in the
comb model, so electrostatically, those segments are not needed. Note the capacitance from Finger Tip to Anchor is
taken into account if an Anchor is defined (set to a value > 0).
The electrostatic force results for each type of simulation are shown below. As expected, the values are opposite
depending if the finger is disengaging from the top or the bottom. As with the capacitance results, when disengage-
ment is not taken into account, the results are questionable for the displacement z >140µm and z <-140µm; and when
-140µm< z <140µm, the results with and without Account for Out-of-Plane Finger Disengagement are identical.

Turning on this option slows down the simulation, so if no disengagement is expected, it is recommended to leave it
unchecked. These simulations shown in this example were run on a computer with the Windows 7 OS, 2 cores
2.40GHz, and 4GB of RAM. The CoventorWare simulation (99,688 panels) took 12 hours; the MEMS+ model with
Consider Disengagement took 30 seconds; and the MEMS+ without Consider Disengagement took less than a second
to simulate.
Account for Sidewall Angle

For the Straight Comb Stator component, a sidewall angle applied to a stator deposit in the Process Editor will only
affect the mass and inertia of the Comb Finger component unless the Account for Sidewall Angle parameter is
checked. If this option is activated, the sidewall angle applied to the stator deposit will also be included in the capaci-
tance calculation. The sidewall angle effect computes the change in comb capacitance and the out-of-plane forces
resulting from asymmetric fringing fields.
To use this option:
 Account for Out-of-Plane Finger Disengagement option must also be checked.
 To get accurate results, the sidewall angle must be < 2 degrees.
For the purpose of comparison, we created two models: each model is a one-finger Straight Comb rotor fully
enclosed by a two-finger Straight Comb Stator. The models are shown in Figure 4-17. A Rigid Plate Rectangular Seg-
ment creates the backbone\anchoring point of the rotor. The comb and rigid plate components are on the same Poly-
silicon deposit. The dimensions of the models are listed below
 Straight Comb (rotor): 193µm Finger Length, 3.5µm Finger Width and 15µm Finger Pitch,
 Straight Comb Stator: 4µm Finger/Tip Gap, 4µm Finger/Anchor Gap, 8.3µm Finger Width, 3.5µm Anchor
Width and Enclosure set to Full,
 Backbone Rectangular Segment: X dimension = 10µm, Y dimension = 23.8µm.
 Considering the pitch and finger sizes the gap in between finger is 1.6µm (prior to the addition of sidewall
angle).
The only difference between the two models is that the Account for Sidewall Angle parameter is turned on for one of
them.

Figure 4-17 Models with and without Sidewall Angle Property
M
The capacitance results for each comb model is shown below. The Account for Sidewall Angles parameter effectively
lowered the capacitance results.

Straight Comb Stator Enclosure

The straight comb stator supports different stator arrangements based on the enclosure parameter setting:
Enclosure = full Enclosure = right Enclosure = left Enclosure = none
4.3.2: Straight Comb Split Stator

The Straight Comb Split Stator component is an add-on to the Straight Comb Segment segment of the Rigid Plate. It
creates the straight and parallel fixed comb fingers of a comb stator split into two conductors, as seen in Figure 4-18.
The component can be used for various applications, such as longitudinal, lateral, and vertical actuation.
Note that the Straight Comb Split Stator is part of the Rigid Plate hierarchy because it is defined in relation to the
straight comb segments that make up the mass and inertia of the movable comb fingers.
Figure 4-18 Straight Comb with Split Stator Geometry
The Straight Comb Split Stator component includes an accurate, analytical description of the position-dependent
capacitance and the forces between the fixed and movable comb fingers. The comb component has three possible
field representations: a comb without electrode, a comb with bottom electrode or a comb with top and bottom elec-
trode; a comb with only a top electrode is not allowed. The field representation is automatically selected based on the
number of electrode layers specified in the properties window. The Straight Comb with Split Stator has five possible
electrical connectors: Fr (fixed finger voltage on the right), Fl (fixed finger voltage on the left), M (movable finger
voltage), Eb (bottom electrode voltage), and Et (top electrode voltage). The electrical behavior is modeled by a net-
work of variable capacitors between the four electrical pins, as shown in Figure 4-19:

Figure 4-19 Equivalent Circuit of the Straight Comb with Split Stator
M
To add a stator to a Straight Comb Segment, select the Straight Comb component in the Components tree, then right
click and select Add > Straight Comb Split Stator. The properties for the stator are listed in Table 4-11.
Figure 4-20 Geometrical Definition of the Straight Comb Split Stator
Note: Origin, Angle, Plate Edge, and Deposit are set in the Comb component
Table 4-11 Properties of the Straight Comb Split Stator
If left to inherited, it assumes the Ambient Fluid designated in the
top-level Components Properties dialog (see page C2-1).

Numerical Integration Number of Gaussian integration points used in every field section to 1 -
Settings Points evaluate the capacitance and force contribution to the comb cell. The
integration point setting has an important effect on the simulation
performance: The more integration points used, the slower the
simulation. A low number is recommended for most comb drives
used for in-plane actuation and motion detection. A higher number is
recommended for combs with large out-of-plane rotations, big stress
gradients, or big plate curvatures. See “Numerical Settings” on page
C6-50 for further information.
Comb Number of comb cells taken into account to approximate the overall 1 -
Cells/By comb force and capacitance contribution. The options are By
Number Number or All. The more comb cells used, the better the
approximation, but at the cost of a longer simulation. Note that 1 is
often sufficient for combs with straight perpendicular edges; 2 and 3
are recommended for polynomial and circular edges. In order to
optimize the simulation performance, the user might want to
compare simulations results for different settings. See “Numerical
Settings” on page C6-50 for further information.
Comb Stator Deposit Deposit name of the comb fingers. If left to inherited, the deposit inherited -
defaults to the same deposit as the one defined for the Straight
Comb, and the Thickness Override and Vertical Offset are not
available.
Thickness Overrides the thickness assigned to the deposit. inherited

Override
those layers will appear in a drop-down menu for the Layers
Vertical Offsets the comb finger deposit in vertical direction; the offset is 0 µm or m
Offset applied to the bottom plane of the deposit.
Top Electrode Name of the electrode deposit above the comb fingers. This deposit undef -
should not be defined for vertical comb applications or if there is a
large air gap above the fingers. Note that a top electrode can only be
specified if a bottom electrode is specified.


Override
deposit. For more information, see Comb Stator Deposit\Cut Step.
Vertical Offsets the top electrode deposit in vertical direction; the offset is 0 µm or m
M
Bottom Electrode Name of the electrode deposit underneath the comb fingers (see undef -
Figure 6-58 on page C6-53). This deposit should not be defined for
vertical comb applications or if there is a large air gap underneath the
fingers.

Override
deposit. For more information, see Comb Stator Deposit\Cut Step.
Vertical Offsets the bottom electrode deposit in vertical direction; the offset is 0 µm or m
Finger Disengagement electrostatic force between the movable fingers and the stators even
as the vertical overlap between the finger pairs is modified. For
example, if the comb fingers become increasingly disengaged from
each other - as the rotors become vertically elevated beyond the
stators - the electrostatic force will decrease appropriately.
continuity of the electrostatic force; thus, even as the rotors become
vertically elevated beyond the stators, the electrostatic force will
remain constant. For more information on this property, see
“Account for Out-of-Plane Finger Disengagement” on page C4-47.
also be checked.
For more information on this property, see “Account for Sidewall
Angle” on page C4-50.
Finger Tip/Plate Gap Distance between the fixed finger tips and the plate edge (defined in required µm or m
the Straight Comb component); see Figure 4-20.

Finger Tip/Anchor Gap Distance between the movable finger tips and the anchor edge. The inherited µm or m
anchor edge location is determined by the length the of movable
fingers + Finger Tip/Anchor Gap value; see Figure 4-20. If left to
inherited, it has same value as the Finger Tip/Plate Gap (set in the
Straight Comb). For any other value, the anchor location is offset,
effectively changing the length of the stator fingers.
Finger Width Width of the fixed comb fingers. If left to inherited, it have the same Movable µm or m
value as the movable finger width (set in the Straight Comb). Finger
Width
Lateral Finger Offset Optional displacement of the stator perpendicular to the finger 0 µm or m
direction.
Fixed Finger Pitch Distance between the center lines of two adjacent stator fingers of required µm or m
the same rotor comb; see Figure 4-20.
Fixed End Point Offset Offsets the end point of the fixed finger to lengthen it; must be a Left = 0, µm or m
positive value. This setting can be applied to the fixed finger to the Right = 0
right or left of the rotor. Note that Left and Right is defined as seen in
movable finger direction from plate end point to the movable finger
tip; see Figure 4-21.
Package Attachment If a package has been added to the device, this specifies how the At Finger For
stator is attached to that package. The options are At Finger Ends, Ends common
which would be defined by the finger parameters, or At Point in point: um
Global Frame, which would attach the package at the specified X, Y, or m
and Z coordinate. For more information on attaching a package to a
comb stator, see page C5-7.
Figure 4-21 Definition of Fixed End Point Offset
Left Stator Offset of 5

Rotor
Right Stator

4.3.3: Movable Straight Comb

The Movable Comb is an add-on to the Straight Comb. Together, both components are used to model comb fingers
between movable flexible or rigid plate edges, as illustrated in Figure 4-13:
Figure 4-22 Straight Comb with Movable Straight Comb
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The Movable Straight Comb includes an analytical description of inertial comb finger properties as well as the posi-
tion-dependent capacitance and the forces between the movable comb fingers and the fingers of the Straight Comb
parent component. The Movable Straight Comb has a variable number of mechanical connectors, which makes it
adaptable to different kinds of flexible or even rigid plate edges; see Figure 3-30. Furthermore, it has two electrical
connectors, one for each set of fingers.
To add a Movable Straight Comb to a Straight Comb, select the Straight Comb in the Components tree, then right
click and select Add > Movable Straight Comb. The properties for the comb are listed in Table 4-12.
Figure 4-23 Geometrical Definition of a Movable Straight Comb

Table 4-12 Properties of the Movable Straight Comb
corresponding electrostatic comb model. If left to inherited, it
assumes the Ambient Fluid designated in the top-level Components
Properties dialog (see page C2-1).
Numerical Integration Number of Gaussian integration points used in every field section to 2 -
Settings Points evaluate the capacitance and force contribution to the comb cell.
The integration point setting has an important effect on the
simulation performance: the more integration points used, the better
the results, but at the cost of a longer simulation. See “Numerical
Comb Cells Number of comb cells taken into account to approximate the overall 2 -
comb force and capacitance contribution. The options are By
Number or All. The more comb cells used, the better the
approximation, but at the cost of a longer simulation. Note that 1 is
often sufficient for combs with straight, perpendicular edges; 2 and
3 are recommended for polynomial and circular edges. In order to
optimize the simulation performance, the user might want to
compare simulations results for different settings. See “Numerical
Comb Deposit Deposit name of the comb fingers. If left to inherited, it defaults to inherited -
the same deposit as the one defined for the Straight Comb, and
Thickness Override and Vertical Offset are not available.

Override
Vertical Offsets the movable fingers deposit in vertical direction; the offset 0 µm or m
Offset is applied to the bottom plane of the deposit.

Finger Disengagement electrostatic force between the movable fingers even as the vertical
overlap between the finger pairs is modified. For example, if the
comb fingers become increasingly disengaged from each other the
electrostatic force will decrease appropriately.
continuity of the electrostatic force; thus, even as the rotors become
vertically elevated beyond the comb fingers, the electrostatic force
will remain constant. For more information on this property, see
“Account for Out-of-Plane Finger Disengagement” on page C4-47.
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also be checked.
For more information on this property, see “Account for Out-of-
Plane Finger Disengagement” on page C4-47.
Finger Tip/Plate Gap 1 Distance between the finger tips and the parent plate edge (set in the required µm or m
Straight Comb component); see page C4-57.
Finger Tip/Plate Gap 1 Distance between the Straight Comb finger tips and the Movable inherited µm or m
Comb plate edge; see page C4-57.
Finger Width Width of the movable comb fingers; see page C4-57 for more Parent µm or m
details. If left to inherited, it have the same value as the finger width Finger Width
set in the Straight Comb).
Lateral Finger Offset Optional displacement of the movable fingers perpendicular to the 0 µm or m
finger direction
Enclosure Determines the location of the movable fingers in relation to fingers Full -
of the Straight Comb parent component; see Straight Comb Stator
Enclosure.
Plate Edge Protrusion Offsets the movable plate edge on the left and right side of the 0 µm or m
straight fingers (seen from the plate edge to the finger tips), see
page C4-57.
Number of Plate Edge Defines the number mechanical connectors on the edge. Note, that 1 -
Nodes the number and location of the mechanical connectors needs to
match those of the flexible or rigid plate edge it is attached to, see
Table 3-18 and Figure 3-32.
Mechanical Model
Rayleigh The two subparameters a and b define the internal damping matrix inherited
Damping D=a*M+b*K, where M and K are the mass and stiffness matrix of
inherited, the beam will have the damping values set in the top-
level Components properties (see page C2-1); if this value is set, it
will override the values set from Components. Note, the linear
Straight Comb model has no stiffness matrix K and therefore the
Rayleigh Damping value b is ignored.

Model Linear models are preferable for most MEMS devices because they
Type simulate quickly and provide robust simulation performance. They
are recommended for all applications where the displacements
satisfy a linear system, including mechanical forcing, electrostatics,
expansion. However, linear models cannot capture nonlinear
effects, including Coriolis force, the preservation of angular
momentum, or the stiffening associated with constraining a
component, which prevents the relaxation of internal stresses
Nonlinear models have no displacement or angular restrictions.
They are able to simulate inherently nonlinear applications,
including bistable behavior, such as the buckling of a fixed-fixed
beam under stress; large rotation angles; Coriolis forces; as well as
problematic in transient simulations because of the complexity of
the force and torque calculations, so nonlinear elements should be

4.3.4: Curved Comb Stator

The Curved Comb Stator component is an add-on to the Curved Comb Segment segment of the Rigid Plate. It creates
the curved fingers of a fixed comb structure, as seen in Figure 4-24. The component can be used for various applica-
tions, such as in-plane actuation and detection.
Note that the Curved Comb Stator is part of the Rigid Plate hierarchy because it is defined in relation to the curved
comb segments that make up the mass and inertia of the movable comb fingers.
Figure 4-24 Curved Comb Segment with Stator
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The Curved Comb Stator component includes an accurate analytical description of the position-dependent capaci-
tance and the forces between the fixed and the movable comb fingers. The Curved Comb Stator component has three
possible field representations: a comb with no electrode, a comb with bottom electrode, or a comb with top and bot-
tom electrode; a comb with only a top electrode is not allowed. The field representation is automatically selected
based on the number of electrode deposits specified in the Properties window. The curved comb has a four possible
electrical connectors: F (fixed finger voltage), M (movable finger voltage), Eb (bottom electrode voltage), and Et (top
electrode voltage). The electrical behavior is modeled by a network of variable capacitors between the four electrical
pins, as shown in Figure 4-25:
Figure 4-25 Electrical Equivalent Circuit of a Curved Comb with Stator

Figure 4-26 Geometrical Definition of a Curved Comb Stator
Table 4-13 Properties of the Curved Comb Stator Component
Gap Fluid Defines the fluid surrounding the comb fingers. The Gap inherited -
Fluid parameter defines the Relative Permittivity used in the
If left to inherited, it assumes the Ambient Fluid designated
in the top-level Components Properties dialog (see page C2-
1).
Numerical Integration Number of Gaussian integration points used in every field 1 -

Settings Points section to evaluate the capacitance and force contribution to
the comb cell. The integration point setting has an important
effect on the simulation performance: The more integration
points used, the slower the simulation. A low number is
recommended for most comb drives used for in-plane
actuation and motion detection. A higher number is
recommended for combs with large out-of-plane rotations,
big stress gradients, or big plate curvatures. See “Numerical
Comb Cells/ Number of comb cells taken into account to approximate the 1 -
By Number overall comb force and capacitance contribution. The
options are By Number or All. The more comb cells used, the
better the approximation, but at the cost of a longer
simulation. In order to optimize the simulation performance,
the user can compare simulations results for different
settings. Note that the end points of the considered comb
fingers are visualized as markers in electrical connectors
viewing mode; see page R4-25. See “Numerical Settings” on
page C6-50 for further information.
Comb Stator Deposit Deposit name of the comb fingers. If left to inherited, the inherited -
deposit defaults to the same deposit as the one defined for
the Curved Comb, and the Thickness Override and Vertical
Offset are not available.


Override
Cut Step Specifies the Straight Cut step that will define the
boundaries of the deposit. If no Straight Cut appears after the
selected deposit in the associated process, this field defaults
to None. If only one Straight Cut appears after the selected
deposit, it will be selected and cannot be changed. If more
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than one Straight Cut appear after the selected deposit, they
will be in the Cut Step drop-down menu, and the user can
Listed under the selected Straight Cut is the Layers
parameter. If left to Inherited, the layer designated as the
Default Layer in the process step is used. If there are more
than one layer assigned to a mask, those layers will appear in
a drop-down menu for the Layers parameter, and the user
can select which layer will be used to define boundaries of
the Cut Step. If set to None, the layer associated with the cut
step will not be exported to GDS and Pcell.
For an example of how this setting can be used to etch a
deposit with multiple straight cuts, see the tutorial beginning
on page T6-1 of the CoventorMP Tutorials.
Vertical Offsets the comb finger deposit in vertical direction; the 0 µm or m

Offset offset is applied to the bottom plane of the deposit.
Top Electrode Name of the electrode deposit above the comb fingers. This undef -
deposit should not be defined for vertical comb applications
or if there is a large air gap above the fingers. Note that a top
electrode can only be specified if a bottom electrode is
specified.

Override
boundaries of the deposit. For more information, see Comb
Stator Deposit\Cut Step.
Vertical Offsets the top electrode deposit in vertical direction; the 0 µm or m

Bottom Electrode Name of the electrode deposit underneath the comb fingers undef -
(see Figure 6-58 on page C6-53). This deposit should not be
defined for vertical comb applications or if there is a large air
gap underneath the fingers.


Override
boundaries of the deposit. For more information, see Comb
Stator Deposit\Cut Step.
Vertical Offsets the bottom electrode deposit in vertical direction; the 0 µm or m

Finger Disengagement electrostatic force between the movable fingers and the
stators even as the vertical overlap between the finger pairs
is modified. For example, if the comb fingers become
increasingly disengaged from each other - as the rotors
become vertically elevated beyond the stators - the
electrostatic force will decrease appropriately.
If this option is turned off, the simulator will seek to
maintain continuity of the electrostatic force; thus, even as
the rotors become vertically elevated beyond the stators, the
electrostatic force will remain constant. For more
information on this property, see “Account for Out-of-Plane
Finger Disengagement” on page C4-47.
Finger Tip/Plate Gap Defines the gap between the fixed finger tips and the plate Angular
edge (as defined in the corresponding Curved Comb
Segment parent component); see Figure 4-26.
Equidistant Specifies an equidistant gap between the fixed finger tips gap = required µm or m
and the plate edge
Angular Specifies an angular gap between the fixed finger tips and angle = required Degrees
the plate edge, as seen in Figure 4-26.
Finger Tip/Anchor Gap Defines the gap between the movable finger tips and the Finger Tip/Plate
anchor edge; see Figure 4-26. By default, it uses the same Gap
definition as Finger Tip/Plate Gap.
Equidistant Specifies an equidistant gap between the movable finger tips gap = required µm or m
and the anchor edge.
Angular Specifies an angular gap between the movable finger tips angle = required Degrees
and the anchor edge, as seen in Figure 4-26.
Fixed Finger Width Width of the fixed comb fingers. If left to inherited, it have Movable Finger µm or m
the same value as the movable finger width (set in the Width
Curved Comb)
Radial Finger Offset Optional displacement of the stator fingers in negative radial 0 µm or m
direction.
Anchor Width Width of the fixed finger anchor required µm or m
Enclosure Determines the location of the movable fingers in relation to Full -

fingers of the Curved Comb parent component; see Curved
Comb Stator Enclosure for an illustration of each option.

Package Attachment If a package has been added to the device, this specifies how At Finger Ends For
the stator is attached to that package. The options are At common
Finger Ends, which would be defined by the finger point: um
parameters, or At Point in Global Frame, which would or m
attach the package at the specified X, Y, and Z coordinate.
For more information on attaching a package to a comb
stator, see page C5-7.
Curved Comb Stator Enclosure

The curved comb stator supports different stator arrangements based on the enclosure parameter setting:
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Enclosure = full Enclosure = right Enclosure = left Enclosure = none

For the stator components, the component capacitance is available from the Get Info window. To open this window,
right click on the stator in the Components tree or in the Canvas, and select Get Info. The window reports the follow-
ing:
 if the stator is fixed to a package
 the capacitance between the companion (stator) and the rotor.
 If the comb has an associated electrode, the individual capacitance between the rotor and the electrode and
the companion and the electrode are also reported.

4.4: Stack Components

The Stack component is used to model additional geometry added to a device. It can be used to model displacement
and piezoelectric effects. The displacements of the add-on are entirely defined by the displacements of a parent com-
ponent. The Stack component has the following restrictions:
 It must be smaller than its parent and defined within the bounds of its parent.
 The number of nodes defined on the Stack component must be smaller or equal to the number of nodes of its
parent.
 The Stack component must not be defined on the same deposit as its parent, but it must touch a parent
deposit.
 It can only be added to a component that uses shell elements.
 The Shell component to which the Stack is added to can only be attached to another Shell component, and the
drilling degrees of freedom of the connected mechanical connectors must be fixed (the mechanical connec-
tors must share the same XY coordinates).
The MEMS+ library distinguishes between two different types of add-ons: Inherited Stack and Independently Shaped
Stack Components.
4.4.1: Inherited Stack

The geometry of Inherited Stack is defined in relation to the component to which it is added. By default, the Stack
fixed deposit has the same shape as the component it is added to, but the shape can be changed by setting the Fixed
Deposit Protrusion property.
The Inherited Stack component is available to all flexible plate and beam components except the Pie, Varying Width
Path, and Freeform Beam components.
Table 4-14 Properties of the Inherited Stack Component
Local Frame Orients the Stack component to the parent Local Frame in the - -
Components tree.
Origin Position of the center of the Stack component x=0, y=0 µm or m
In-plane Orientation of the Stack component with respect to the parent Local 0 Degrees or
Angle Frame Radians
Flip Flips the Stack component about the Local X or Y. none -
Stack will have the damping values set in the top-level Components
Deposits Specifies the deposit(s) on which the segment resides undef -

Override

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to GDS and Pcell.
Fixed Deposit Offsets the edges of the Stack deposit by the specified values. If not set, - -
Protrusion the fixed deposit shape will have the same shape as the component it is
added to. The parameters are determined by the type of component the
gap is added to. Note that the Protrusion values must be 0 or a negative
number because the deposit cannot exceed the bounds of the parent
component.
Model: Shell Element Stack models and the components they are added to must use Shell Inherited
elements. With shell elements, there is only one simulation point/
mechanical connector in the Z direction. If left to Inherited, the Stack
component will have the same number of nodes as the parent
component. The user can specify up to six nodes/simulation points in
the X and Y directions. Note that the number of nodes for the Stack ≤
the parent plate nodes.
If set to Minimum, the Stack component will have the same number of
nodes as the minimum node setting in the equivalent parent shape. For
example, the if a Stack is added to a rectangle, the minimum setting for
nodes in a rectangle is 2, 2; so the Stack would have 2 nodes in the x
and y directions.
Model Type Choices are Nonlinear and Linear. The linear model can be used to Inherited -
speed up transient simulations. It will give correct results if the
component’s motion is restricted to small rotation with respect to the
canvas coordinate system. If left to Inherited, the Stack component will
have the same Model Type as the parent component.
Optional Models This parameter allows the user to model additional physics for the plate. None -
Currently, only the Piezoelectric Model is available. It is used to model
the electromechanical behavior of a piezoelectric deposit in a flexible
structure. It can either be used to actuate a flexible shape or to convert
mechanical motion into an electrical signal based on the piezoelectric
effect. Note that it can only be used with Shell Elements. If there are no
piezoelectric materials in the deposit stack, the Properties dialog will
display an error when the user clicks on OK or Apply. For more
information on the piezoelectric model, see page C6-58.

4.4.2: Independently Shaped Stack Components

The Inherited Stack component only allows the user to inset the edges of the Stack relative to the parent. But each
flexible component has additional Stack options that are independent of the parent component. These Stack compo-
nents must still obey the constraints and must be within the bounds of the parent component.
To determine which type of Stack component can be added to a component, from the Component Library tab, expand
the Item Library entry for that component. For example, the available Stack components for the Rectangle component
are shown below:
Note that access to Stack components may be restricted by the Component Library file designated for your schematic.
When adding independently shaped stacks to a parent component, keep in mind that the dimensions and
coordinates of the stack have to be specified relative to the parent component’s Local Frame. If you get an error
that the dimensions of the Stack component are exceeding that of the parent component, it may be that you are not
specifying the coordinates or dimensions relative the parent’s Local Frame.
Properties
The properties for the independently shaped Stack components are the same as those for the inherited Stack compo-
nent except that instead of a Fixed Deposit Protrusion property, each independent Stack component will have proper-
ties that define its dimensions. The dimensions that define the size and/or shape the Stack component are the same as
the dimensions used to define a similar flexible component, so the table below lists the each type of Stack component
and a link to a description of those dimensions.
Page
Stack Type Dimensions
Reference
Fillet Stack Radius, Size in Y, Form C3-57
Rectangular Stack By Size or By Corner C3-47
Quadrilateral Stack Corner 1, 2, 3, 4 C3-53
Arc Stack Inner Radius, Outer Radius, Start Angle, C3-61

Extent Angle
Path Stack Position: End 1, End 2 C3-69
Tapered Path Stack Position: End 1, End 2 C3-74

Width End 1, Width End 2

Page
Stack Type Dimensions
Reference
Varying Width Path Stack Position: End 1, End 2 C3-94

Width
Cross-Sections
Arc Path Stack Radius, Start Angle, Extent Angle, C3-84

Width
Arc Tapered Path Stack Radius, Start Angle, Extent Angle, C3-89
Width End 1, Width End 2
Arc Varying Width Path Radius, Start Angle, Extent Angle, Width, C3-94
Stack Cross-Sections
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For information on the underlying model for the Stack components, see the section beginning on page C6-58.
4.4.3: Stack Example

An example of piezoelectric energy harvester is included in the CoventorMP Tutorials, starting on page T7-1. Its
associated files are in the //Coventor/CoventorMP1.1/Examples/PZEEnergyHarvester directory. This device makes
use of stacks to add the piezoelectric effect.
Figure 4-27 Piezoelectric Stack Added to Device
piezoelectric stack
Mass
Anchor
Cantilever
The piezoelectric structure spans the Cantilever, Mass and Anchor features, but a Stack component must be smaller
than its parent and defined within the bounds of its parent, so the piezoelectric structure is constructed of several

Stack components. These Stack components cannot overlap, and must touch the parent component.

To view information on a Stack component, right click on the component in the Components tree or in the Canvas
and select Get Info. The window that opens displays the following information:
 mechanical connector locations
 PZE layer
 conductance of the PZE layer
 zero stress capacitance
A sample Stack Get Info window is shown below:

4.5: Fluid Back Chamber

The Fluid Back Chamber models a closed, fluid-filled cavity that is considered large enough to have a homogeneous
pressure. The initial pressure of the cavity is assumed to be ambient pressure (zero gauge). The MEMS+ library dis-
tinguishes between two different types of fluid back chambers: Fluid Back Chamber for Flexible Shapes and Fluid
Back Chamber for Squeezed Film Damping.
4.5.1: Fluid Back Chamber for Flexible Shapes

Fluid back chambers can either be added on top or on the bottom of a flexible shape, as shown in Figure 4-28. The
Fluid Back Chamber component should only be used for a large, enclosed volume that is large enough to assume a
homogeneous pressure. Small gaps with a non-constant pressure distribution should be represented by a Gap/
Squeezed Film Damping component added directly to the shape (see page C6-42).
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Figure 4-28 Fluid Back Chamber with Flexible Shape
To add a fluid back chamber to a flexible shape, right click on the component in the Components tree, and select Add
> Fluid Back Chamber. Another option is to click on the component to select it, then click on the Add icon in the
menu bar and select Fluid Back Chamber.
Note that to add a fluid back chamber to the top and bottom of a flexible shape, add two Fluid Back Chamber compo-
nents: one that uses a fixed deposition layer (or layers) above the selected component deposit(s), and one that uses a
fixed deposition layer (or layers) below the component deposit(s).
When a Fluid Back Chamber is added to a flexible shape, a single fluidic connector will be added in the gap between
the shape and the fixed deposit selected in the Properties dialog of the Fluid Back Chamber; see Figure 4-29:
Figure 4-29 Fluidic Connectors of Fluid Back Chambers for Flexible Shapes
Figure 4-29 shows two fluid back chambers, one added to a Rectangle and one to a Pie component, in Fluidic Con-
nector Viewing Mode. Both fluidic connectors are visualized as a box containing the fluid cavity. The pressure degree
of freedom represented by the corresponding fluidic connector defines the homogeneous pressure value inside the

cavity. By default, the fluid back chamber is considered to be completely contained within the shape of the chamber.
The cavity fluid in Figure 4-29 is therefore trapped inside the chamber and cannot escape.
A fluid exchange between the cavity and the surrounding environment is modeled by connecting the chamber con-
nector to fluidic connectors of other fluidic components. Note that a Fluid Back Chamber can be connected to other
Fluid Back Chambers or to any other fluidic component of the MEMS+ library by using the Wizard’s autoconnect
capability; see “Connecting Fluidic Connectors” on page R4-27.
To set the properties for the Fluid Back Chamber component, from the Components tree, double click on it, or right
click on it and select Properties. Note that the properties set in the top-level Components entity also affect the behav-
ior of the chamber; see page C2-1 for more details. The properties of the Fluid Back Chamber are listed below:
Table 4-15 Properties of a Fluid Back Chamber for Flexible Shapes
Fixed Deposit(s) Designates the fixed deposition layer of the fluid cavity undef -

Override
to GDS and Pcell.
Vertical Offset Offsets the fixed deposit in vertical direction; the offset is applied to the 0 µm or m
bottom plane of the deposit.
Chamber Volume Scale Allows the user to change the volume of the chamber without having to 1 -
Factor move the fixed deposit. Note that this scaling will be taken into account
internally, but will not be visualized in the Innovator canvas.
Chamber Fluid Defines the fluid material in the chamber. Inherited -
The Leakage parameter that was available in previous releases has been replaced by the Fluid Resistance, Inertia,
and Compliance components. These components give the user more flexibility in creating a fluidic network.
Schematics from previous releases that used the Fluid Back Chamber will be updated automatically to include
these new components. For more details on these components, see page C3-137.

Underlying Model
The basic behavior of a fluid cavity is modeled by the equivalent circuit shown in Figure 4-30:
Figure 4-30 Model of a Fluid Cavity
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The movement of the flexible plate is modeled by a flow source, which will increase the pressure in the cavity as the
plate moves down and decrease it as the plate moves up. The compressibility of the fluid is taken into account by a
fluid compliance connected between the cavity pressure pin and ground. The fluid is considered to follow the ideal
gas law, and its compliance depends on the initial volume of the cavity and the properties of the chosen fluid.
The Fluid Back Chamber acts as a bidirectional interface between the fluidic and the mechanical domains. On the one
hand, the motion of the flexible plate alters the volume inside the cavity; on the other hand, the pressure in the cavity
acts as a pressure load on the movable structure and therefore impacts the motion of the plate itself.
The fluid equivalent circuit shown in Figure 4-30 is equivalent to an current source connected to an electrical
capacitance. Such circuits (without frequency content) have no DC solution and lead to convergence problems
during DC analysis. In order to avoid such problems, add a fluidic resistor to the fluidic model; see the section
beginning on page C3-137 for more details.
4.5.2: Fluid Back Chamber for Squeezed Film Damping

A Fluid Back Chamber can be used with a Gap component/Squeezed Film Damping model to model an enclosed vol-
ume of homogeneous pressure behind a perforated plate, as shown in Figure 4-31:
Figure 4-31 Fluid Back Chamber with a Perforated Plate

To add a Fluid Back Chamber to a Gap component, right click on the Gap component in the Components tree, and
select Add > Fluid Back Chamber. Another option is to click on the component to select it, then click on the Add icon
in the menu bar and select Fluid Back Chamber.
Figure 4-32 shows an example of a Fluid Back Chamber added to a Gap component (after applying the Wizard auto-
connect feature on the fluidic connectors; see “Connecting Fluidic Connectors” on page R4-27).
Figure 4-32 Squeezed Film Damping with Fluid Back Chamber Example
The fluidic connector of the back chamber (shown as a green box) is connected to the nine back plate fluidic connec-
tors of the Squeezed Film Damping model (shown as 9 green markers). The back plate connectors are created by the
Back Plate Pressure parameter of the Squeezed Film Damping model, as explained in “Back Side Boundary Condi-
tion = Floating Pressure” on page C6-48.
Connecting the back plate and the cavity connectors is equivalent to imposing the same pressure conditions on the
back side of the perforated fixed plate and the inside of the cavity volume. The fluid inside the back chamber cannot
escape from either the bottom, defined by the fixed deposition layer, or the sides. The fluid can only flow in and out
via the perforation holes of the Squeezed Film Damping model.
The available properties of the Fluid Back Chamber for Gap Component is the same as the properties for the plate/
Fluid Back Chamber; see page C4-72.
Underlying Model
The fluidic behavior of a Fluid Back Chamber for Squeeze Film Damping is modeled by the simple equivalent circuit
shown in Figure 4-33. The fluid compliance depends on the initial volume of the cavity and the properties of the
selected fluid.
Figure 4-33 Fluid Back Chamber with Fixed Perforated Deposit


To view information on a Fluid Back Chamber, right click on the component in the Components tree or in the Canvas
and select Get Info. The information that is displayed in the window depends on if the chamber was added to a flexi-
ble plate or to a Gap. The example shown below was added to a flexible plate:

4.6: Fluid Side Chamber

The Fluid Side Chamber is an add-on to the Rectangle, Quadrilateral, and Arc components. To add a Fluid Side
Chamber, right click on the corresponding mechanical component in the Components tree, and select Add > Fluid
Side Chamber. Another option is to click on the component to select it, then click on the Add icon in the menu bar and
select Fluid Side Chamber.
The fluid side chamber has no underlying model and is purely a utility component used to autoconnect fluidic con-
nectors of other components. Figure 4-34 shows the example of two Gap components with Squeezed Film Damping
models: one above and one below a flexible plate modeled by a Rectangle component.
Figure 4-34 Fluid Side Chamber Example
The example on the left shows two squeezed film damping gaps without a fluid side chamber. There is no connection
between the Independently Shaped Gap connectors on the top and bottom of the flexible plate. The sides of the two
gaps are open, thus fluid can flow in and out to ambient space.
In the image on the right of Figure 4-34, a fluid side chamber is added on the right side of the movable plate. The side
chamber adds three additional fluidic connectors, shown as green rectangles. The three side chamber connectors
touch the six squeezed film damping connectors: three on the top and three on the bottom. The Wizard auto connect
feature connects each of the side chamber connectors with the corresponding squeezed film damper connectors; see
also “Connecting Fluidic Connectors” on page R4-27. The resulting model allows for a fluid exchange between the
edge pins of the two squeezed film damping gaps, as shown in Figure 4-35:

Figure 4-35 Fluid Side Chamber
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The Fluid Side Chamber properties are listed below:
Table 4-16 Properties of the Fluid Side Chamber Component
Top Fixed Deposit(s) Designates the fixed deposition layer that limits the fluid side undef -
chamber on the top.
Thickness Overrides thickness defined by the Top Fixed Deposit(s) undef µm or m

Override
Straight Cut appears after the selected deposit, it will be selected
and cannot be changed. If more than one Straight Cut appear after
the selected deposit, they will be in the Cut Step drop-down menu,
and the user can select which Straight Cut step can be applied to
the deposit.
parameter, and the user can select which layer will be used to
define boundaries of the Cut Step. If set to None, the layer
associated with the cut step will not be exported to GDS and Pcell.
Vertical Offset Offsets the fixed deposit in vertical direction; the offset is applied 0 µm or m
to the bottom plane of the deposit.
Bottom Fixed Deposit(s) Designates the fixed deposition layer that limits the fluid side undef -
chamber on the bottom.

Thickness Overrides thickness defined by the Bottom Fixed Deposit(s) undef µm or m

Override
the deposit. For more information, see Top Fixed Deposit(s)\Cut
Step.
Vertical Offset Offsets the fixed deposit in vertical direction; the offset is applied 0 µm or m
to the bottom plane of the deposit.
Number of Pressure Points Defines the number of fluidic connector created along the edge of inherited -
along the Edge the mechanical structure.
Chamber Width Defines the width of the fluid side chamber; see Figure 4-35. None -
Plate Edge Specifies the edge of the flexible shape to which the fluid side undef
chamber will be added. For the Rectangle, the options are x+, x-,
y+, and y-. For the Quadrilateral the options are Edge12, Edge 23,
Edge34 and Edge41. For the Arc the options are Inner and Outer
4.7: Pressure Load

Pressure Loads can be added to the Straight Comb, to flexible shapes, and to Gap components. They are used to add
pressure loads to either flexible structures or to fixed perforated deposition layers in the Squeezed Film Damping
model of the Gap component. When a pressure load is added to a component, a single fluidic connector is created on
the designated surface of the given shape.
Note that the Wizard will automatically expose the pressure connector.
4.7.1: Pressure Load on Flexible Shapes

When a pressure load is added to a flexible shape, it creates an exposed fluidic pin that can be used to apply a pressure
value in the simulator. To add a Pressure Load, right click on the flexible shape in the Components tree, and select
Add > Pressure Load. Another option is to click on the component to select it, then click on the Add icon in the menu
bar and select Pressure Load. Note that to add a pressure load to the top and bottom of a flexible shape, add two Gap/
Squeezed Film Damping components: one with the Plate Surface parameter set to Top and the other with the Plate
Surface parameter set to Bottom; see Table 4-17.
Table 4-17 Properties of the Pressure Load on Flexible Shapes
Plate Surface Defines if the pressure load is applied to the top or the bottom of Top -
the flexible shape parent component
4.7.2: Underlying Model

The pressure load model converts pressure to a corresponding force. It converts pressure into corresponding forces
and moments applied to the mechanical connectors for the flexible shape parent component.

4.7.3: Pressure Load on Fixed Perforated Deposit

The Pressure Load can also be added to a Gap component with a fixed perforated deposition layer. To add a Pressure
Load, right click on the Gap component in the Components tree, and select Add > Pressure Load. Another option is
to click on the Gap component to select it, then click on the Add icon in the menu bar and select Pressure Load.
Note that the added Pressure Load component will show up in an error state unless the squeezed film damping param-
eter Back Plate Pressure is set to Floating Pressure and a Fixed Deposit Perforation parameter is set; see “Squeezed
Film Damping Gap Parameters” on page C6-43.
The Pressure Load added to a Gap component with a fixed perforated deposit has no properties. All required informa-
tion is automatically extracted from the parent Gap component. It has no underlying model and is purely a utility
component used to autoconnect the back plate fluidic connectors of a Gap component; see “Back Side Boundary
Condition = Floating Pressure” on page C6-48.
Figure 4-36 shows an example of a Gap\Squeezed Film Damping model added to a Rectangle component. The gap
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connectors on the back side of the fixed perforated deposit are shown as green markers. Adding a pressure load on the
Gap component will create an additional fluidic pressure connector, shown as green rectangular in Figure 4-36. The
Wizard autoconnect feature will connect the pressure load connector with the nine back plate connectors of the Gap
component and in a second step, it will expose the resulting connector.
Figure 4-36 Pressure Load on Fixed Perforated Deposit Example
The example shown in Figure 4-36 is equivalent to imposing a non-ambient pressure on the back side of the perfo-
rated deposit, as shown in Figure 4-37:
Figure 4-37 Pressure Load on Fixed Perforated Deposit

Notes

Section 5: Package Component Version 6.3
Section 5: Package Component
5.1: Overview
Packaging is of vital importance for the successful commercialization of MEMS-enabled products. MEMS typically
contain moving parts that are sensitive to package effects and, in some applications, require direct coupling with out-
side media. Unfortunately, MEMS design has traditionally focused on the component level to address the inherently
complex MEMS device and postponed package selection until after the initial device design has been completed.
However, temperature, pressure, and other environmental conditions experienced by the package during operation
can significantly influence the performance of the device. MEMS designers who defer package considerations until
after the initial MEMS design is complete risk multiple costly design-and-fabrication cycles to resolve packaging
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problems.
MEMS+ can be used to examine the interaction of device and package during MEMS component-level design.
Though package dimensions are often an order of magnitude larger than the MEMS device, which makes efficient
modeling difficult, MEMS+ enables simulation of the mechanical behavior of the device when subject to the defor-
mations of the package using a hybrid modeling approach that combines Finite Element Analysis with MEMS+ mod-
els. Finite element solvers, such as CoventorWare or Ansys, are used to create and simulate the necessary package
components, such as the die substrate. The package mesh and results are then imported into a MEMS+ schematic.
Costly FE analysis is minimized because only static analyses results are required from FEA tools to provide the DC
operating points for harmonic or transient analyses performed on MEMS devices described by more efficient high-
order MEMS+ models.
The top-level Components’ Add > Package option allows the user to import external FEM results, which are used to
apply the effect of package/substrate deformation to the individual MEMS+ device components. Package/Substrate
deformation assumes that the deformation of the substrate itself is not affected by the MEMS device. Package/Sub-
strate deformation is essentially a displacement boundary condition applied to the mechanical connectors of the
MEMS+ library components in contact with the imported FEA model.
The image below illustrates the concept of package effects analysis. The inset shows a finite element model of a QFN
package, where only the package substrate and MEMS die have been meshed. The transparent (unmeshed) green
material is a protective cap that has not been meshed in this illustration, but should be included in the finite element
model in an actual package effects analysis. When the packages is imported to MEMS+, it is as if the MEMS device
has been placed on the top of the die, as shown in the close-up view of this image.

For more information on how to simulate package-induced stress on a MEMS device, see “Accurate Assessment of
Packaging Stress Effects on MEMS Sensors by Measure and Sensor-Package Interaction Simulations”, by Zhang,
Park, and Judy, Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems, Vol. 16, No. 3, June 2007.
5.2: How to Import a Package

An "imported package" is actually a file containing finite element results produced by Ansys or CoventorWare. The
file contains the mesh as well as the displacement fields calculated by the finite element solver in response to
mechanical and/or thermal boundary conditions. The mesh represents the original, undeformed geometry and the dis-
placement fields represent the deformations. All top faces of the undeformed geometry (the mesh) where the
MEMS device will be attached to the substrate must be horizontal. That is, the normals to these faces must be
parallel to the z axis. If this condition is not true, it may be necessary to rotate the finite element mesh and results in
the finite element analysis tool prior to importing to MEMS+. Generally, the mesh includes part or all of the package
and all of the die or substrate underlying the MEMS device. There may be one or more displacement fields in the file,
corresponding for instance to multiple ambient temperature or pressure values.
This section gives an outline of the steps required to use a package in a schematic; more detailed information is avail-
able in the sections that follow.
1. In Innovator, right click on the top-level Components root in the Components pane, and select Add > Pack-
age. Note that only one package can be imported. If a package already exists in a schematic. This Add option
will not be available.
2. In the Properties dialog that opens, for the Filename field, navigate to the desired package, which must be in
.mpf format from CoventorWare or .rst format from Ansys (see RST File Requirements), and click on Open.
.
Note that only one package can be imported into an Innovator schematic.
3. Set the package’s Local Frame properties to orient it appropriately with respect to the MEMS device and to
display the desired data (see Table 5-1 for more details).
4. If necessary, modify the Initial Position Deposit settings of the mechanical connectors of the MEMS+ model
that will be anchored to the package substrate so that they are coincident with the appropriate package sur-
face.
5. Make sure any shape electrodes or parent-defined electrodes are touching the package substrate.
6. Anchor any comb stators to the package substrate.
7. Anchor any side electrodes to the package substrate.
8. Run the Wizard to auto-connect your MEMS+ device to the imported package substrate.
5.2.1: RST File Requirements

For package import MEMS+ supports the ANSYS data file type in .rst format. These files contain a mesh and results
on that mesh. When importing a.rst file, note the following:
 MEMS+ supports the import of displacement and stress results.
 MEMS+ supports the import of an ANSYS result mesh with elements that are like or can be converted from
solid elements, including triangles, quadrilaterals, hexahedra, and tetrahedra, of linear and quadratic order. It
does not support a mesh with shells or beams.
 The dataset variable must not alter topology.
 There is no explicit limit on the allowed file size. The file is loaded at the moment the user clicks on OK/

Apply, and the application will not return control until it is fully loaded. Size limits are determined by the
user’s system.
 The file must contain the initial geometry, and the displacement field for each dataset. Any other field will be
ignored. If the displacement field is not found, MEMS+ will display an error regarding missing displacement
information.
 Limit the information in the file to what is relevant to the model and simulation: displacement field and data-
sets useful in simulation. A smaller file will load faster and simulate quicker.
 Import of results requires the MTI_FEM_Compatibility license feature; please contact Coventor support for
more details.
 If an issue is encountered when using such a file, please contact Coventor support.
5.2.2: How to Set Package Properties
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To set the properties of a package, after import, double click on the package name in the Components tree to open its
Properties dialog, or right click on the package and select Properties. Package properties are explained below.
Table 5-1 Package Properties
Local Frame Orients the package relative to the parent Local Frame in the
Global Component Properties. This option can be used to
translate or rotate the imported package so as to orient it
appropriately with respect to the MEMS device.
Origin Specifies the position of the package origin. Use this setting to x=0, y=0, z=0 µm or m
align the appropriate surface of the package with the bottom of
the MEMS device.
Orientation Defines the axis of the package coordinates with respect to the rx=0, ry=0, Degrees or
canvas coordinate system using Euler Parameters; for more rz=0 Radians
information, see “Package Orientation” on page C5-4.
Filename Use to select the result file, which must be a CoventorWare .mpf required -
or an Ansys .rst file.
Scale Factor Specifies the length unit of the imported package file. The automatic µm or m
specified value acts as a scale factor (value/length unit). If left to
the default value of automatic, the file import will automatically
determine the correct scale factor for the imported package
based on file extension and additional information read from the
result file.
Dataset Variable Imported FEM files may contain multiple results, such as if a 1 -
variable sweep was conducted in FEA (for example, a
temperature sweep of finite data points to cover the operating
range). This option specifies which result (data point) is used. To
view a list of available dataset variables, right click on the
package and select Get Info.
Users can also enter an equation in the field to manipulate the
dataset or can enter a number between two dataset values (such
as 1.5) to interpolate between two datasets.
View The user has the option to display the package Undeformed or Undeformed -
Deformed. If Deformed is selected, the package will be
deformed by the specified Exaggeration factor, see Figure 5-1.

Figure 5-1 Package View Option
5.2.3: Package Orientation

The imported package orientation can be defined by specifying the Local Frame Orientation parameters. The three subparameters
of Orientation are Euler parameters that define the package axis (x, y, z) with respect to the canvas coordinate system (X,Y,Z)
based on the idea that the orientation of the package (or any other body) can be defined by a single rotation about a single axis in
space, as illustrated in Figure 5-2:
Figure 5-2 Package Orientation in Euler Parameters
The three Euler parameters rx, ry, and rz define the rotational axis u in space. The counterclockwise rotation angle φ
is defined by the length of the vector (rx, ry, rz):
φ = u =
2 2 2
rx + ry + rz
Euler Parameters can only be interpreted as rotations about the corresponding axis if the new package orientation
can be described by a simple rotation about one of the three axes of the canvas coordinate system. For example, a
simple rotation of 0.05 rad about the Z-axis would be defined by the three parameters rx=0, ry=0, and rz=0.05. rz
defines the angle about the Z-axis only if rx and ry are 0. The same holds true for individual rotations about the X
or Y axis.

5.3: How to Anchor the Device to the Package

After importing the package, the required components must be anchored correctly to the imported package. Some
components will detect the presence of a package and apply the corresponding boundary conditions automatically.
However, for some components, additional user input is required. The following subsections explain how the package
affects different components types and what additional user input might be required to achieve the desired results.
5.3.1: Interaction with Mechanical Components

A mechanical connector is automatically attached to an imported package if its initial position touches or penetrates
the package geometry, as shown in Figure 5-3.
Figure 5-3 Rectangle Plate and Package Deformation
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Figure 5-3 shows the example of a Rectangle touching the imported package on the bottom. The Rectangle is mod-
eled by a brick element. The mechanical connectors on the bottom of the Rectangle are coincident with the top sur-
face of the imported package. This setup corresponds to fixing the bottom face of the brick element to the top surface
of the imported package. The effect of package deformation on the mechanical connectors can be visualized in
Mechanical Connector Viewing Mode. The settings in the Package Properties dialog determine how the affected
mechanical connectors are displayed, as seen in Figure 5-4:
Figure 5-4 Mechanical Connectors Affected by Package Deformation
In the image on the left, the mechanical connectors that touch the package substrate are displayed as blue markers,
whereas the “free” connectors remain orange. The package display parameters are shown under the image. Because
View is set to Undeformed, the connector markers are displayed at the initial positions of the mechanical connectors.
Mechanical connectors shown in blue are considered to be fixed to the surface of the package.

The image on the right shows the deformed package with the initial and the deformed location of the mechanical con-
nectors. In addition to the blue marker, the dotted lines show the displacement of the deformed mechanical connector
relative to its original location.
Note that the user can also verify if a given mechanical connector is affected by an imported package by right clicking
on the corresponding connector icon in the mechanical connector tree and, and selecting Get Info, which will open a
window that will display the initial and new location of the connector.
If there are mechanical connectors on components that should be touching the substrate (for example, a beam end or
a stator that does not include the vertical post connecting it the substrate), the connectors at that point need to be mod-
ified to coincide with the top of the substrate using the mechanical connector’s Properties dialog, as shown below:
Figure 5-5 Attaching a Mechanical Connector to a Package
The top image shows a beam end above a deformed package. The mechanical connector at the beam end does not
automatically touch the package and is therefore not affected by it. The image on the bottom shows the beam connec-
tor’s Properties dialog with the Initial Position overridden. The new initial position is set to the top plane of the Sub-
strate deposit; the connector now touches the top surface of the package and is therefore considered to be attached to
it. The vertical blue line shows the relationship between the mechanical connector's default location and the overrid-
den location. This line represent a rigid and massless link between the mechanical connector and the beam end point/
node. This setup is equivalent to a rigid anchor fixing the given beam end to the package.

5.3.2: Interaction with Gaps

All Independently Shaped Gap models support package deformation. Package deformation is automatically taken
into account if a face of the Gap component's fixed deposition layer is coincident with the top of the package, as seen
in Figure 5-6. Additional user input is usually not required.
Figure 5-6 Gap and Package Deformation
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A Gap can include an Electrode/Contact model and/or a Squeezed-Film Damping model. Each model contributes dif-
ferently to the package interaction, as discussed below.
Interaction with the Electrode/Contact Model

Figure 5-7 shows the example of a Gap/Electrode model added to a Rectangle. The corresponding Electrode/Contact
nodes account for package deformation because the bottom face of the selected electrode layer is coincident with the
top surface of the imported package. The effect of package deformation on the model’s integration points can be visu-
alized in the electrical connector viewing mode. The settings in the Package Properties dialog determine how the
affected integration points are displayed, as seen in Figure 5-7:
Figure 5-7 Electrical Connector Viewing Mode with Package Deformation
The image on the left displays the integration point positions on the undeformed electrode layer as markers. The cor-
responding package parameters are shown underneath. The image on the right displays the deformed integration
point locations in relation to the deformed package. The integration points are visualized as markers showing the new
position due to package deformation and small lines show the displacement of the mechanical connector from its
original location. The fixed electrode is assumed to be attached to the imported package. Note that the deformation of
the fixed electrode layer itself is not shown. However, the electrode/contact model takes the electrode layer deforma-

tion into account by working exclusively with the deformed integration points and normal vectors shown in image on
the right.
Note that the user can also verify if an electrode/contact model is affected by an imported package by right clicking
on the component in the component tree and, and selecting Get Info.
Also note that if the substrate is significantly curved, the number of integration points (specified with the Numerical
Settings) may need to be increased in the horizontal direction to ensure deformation is captured accurately.
5.3.3: Interaction with Squeezed-Film Damping Model

Figure 5-6 shows the example of a Gap/Squeezed-Film Damping model added to a Rectangle. The corresponding
squeezed-film damping model accounts for package deformation because the bottom face of the selected fixed layer
is coincident with the top surface of the imported package. The effect of package deformation on the Fluidic Connec-
tors can be visualized in Fluid Connector Viewing Mode.The settings in the Package Properties dialog determine how
the affected fluidic connectors are displayed, as seen in Figure 5-8:
Figure 5-8 Fluid Connector Viewing Mode with Package Deformation
The image on the left shows the undeformed fluidic connectors as vertical lines. The length of the lines depends on
the gap between the movable and fixed layer as defined in the process file. The corresponding package parameters are
shown underneath. The image on the right shows the deformed package with the corresponding fluidic connectors. In
this case, the fluidic connectors are visualized as dotted lines that reflect the change in the gap caused by the deforma-
tion of the fixed layer, which is assumed to be attached to the imported package. Note that the actual deformation of
the fixed plate itself is not shown. However, the squeezed film damping model takes the fixed layer deformation into
account, assuming an initial gap with varying thickness, as indicated by the length of the corresponding fluid connec-
tors.

5.3.4: Interaction with Side Gap

Side Gap models take package deformation into account if the side electrode is attached to the imported package.
There are three different ways of attaching a Side Gap component to the package using its Package Attachment
parameter:
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 At Layer/Side Electrode Layer: The model checks if the XYZ positions of each integration point touch or
penetrate the imported package
 At Layer/Specified Layer: The model uses the XY positions of each integration point and the Z coordinate of
the specified layer to evaluate if they touch or penetrate.
 At Point in Global Frame: The model checks if the given point penetrates the package. All integration points
are considered to be rigidly linked to this common point. This option is used for side electrodes that are
attached to the substrate at a single point (or a very small area).
If package penetration is detected, the integration points of the side electrode are moved according to the package
deformation. An example of a side electrode attached to the package using the At Layer/Specified Layer parameter
option is shown in Figure 5-9:

Figure 5-9 Side Electrode/Contact with Package Deformation
The image on the left displays the integration point positions of the undeformed side electrode layer as markers. The
corresponding package parameters are shown underneath. The image on the right displays the deformed integration
point locations in relation to the deformed package. Compared to the left image, the integration points on the right
move downwards reflecting the deformation of the attached package underneath. The moved integration points are
visualized as markers and small lines representing displacement of the deformed side electrode layer.
Note that the deformation of the fixed side electrode layer itself is not shown.
The user can also verify if a side electrode/contact model is affected by an imported package by right clicking on the
component in the component tree and, and selecting Get Info.
Also note that if the substrate is significantly curved, the number of integration points (specified with the Numerical
Settings) may need to be increased in the horizontal direction to ensure deformation is captured accurately.
5.3.5: Interaction with Comb Stators

Use the Package Attachment property to specify that the Comb Stator component is attached to the package.
To better understand how the comb stator is attached to the package, be sure to familiarize yourself with the
geometrical properties of the Comb Stator and Comb Split Stator components; see Figure 4-15 and Figure 4-20,
respectively.
The user can specify the package attachment at a common anchor point or at the finger ends as seen in Figure 5-10:

Figure 5-10 Split Comb Fingers Fixed at Finger Ends
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If specifying at the finger ends, the user can specify the substrate layer and the top layer plane, as shown below:
 At Point in Global Frame: The model checks if the given anchor point penetrates the package. All fixed fin-
ger end points are considered to be rigidly linked to this common point. This option is used for comb stators
that are attached to the substrate at a single point (or a very small area).
 At Finger Ends: The model uses the XY positions of the fixed finger end points of each comb cell and the Z
coordinate of the specified layer to evaluate if they touch or penetrate the imported package; see Figure 5-10
for the definition of the finger ends.
The optional top and bottom electrodes, which can be specified in the Properties dialog, are automatically attached to
the package if the electrodes’ undersides touch the imported package. In terms of package deformation, the stator
comb electrodes are treated equivalently as the Electrode/Contact components; see “Interaction with Gaps” on page
C5-7.

Figure 5-11 shows the example of a simple straight comb stator (without electrode) that is attached to the package
using the At Finger Ends option:
Figure 5-11 Straight Comb Stator with Package Deformation
The image on the left displays the fixed and movable finger end points of the comb cell as markers. The correspond-
ing package parameters are shown underneath. The image on the right displays the fixed finger end points moved
downwards reflecting the deformation of the attached package underneath. The fixed finger end points are considered
to be rigidly linked to the stator at the XY positions of the fixed finger anchor points; compare with Figure 5-10. The
small lines at the fixed finger points mark the new moved fixed finger face normals.
Note that the deformation of the stator is not shown. The user can also verify if a stator component is affected by an
imported package by right clicking on the component in the Components tree and selecting Get Info.
Also note that if the substrate is significantly curved, the number of comb cells used by the model may need to be
increased to ensure deformation is captured accurately. Please refer to “Numerical Settings” on page C6-50 for more
information on the comb cells and the corresponding Numerical Settings/Comb Cells parameter.

5.4: Package in a Simulation

Imported packages are visible in Innovator and in Simulator. Package results can be displayed in Scene3D, as shown
below.

Notes

Section 6: Underlying Model Theory Version 6.3
Section 6: Underlying Model Theory
6.1: Finite Element Models

All flexible mechanical components feature a Model parameter that allows the user to define the finite element type
used to represent the given component. This paradigm allows for designers to add geometric entities to suit their
design shape and then select the underlying model most suited to describe it during simulation. The approach is simi-
lar to classic FEA methodology of first creating a solid model to represent geometry and then discretizing that model
with a low-order finite element mesh. MEMS+ differs from the classic FEM approach by using high-order finite ele-
ments, which require significantly less degrees of freedom to achieve comparable accuracy.
Depending on the component, the user may choose from four different finite elements: Bernoulli Beam Elements,
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Timoshenko Beam Elements, Shell Elements or Brick Elements (see Figure 6-1). The table below summarizes which
finite element models are available for a given geometric component:
Table 6-1 Available Models for Each Mechanical Component
MEMS+
Bernoulli Beam Timoshenko Beam Shell Element Brick Element
Component
Flexible Shapes
(Rectangle,
Quadrilateral, Arc,
 
Fillet, Pie)
Beam    
Tapered Beam,
Varying-Width Beam
  
Arc Beam    
Arc Tapered Beam,
Arc Varying-Width   
Beam
Freeform Beam   
Suspensions (J-Beam,
Box Beam, Box 
Beam, Beam Path)
Figure 6-1 Available Finite-Elements
The Bernoulli beams always have two nodes. The Timoshenko beam, Shell, and Brick elements are high-order finite
elements with a variable number of nodes; the Model Type selected determines how many nodes can be added to the
components, as demonstrated in Figure 6-1. The actual number of nodes used can be set from the Model drop-down

menu. With varying-width and freeform beams, the number of nodes along the beam axis is set by specifying cross-
sections, and the number in the width is set from the Model drop-down menu. Please refer to the individual compo-
nent parameter chapters for more information.
Figure 6-2 Effect of Model Choice on Number of Nodes
Shell Element
Brick Element
Bernoulli Beam
Timoshenko Beam
The number of finite element nodes defines the number of mechanical degrees of freedom. The degrees of freedom
are the fundamental variables calculated during the simulation. For all finite elements they include the nodal displace-
ments. For the shell and beam elements, they also include the nodal rotations.
Displacements or other degrees of freedom are calculated at the nodes of the element. At any other point in the ele-
ment, the displacements are obtained by interpolation from the nodal displacement. The interpolation order is deter-
mined by the number of nodes used in the element. Elements that have nodes only at their corners, such as the eight-
node brick element shown in Figure 6-1, use linear interpolation in each direction and are often called linear elements
or first-order elements. Increasing the number of nodes will increase the order of interpolation on the corresponding
edges. The shell element, shown in Figure 6-1 for example, uses quadratic interpolation.
The order of interpolation determines the flexibility of an element and therefore determines the shapes an element is
capable of predicting. Increasing the number of nodes will come at an increase of computational cost during the sim-
ulation. It is therefore important to not only choose the underlying finite element with great care, but also to adjust the
number of element nodes to the minimum required to represent the relevant device behavior. Subsequent sub-sections
will give the user additional information needed to make the appropriate choice.
All implemented mechanical models are sensitive to temperature variations; the default temperature is defined in the
top-level Components properties (see page C2-1).
6.1.1: Bernoulli Beam Elements

Bernoulli beam elements are used to model components in which one dimension (the length) is significantly greater
than the other two dimensions and only the stress in the direction along the beam axis is significant. Stress compo-
nents perpendicular to the beam axis are assumed to be zero. The underlying theory is based on Euler-Bernoulli beam
theory, which is also known as engineer’s beam theory or classical beam theory [5]. In MEMS+ a Bernoulli beam ele-
ment is a one-dimensional line element in the three-dimensional space of the canvas/reference coordinate system.
The deformation of the beam axis comprises axial stretch, bending, and torsion. The reduction in dimensionality is a
direct result of the slenderness assumption; that is, the dimensions of the cross-section are small compared to the typ-
ical dimension along the axis of the beam.
The main advantage of Bernoulli beams is that they are geometrically simple and have only twelve mechanical
degrees of freedom (six for each node at the beam ends). This simplicity is achieved by assuming that beam element
deformation can be estimated entirely from the variables that are functions of positions of the two beam nodes (see
Figure 6-3).

Figure 6-3 Undeformed and Deformed Section of a Bernoulli Beam Element
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Beam Bending
The fundamental assumption used for beam bending in all beam elements is that the beam cross-sections cannot
deform. Furthermore, according to the Euler-Bernoulli theory, the cross-sections of the beam remain normal to the
beam axis as the beam deforms, as shown in Figure 6-4.
Figure 6-4 Cross Section of a Bernoulli Beam Element
Figure 6-4 assumes the beam axis to be aligned with the x axis. A reference point marked by a white circle has the
coordinates (x,0,0). In case of pure bending in the xz plane, the axial displacement of a point on the cross section with
the coordinates (x,0, z) can be expressed in terms of the rotations of the cross section about the y axis and the axial
displacement u(x) of the reference point [13]:
∂w 0
u ( x, z ) = u 0 ( x ) – z ---------
δx
Thus, the displacement of any point in the beam can be reduced from a 3-D problem to one of studying the deforma-
tion of the beam axis. Once the beam axis displacement (u0,v0,w0) is known, the displacement of any arbitrary point
(x,y,z) in the 3-D continuum can be determined using the above equation [12]. This assumption amounts to neglecting
both transverse shear and transverse normal effects; i.e., deformation is entirely due to bending and in-plane stretch-
ing.
The beam axis itself is described by a third-order polynomial in space, leading to a second-order approximation of
beam bending. The form of the Bernoulli beam axis in space can be derived directly from the position and orientation
of the two beam nodes, as shown in Figure 6-5:

Figure 6-5 Beam Axis Approximation of a Bernoulli Beam Element
In theory, a third-order polynomial is an acceptable approximation for beam displacement resulting from the first and
second bending modes. However, this displacement approximation corresponds to a quadratic approximation of the
bending angles, thus rendering representation of the beam shape resulting from the second bending mode inaccurate.
Because displacements and bending angles are coupled, the resulting frequencies of the second bending mode are far
from the expected values. The order of the beam axis polynomial and therefore the ability to capture higher bending
modes can be increased by representing a given beam by multiple Bernoulli beam elements connected in series.
Table A6-2 shows an example with Eigen frequency comparisons of a slender cantilever beam made of one, two or
four Bernoulli beams connected in series. It can be seen that a single Bernoulli beam element is sufficient to capture
the first bending mode correctly. However, two beam elements are required to capture the second mode, and four ele-
ments are required to capture the fourth bending mode.
Table A6-2 AC Analysis Verification of a 1, 2, and 4-Segment Beam Examples
Beam Analytic Cantilever made of Cantilever made of Cantilever made of

Bending Solution 1 Bernoulli Beam 2 Bernoulli Beam 4 Bernoulli Beam
Mode [kHz] element elements elements
1 9.4458 9.487 0.43% 9.447 0.013% 9.443 0.03%
2 59.196 93.475 >10% 59.67 0.8% 59.24 0.07%
3 165.75 - 201.83 >10% 166.97 0.73%
4 324.803 - 585.79 >10% 329.39 1.41%
5 536.923 - - 612.64 >10%
6 802.070 - - 983.91 >10%
7 1120.25 - - 1559.6 >10%
8 1491.45 - - 2559.0 >10%
The test structure, a cantilever clamped on one side, has a height of 5µm, a width of 0.2µm, and a length of 160µm.
The table lists the in-plane bending modes only.
Assuming that the beam oscillates in the XY-plane, the equation used to compute the analytical solution in Table A6-
2 is
λ 2
Frequency = 1 ⁄ ( 2π ) × ( EW ) ⁄ ( 12ρ )  ---
2
 L
where
E (Young’s Modulus) = 1.302e11 N/m2
W (width of the beam) = 0.2 µm

L (length of the beam) =160 µm

ρ (density) = 2326 kg/m3
λ are the eigenvalues of the equation,
cosh λ ⋅ cos λ = – 1
where
λ1 = 1.875
λ2 = 4.694
λ3 = 7.855 ....
The first solution of the equation is the first resonance frequency; the second solution is the second resonance fre-
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quency; etc.
Beam Torsion
Bernoulli beam elements implement torsion based on Saint-Venant’s theory, which is based on the assumption that
the cross-sections of a beam subjected to pure torsion rotate about the axis of twist such that although the cross-sec-
tion warp out of their plane, their projections onto this plane retain their original shape. The axis of twist passes
through the center of twist, which is the location on the cross-section for which there are no y and z displacement due
to torque [6][13]. Saint-Venant torsion is equivalent to the classic engineering formula of beam torsion, which can be
found in standard text books like Roark’s Formulas for Stress & Strain [8]:
GJ
M t = ------- ϕ
L
where Mt is the torque expressed as a function of the shear modulus of elasticity G, the beam length L, the angle of
twist ϕ; and the torsional constant J. The torsion constant J depends on the beam’s cross-section geometry and can be
found in standard engineering text books [8].
The fundamental assumption in Saint-Venant’s pure torsion analysis is that all cross-sections are free to warp without
restraint, as seen in Figure 6-6:
Figure 6-6 Beam Cross-Section Warping
The image above shows a straight beam with a finite element brick mesh undergoing pure torsion. The simulation
was done with Abaqus, a standard finite element code. The chosen boundary conditions allow for free cross-section
warping at both beam ends (as assumed in the Bernoulli beam elements). The free warping condition causes the beam
sections to deform (warp) into a characteristic shape shown by the red and blue areas in Figure 6-6. In the beam cross-
section image on the left, the red sections signify point motions in the positive direction, and the blue areas signify
point motions in negative direction of the beam section’s normal, which is aligned with the beam axis. A 3-D plot of
the corresponding beam cross-section deformation can be seen in Figure 6-7. Note that the beam axis points in the
vertical direction.

Figure 6-7 Warping Function of a Square Beam Cross-Section
For cross-sections of arbitrary shape, experimental evidence indicates that the axial displacement of each cross-sec-
tion along the beam axis is about the same [13]. Therefore, the characteristic shape of the cross-section deformation
function ux= f(y,z) (shown in Figure 6-7) depends exclusively on the beam’s 2-D cross section geometry. Saint-
Venant accepts this result as a fundamental assumption.
Note that the free cross-section warping assumption used in the Bernoulli beams is not satisfied if the beam has exter-
nal supports such as fixed beam end conditions, or when the torsional moment varies along the length of the beam.
However, even in this case, Saint-Venant’s hypothesis of free warping gives good approximate results for long and
slender beams with solid cross-sections. The Bernoulli beam model does not include stress stiffening in torsion.
Linear versus Nonlinear

The beam components calculate their force and torque contributions at the beam ends with the following equation:
F = Mx·· + Dx· + Kx
where M, D, and K are the mass, damping, and stiffness matrices, respectively [3]; F is the vector of forces and
torques at the beam ends; and x , x· , and x·· are the translational and angular displacements, velocities, and accelera-
tions, respectively, of both beam ends. See [4] for more information. The twelve-component vector x is defined as
x = [ r 1x, r 1y, r 1z, α 1, β 1, γ 1, r 2x, r 2y, r 2z, α 2, β 2, γ 2 ]

and is described in a local beam coordinate system s.
For the linear beam models, the position of this local frame is time independent and located at the initial position of
beam end1, as seen in Figure 6-8. The fixed local frame results in a linear relationship between forces/torques and
displacements. The linear beams, therefore, are only valid for small rotations of the beam faces.
Figure 6-8 Local Coordinate System of a Standard Beam Segment
The nonlinear beams move the local frame with the beam faces (see Figure 6-9). Any motion of beam ends results in
a relocation of the local frame and consequently, in a coordinate transformation of the stiffness, damping, and mass
matrix.

Figure 6-9 Local Coordinate System of a Nonlinear Beam Segment
The continuous update of the local coordinate system gives the nonlinear beam models the ability to simulate effects
such as stiffening for large beam bending, as well as coupling between bending and expansion.
Multi-Layer Beams
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The Bernoulli model can handle any number of deposition layers stacked on each other. The multi-layer beams are
treated like single layer beams, and therefore modeled by a single Bernoulli beam element using the equivalent width
technique [8]. With this technique, an equivalent cross-section is calculated in which the width of each layer is deter-
mined by the proportion between its modulus of elasticity and the modulus of the assumed material of the equivalent
beam. Figure 6-10 shows a multi-layer beam with a user-assigned modulus of 10e10 N/m3. Therefore, the width of
Layer E1 is 1 times its original width, the width of Layer E2 is 1.5 times its original width, and the width of Layer E3
is 3 times its original width.
Figure 6-10 Equivalent Width Technique Applied to the Three-Layer Beam
The equivalent width technique will only provide correct results if the maximum stress in each of the materials
remains within the proportional limits. The beam’s torsion constant is calculated for a rectangular cross-section of
average layer width. This approximation will only lead to acceptable results if the actual cross-section is nearly rect-
angular.
Recommended Usage
Bernoulli beam elements show good bending results (<5% error) starting from an aspect ratio = (length or width)/
height greater than 7.5 and excellent results (<2.5% error) for an aspect ratio greater than 10. However, because of
their inherent assumption of perpendicular cross-sections, Bernoulli beam elements should not be used to model out-
of-plane motions of short/stubby SOI etched suspensions. On the other hand, the Bernoulli beam elements include the
smallest number of mechanical degrees of freedom (twelve), so they are the fastest of all available finite elements.
Bernoulli beam elements should therefore be considered for all applications where simulation speed is key.
6.1.2: Timoshenko Beam Elements

Timoshenko beam elements are used to model components in which one dimension (the length) is greater than the
other two dimensions. As with Bernoulli Beam Elements, stress components perpendicular to the beam axis are
assumed to be zero. The main difference between Bernoulli and Timoshenko beam elements is that Timoshenko
beam elements take transverse shear stress into account. Whereas Bernoulli beams are only recommended for long
and slender beams, Timoshenko beams are also recommended for short, stubby beam geometries.
The Timoshenko beam elements in MEMS+ are high-order finite elements with a variable number of nodes. The
number of nodes along the beam axis can be defined in the Properties dialog of the corresponding component. Like
the Bernoulli beam elements, Timoshenko beams are one-dimensional line elements in the three-dimensional space
of the canvas/reference coordinate system.

Beam Bending
Timoshenko beam theory takes shear deformation into account. Unlike Bernoulli beams, Timoshenko beam element
cross-sections do not remain normal during bending (compare Figure 6-11 with Figure 6-4).
Figure 6-11 Cross-Section of a Timoshenko Beam Element
In Figure 6-11 a reference point with the coordinates (x,0,0) is marked with a small white circle. In case of pure bend-
ing in the xz plane, the axial displacement of a point on the cross-section with the coordinates (x,0, z) can be
expressed in terms of the rotations of the cross-section about the y axis and the axial displacement u(x) of the refer-
ence point:
u ( x, z ) = u 0 ( x ) + zφ y ( x )
Thus, the displacement of any point in a Timoshenko beam not only depends on the deformation of the beam axis but
also the cross section angle φy(x), which may vary along the beam axis. Timoshenko beam theory extends Bernoulli
beam theory by including a cross-transverse shear deformation in its kinematic assumptions; the transverse shear
strain is assumed to be constant with respect to the thickness and width coordinates. The inclusion of shear deforma-
tion comes at a steep price when it comes to the approximation of the beam axis itself. In Bernoulli beam elements,
not only the nodal positions, but also the node rotation degrees of freedom are used to approximate the deformed
beam axis in space (compare with Figure 6-5). In Timoshenko beam elements, the node rotation degrees of freedom
are used to model the non-perpendicular cross sections angles such as φx in Figure 6-11. Rotational degrees of free-
dom are therefore no longer available to help approximate the beam axis in space. The Timoshenko beam axis poly-
nomial is exclusively defined by the positions and number of beam nodes, as seen in Figure 6-12.
Figure 6-12 Beam Axis Approximation of a Timoshenko Beam Element
In a Timoshenko beam the polynomial order used to represent the beam axis is equal to the number of nodes minus
one. Whereas a Bernoulli beam element only requires two nodes to represent a third-order polynomial (required to
represent the first bending mode), the Timoshenko beam needs four nodes.

It is important to realize that a Timoshenko beam will require many more nodes to represent the same number of
bending modes compared to the Bernoulli beam. Timoshenko beams are much slower in their simulation perfor-
mance and should therefore only be used for short, stubby beam geometries where shear stress cannot be neglected.
Beam Torsion
Beams undergoing torsion show a characteristic cross-section deformation called warping, as seen in Figure 6-6.
According to the Saint-Venant’s pure torsion theory, the characteristic shape of the cross-section deformation func-
tion ux= f(y,z), shown in Figure 6-7, depends exclusively on the beam’s 2-D cross section geometry. Furthermore, it
assumes that the axial displacement ux is proportional to the constant angle of twist per unit length Θ, hence the warp-
related displacement field of a beam cross-section can be written in the form:
u x = Θ ( x )w ( y, z )
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The fundamental assumption in Saint-Venant’s pure torsion analysis (as implemented in the Bernoulli Beam Ele-
ments) is that cross-sections are free to warp without restraint. This assumption is equivalent to a constant Θ along the
beam axis and violates external supports such as fixed beam conditions.
Timoshenko beam elements account for fixed boundary conditions by implementing an approach known as restrained
warping [13]. Restrained warping contrasts with Saint-Venant’s pure torsion analysis by allowing the angle of twist
per unit length Θ to vary along the beam axis x as shown in the equation above. If the warping of a beam is restrained,
warping stress is generated. The Timoshenko beam elements solve for warping stress by discretizing Θ(x) along the
beam axis. In order to solve for warping stress, every element node on the beam axis has an additional degree of free-
dom called the cross-section warping degree of freedom. Therefore, every Timoshenko beam element node has 7
degrees of freedom, as compared to the 6 (3 translational and 3 rotational) degrees of freedom found in every Ber-
noulli Beam Elements node.
This additional cross-section warping degree of freedom acts as a scale factor of the warping function w(y,z). A warp-
ing degree of freedom set to zero signifies an undeformed or planar cross-section, which is equivalent to a fixed
boundary condition for torsion. The cross-section warping in Timoshenko beam elements can be deactivated for each
node by setting the corresponding mechanical connector degree of freedom to fixed, as shown in Figure 6-13:
Figure 6-13 Cross Section Warping Degree of Freedom

Note that the mechanical connector’s cross-section warping degree of freedom is exclusively used in Timoshenko
beams and is simply ignored for all other types of finite elements such as the Bernoulli Beam Elements, Shell Ele-
ments or Brick Elements.
In general, the user does not need to manipulate the cross-section warping degrees of freedom by hand. As with all
other connector degrees of freedom, the user should rather rely on the component’s face type settings in conjunction
with the Wizard.
Note that multi-deposit Timoshenko beam elements do not support any cross-section warping; the cross-section
warping degree of freedom settings will be ignored. Multi-deposit Timoshenko beams will therefore give erroneous
simulation results under torsion loads.

As all other finite elements in MEMS+, Timoshenko beam elements support the model linearization property in the
component’s parameter dialog. If a linear model is chosen, all relevant stiffness and mass properties are calculated
prior to the simulation. Linear models do not require any updating during solver iterations, so they simulate quickly
and provide robust simulation performance. They are recommended for all applications where the beam ends rotate
less than about ten degrees, including mechanical forcing, electrostatics, as well as material deformation due to ther-
mal expansion. However, linear models cannot capture nonlinear effects, including Coriolis force, the preservation of
angular momentum, or the stiffening associated with the constraints of a component preventing the relaxation of
internal stresses through deformation.
If set to Nonlinear, a truly nonlinear Timoshenko beam model will be used. Nonlinear models have no angular restric-
tion and deliver accurate results for any given beam position in space. They are able to simulate inherently nonlinear
applications, including bistable beam behavior, such as the buckling of a fixed-fixed beam under stress; large rotation
angles as in mirror suspensions in a rotating gimbal; Coriolis forces for gyroscopes; crab-leg beam structures; as well
as stress stiffening and the expected shift in resonance frequency. However, they do not simulate as quickly and may
be numerically problematic in transient simulations because of the complexity of the force and torque calculations.
Hence, the application of the nonlinear beams should be restricted to truly nonlinear problems.
Multi-Layer Beams
The Timoshenko model can handle any number of deposition layers stacked on each other. During simulation, each
selected component deposition layer will be represented by a single Timoshenko beam element, whose internal ele-
ments nodes are connected rigidly to the same mechanical connectors of the corresponding mechanical component,
as seen in Figure 6-14. The default positions of the component connectors are identical to the nodes of the finite ele-
ment used to model the bottom deposition layer of the structure.
Figure 6-14 Multi-Layer Timoshenko Beam Model
Note that multi-layer beams do not support cross-section warping and will therefore appear erroneously rigid when
faced with torsion load.

Recommended Usage
Because of the inclusion of shear deformation, Timoshenko beam elements show excellent precision (<1% error)
when modeling beam bending, even for short, stubby beams with a cross-section aspect ratio (length or width)/height
= 1. On the other hand, Timoshenko beam elements need many more nodes to model the same number of bending
modes compared to Bernoulli beam elements. They should therefore be used only for short, stubby beam geometries
where shear deformation really matters (see also Recommended Usage in the Bernoulli Beam Element chapter).
Timoshenko beam elements are also recommended for applications that require restrained cross-section warping
under torsion. Whereas the Bernoulli beam element assumes free cross-section warping on both beam ends, even if
the end is fixed; the Timoshenko beam element allows for fixed beam-end boundary conditions, which will suppress
cross-section warping at the fixed beam face. Restrained cross-section warping is particularly interesting for short,
anchored beams under a torsional load.
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6.1.3: Shell Elements
Shell elements are used to model structures in which the vertical dimension (the thickness) is relatively smaller than
the other dimensions and where the stress in the thickness direction is negligible. The shell elements are based on
first-order shear deformation plate theory, which is also known as Reissner-Mindlin plate theory. Similar to Timos-
henko Beam Elements, the shell elements assume that the transverse normals of the shell do not remain perpendicular
to the midsurface after deformation; see Figure 6-15:
Figure 6-15 Undeformed and Deformed Geometries of a Shell Element Edge
The inextensibility of transverse normals leads to a shell point displacement field:

u ( x, y, z ) = u 0 ( x, y ) + zφ x ( x, y )
v ( x, y, z ) = v 0 ( x, y ) + zφ y ( x, y )
w ( x, y, z ) = w 0 ( x, y )
where (u0,v0,w0) are the displacement components along the (x, y, z) coordinate directions, respectively, of a point on
the midplane (i.e., z=0). -φx and -φy denote the rotations about the y and x axis. Like Timoshenko beam bending the-
ory, the first-order shear deformation plate theory includes a gross transverse shear deformation in its kinematic
assumptions; i.e., the transverse shear strain is assumed to be constant with respect to the thickness coordinate [12].
The Shell element model choice in a component’s Properties dialog has two subparameters to specify the number of
nodes in the in-plane directions of the shell element. The given number of nodes determines the polynomial order
used to approximate the edges (the midplane) of the deformed shell element. Figure 6-16 shows two examples:

Figure 6-16 Bilinear and Biquadratic Interpolation Function of the 1,1 Shell and the 2,2 Shell
The image on the left shows a shell element with 2x2 nodes equivalent to a first order (bilinear) approximation of the
shell edges. The right image with 3x3 nodes corresponds to a 2nd order (biquadratic) approximation. Increasing the
number of nodes determines the flexibility of a shell element and therefore determines the shapes an element is capa-
ble of predicting. Note that increasing the number of nodes will increase of computational cost during the simulation.
It is therefore important to adjust the number of element nodes to the minimum required to represent the relevant
device behavior.
As in the case of displacement-based isoparametric shell elements, the pure displacement-based formulation has the
disadvantage that the lower-order elements are subject to numerical locking as a result of spurious shear strains. The
shell elements implemented in MEMS+ circumvent the locking behavior by implementing a mixed interpolation and
the use of tensorial components, as proposed by E.N. Dvorkin and K. J. Bathe. Detailed information on the underly-
ing mathematical model can be found in [15] and [16].
Nodal Degrees of Freedom

By definition, shell element nodes have only five degrees of freedom: three translational and two rotational to handle
out-of-plane bending. Traditional shell elements lack the rotational degree of freedom around the plate normals (also
called drilling degrees of freedom), leading to connectivity problems with the six degrees of freedom beam elements.
In order to circumvent this problem, the implemented shell elements feature a penalization-based algorithm that
ensures consistency of in-plane rotation between the connected beam and shell nodes. Users do not need to worry
about connections between different types of finite elements. Applying the Wizard will ensure consistency in the con-
nections between different types of finite element. Refer to “Connecting High-Order Elements of the Same Type” on
page C6-21 for more information about how to connect different types of finite elements.

As with all other finite elements in MEMS+, shell elements have the model linearization parameter in the compo-
nent’s Properties dialog. If a linear model is chosen, all relevant stiffness and mass properties are calculated prior to
the simulation. Linear models do not require any updating during solver iterations, so they simulate quickly and pro-
vide robust simulation performance. They are recommended for all applications where the modeled structure rotates
If set to Nonlinear, nonlinear shell elements will be used, which have no angular restriction and deliver accurate
results for any given plate position in space. They are able to simulate inherently nonlinear applications, including
bistable plate behavior, such as the buckling of a fully constrained plate under stress; large rotation angles; Coriolis
forces for gyroscopes; as well as stress stiffening and the expected shift in resonance frequency. However, they do not
simulate as quickly and may be numerically problematic in transient simulations because of the complexity of the
force and torque calculations. Hence, the application of the nonlinear shells should be restricted to truly nonlinear
problems.

Multi-Layer Shells
Components modeled by shell elements can handle multiple deposition layers stacked on each other. During simula-
tion, each individual deposition layer is represented by a single-layer shell element whose internal nodes are rigidly
connected to the mechanical connectors of the bottom deposition layer of the structure, as seen in Figure 6-17. The
default positions of the mechanical connectors for the multi-layer shell component are at the vertical mid-point of the
bottom deposition layer.
Figure 6-17 Multi-Layer Shell Model
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The thin solid lines that link the default mechanical connector positions with the shell nodes are the shell normals.
The normals represent rigid links between the vertically stacked shell nodes. Each mechanical connector is rigidly
linked to one of the shell normals. Therefore, the default locations of the connectors are irrelevant; every motion and
rotation of a connector translate into a corresponding motion and rotation of the associated shell normal and therefore
all the nodes which are fixed to it.
Mechanical connectors are always rigidly linked to the shell normals. Default connector positions can be altered in
the mechanical connector’s Properties dialog. For more information on mechanical connectors, see page R4-13 of the
MEMS+ Reference.
Recommended Usage
Shell elements should be used for all plates that significantly add elasticity to the MEMS structure or to model beam
like structures with a large width and/or biaxial stress. Similar to Timoshenko Beam Elements, shell elements include
shear deformation and can therefore be used to model out-of-plane bending of thick structures. However, shell ele-
ments are erroneously stiff when it comes to in-plane bending and therefore should not be used for suspensions where
in-plane motions matters. Furthermore, shell elements should not be used to model torsion because they do not con-
sider cross-section warping. See “Beam Torsion” on page C6-5 for more information about cross-section warping.
Note that by default, shell elements have three nodes along the length and the width of a component. Coventor recom-
mends that users keep the number of nodes at three, and split up the geometry into more shells to increase the number
of nodes along a device edge rather than increase the number of nodes for an individual component beyond 3. Adding
more shell components is a better way to increase the accuracy of results.

6.1.4: Brick Elements

Brick elements (also called continuum elements) are the most generic finite elements in the library. Conceptually,
brick elements simply model a block of material in the most general sense without making any assumptions about
stresses and strains. Brick elements can be connected to other elements on any of their faces.
Low-order brick elements (such as linear and parabolic bricks) are commonly used in classic finite element solvers in
conjunction with automeshers to model nearly any shape and subjected to nearly any load. They are versatile and
easy to use and might therefore appear to be a tempting choice to model MEMS+ components as well. In reality, there
are very few cases in MEMS+ where a Brick model choice is justified or even recommended. Because of the lack of
specialization, many low-order bricks (or various high-order bricks) are required to represent even simple structures,
such as a beam. Figure 6-6 gives a good idea of how many brick elements are required to model a simple problem
such as a slender beam under torsion. The model shown in the image uses 10x10 parabolic bricks in the beam cross-
section to correctly reproduce the cross-section warping occurring on the face of a beam undergoing torsion. As a rule
of thumb, at least 4x4 parabolic bricks are required in a cross-section to yield a correct beam torsion results with an
error of less than 1%.
The Brick model choice in a component’s Properties dialog has two subparameters to specify the number of nodes in
the in-plane and out-of-plane directions of the brick element. The given number of nodes determine the polynomial
order used to approximate the edges of the deformed brick.
Increasing the number of nodes determines the flexibility of a brick element and therefore determines the shapes an
element is capable of predicting. Note that increasing the number of nodes will increase of computational cost during
the simulation. It is therefore important to adjust the number of element nodes to the minimum required to represent
the relevant device behavioral.
Nodal Degrees of Freedom

Brick element nodes have only three translational degrees of freedom. Because of the 3-D nature of bricks, rotations
in space can be represented by the corresponding displacements of the element nodes. The lack of rotational degrees
of freedom can cause connectivity problems between bricks and shell or beam elements. Most connectivity problems
can be resolved automatically by applying the Wizard; others will require user attention. Please refer to the chapter
“Connecting High-Order Elements of the Same Type” on page C6-21 for more information.

As with all other finite elements in MEMS+, brick elements have the model linearization parameter in the compo-
nent’s Properties dialog. If a linear model is chosen, all relevant stiffness and mass properties are calculated prior to
the simulation. Linear models do not require any updating during solver iterations, so they simulate quickly and pro-
vide robust simulation performance. They are recommended for all applications where the modeled structure rotates
If set to Nonlinear, nonlinear brick elements will be used, which have no angular restriction and deliver accurate
results for any given plate position in space. They are able to simulate inherently nonlinear applications, including
bistable plate behavior, such as the buckling of a fully constrained plate under stress; large rotation angles; Coriolis
forces for gyroscopes; as well as stress stiffening and the expected shift in resonance frequency. However, they do not
simulate as quickly and may be numerically problematic in transient simulations because of the complexity of the
force and torque calculations. Hence, the application of the nonlinear bricks should be restricted to truly nonlinear
problems.
Multi-Layer Bricks
A component with a brick model can only support a single deposition layer. Finite element stacking is not possible
because of the 3-D definition of a brick element. However, the user can always stack multiple Flexible Shapes (one
for each layer) should a brick representation of a layer stack be required.

Recommended Usage
As stated in the introduction, brick elements are generic and versatile, but are very stiff and require many nodes to
correctly model even simple structures like beams. Non-linear brick models are suited for large translations and large
rotations, but not for large strains.
The use of brick elements in MEMS+ should be restricted to bulky and/or vertical structures such as beam anchors
and certain types of resonators. In any case, Beam and Shell elements should always be preferred whenever their
given restrictions do not affect device simulation.
6.1.5: Hexahedral Meshing

All suspensions can be meshed using hexahedral elements. Hexahedral meshing is available for the following compo-
nents:
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 Vertical Beam
 JBeam
 Box Beam
 Serpentine
 Beam Path
In previous releases, these components only had the Bernoulli beam model available for discretization. The drop-
down menu for the Model parameter now includes the Hexahedral Mesh option:
Future releases will expand this capability to more components.
Meshing Parameters
To create the mesh, the mesh generator relies on two input parameters: In-plane Element Size and the Number of Ele-
ments in Z:

 In-plane Element Size

Defines the target value for the edge length of an element in plane. This value is only an indication of the desired
size; depending on the geometry you are meshing, the edge length of an actual element will likely not exactly
match the target value.
The default value for this setting is maximal. The definition of maximal depends on the geometry of the device,
which in turn, determines the mesher used on the suspension.There are two meshing options in MEMS+: the or-
thogonal mesher and the unstructured extrude mesher. The default choice is the orthogonal mesher, which will be
used as long as the geometry is compatible with this kind of mesh, like the geometry shown below. In that case,
the default in-plane size value of maximal will generate the largest elements that preserve the orthogonality of the
mesh:
Figure 6-18 Orthogonal Mesh with Maximal In-plane Element Size
If the geometry is incompatible with the orthogonal mesher (multiple layers, large sidewall angle, curved shapes),
the unstructured extruded mesh is used, as shown below:
Figure 6-19 Extruded Mesh
For the extruded mesh, maximal means that there will be at least four elements in plane. For an illustration, see
Figure 6-20. Compare the beam on the left with the beam on the right. Because the beam on the left only has one
layer, it is meshed with the orthogonal mesher, and the maximal value creates one element in plane. But the beam
on the right has two layers, so the extruded mesh is used, and four elements are created in plane.

Figure 6-20 Maximal Definition for Orthogonal Mesher vs. Extruded Mesher
Orthogonal Mesh with Maximal In-plane Element Size Extruded Mesh with Maximal In-plane Element Size
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The effect of sidewall angle on the meshing is illustrated in Figure 6-21. With a 15-degree sidewall angle, the or-
thogonal mesher can be used, so the result is one element in plane. But with the 20-degree sidewall angle, the ge-
ometry is no longer orthogonal enough, so the extruded mesher is used, and the result is four elements in plane.
Figure 6-21 Effect of Sidewall Angle on Meshing and Maximal in-Plane Element Size
15-degree sidewall angle 20-degree sidewall angle
 Number of Elements in Z
Specifies the number of elements in the Z direction for each layer. If the suspension is comprised of one layer,
this value specifies the number of elements through the entire suspension thickness. But if the suspension is com-
prised of multiple layers, each layer will have this number of elements through its thickness. For comparison, see
Figure 6-20. If the Number of Elements in Z is set to one, the one-layer beam will only have one element through
the thickness. But for the two-layer beam, there is one element through the thickness of each layer.
 Element Order
Sets the order of the mesh elements. With this release, only the Parabolic option can be selected.
 Linear: Has two nodes along each edge, creating 8-node hexahedra. Hexahedra are also referred to as bricks.
 Parabolic: Has three nodes along each mesh edge, a node at the center of each mesh face, and a node at the
element center, creating 27-node hexahedra (or bricks). Parabolic elements are also referred to as quadratic
elements.

Connecting Meshed Suspensions to Other Components

Meshed components, like Bernoulli beams, only have two mechanical connectors, one on each end of the suspension.
The entire face of the meshed suspension is connected to this connector. As a result, the two end faces of the meshed
model are rigid, which should be kept in mind when comparing results from MEMS+ with any other finite element
software. Connection between meshed suspensions and other components will therefore be strictly identical to the
connection between Bernoulli suspensions and other components. For recommendations on how to connect these sus-
pensions, see page C6-23 of the MEMS+ Component Reference.
Meshing Recommendations
Meshed suspensions will allow users to analyze complex suspension components in their MEMS devices for which
compact FEA components are not suitable. Switching from compact Bernoulli elements in favor of meshed compo-
nents is useful under different circumstances:
 Hexahedral meshing can be used to verify modal frequencies of complex suspensions.
 In the case of short, stubby beams, a hexahedral mesh is preferred to the Bernoulli beam.
 If the sidewall angle is greater than 2 degrees, a hexahedral mesh is preferred.
 Because the inherent assumption in the Bernoulli beam is that the cross-section of the beam is assumed pla-
nar to the deformed axis, a meshed suspension will be preferred in cases of suspensions undergoing torsion.
When NOT to use hexahedral meshing:
 If a model requires multiple separate meshed components in which their faces meet, these facial connections
are treated as rigid faces. As a result, the model will have an overall increase in stiffness, which is artificial.
 In problems with several hundreds of thousands of degrees of freedom, meshing in the current implementa-
tion will not be suitable because the solver cannot factorize a matrix of that size. If the mesh results in high
DOF, save time by generating a ROM for further analysis.
Running a Convergence Study

It is important not to overmesh a component; the elements are of order 2 and already quite accurate. With the 6.3
release, meshing is a beta feature and not yet able to cope with big meshes, so creating an overly refined mesh with a
substantial number of degrees of freedom is not recommended. Instead, Coventor recommends that you run a conver-
gence study on your suspension: start with a coarse mesh, and progressively refine to get to a converged result; one
method for running a convergence study is outlined below.
First, use a variable to define the In-plane Element Size and expose it:

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For the Number of Elements in Z, we divide the thickness of the plate by the desired element size and force a mini-
mum value of 1.
Then we run a vary this variable, and run a modal for each value:
The GetInfo for the modal analysis reports the mode frequency for each element size. For our example, reducing the
element size less than 12.5 does not significantly increase the accuracy of the results.

6.1.6: Linear Hybrid Model

The linear hybrid model is activated when a mechanical component’s Model Type property is set to Linear and at
least one angular velocity input is exposed. This model is considered a hybrid because it includes typical nonlinear
forces such as inertial, Coriolis, and Euler forces, but does not include mechanical nonlinearity. Therefore, it can be
used to speed up a transient analysis for a device that is sensitive to angular velocity. It is available for all flexible
plates and beams (the Rigid Plate and suspensions are not included).
Below is a comparison of transient analysis results for a gyroscope using nonlinear and linear hybrid model types:
Figure 6-22 Nonlinear vs. Linear Hybrid Results
Note that for this model, the results are identical, but the simulation for the linear hybrid model is more than 10x
faster than the simulation with the nonlinear model.

6.1.7: Best Practices for Connecting Elements

Connecting High-Order Elements of the Same Type
At the interface between finite elements of the same type, make sure that the number of model nodes of the coincident
faces match. Figure 6-23 shows three different mechanical connector combinations generated by the Wizard to con-
nect two adjacent flexible plates:
Figure 6-23 Connecting Finite Elements of the Same Type

Plate 1 Correct
Correct
Incorrect
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Plate 2
All three shapes consist of two adjacent components that share a single coincident face with the adjoining component.
The shape on the far left consists of two shells, represented in the width by three and four nodes, respectively. The
mismatch in mechanical connectors is resolved by the Wizard by connecting the three middle nodes (the two central
nodes from the far shell and the single center node from the near shell) to the same mechanical connector. However,
this situation should be avoided because both connected shell elements make incompatible assumptions about the
polynomial order of the connected shell face. A mismatch of nodes will likely cause inaccurate simulation results.
The other two pairs of plates are connected correctly: all connected elements share the same number of nodes along
the connected face.
Connecting Shell Elements

Note that when using Shell elements, they must be constrained by at least two points. With one shell, if only one point
is grounded, the shell can still rotate around Z-axis, leading to an error message when the Wizard tool is run on the
model, as illustrated below:
Figure 6-24 Shell Improperly Constrained by One Integration Point

When connecting adjacent shells, the shells must be connected with more than one node. Even if one shell is correctly
grounded, if it is connected by only one node to another shell, the second shell can still itself rotate around Z-axis.
This is illustrated with the RF Switch tutorial model (see page T4-24 of the CoventorMP+ Tutorials). If we switch
each beam component from Timoshenko beams to shell elements and run the Wizard, we get the following configura-
tion:
The Wizard connects all three mechanical connectors at the end of the Anchor beam to one mechanical connector of
the Actuator Beam, but reports that the device is not properly constrained because at least two connectors from one
shell must be connected to two connectors from the other shell.
To properly constrain these shell elements, manually connect a mechanical connector from one shell to one on the
other shell, then let the Wizard connect the other connectors, as shown below. Note that in this case, running the Wiz-
ard on this example will not fix the drilling degree of freedom. The drilling degree of freedom is fixed only when the
mechanical connectors share the same XY coordinates (no rigid link is created when the connectors are connected).
Figure 6-25 Shells Properly Connected by More than One Connector
If the mechanical connectors of adjacent shells share the same XY coordinates, the Wizard will fix the drilling
degrees of freedom.

Even if multiple shells are connected by more than one connector, they still have to be grounded with more than one
connector. As illustrated in the example below, multiple shells are connected by several connectors, but only a single
node is grounded. The device thus acts as a single large shell, with a single node grounded and is free to move:
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Connecting Shells to Other Elements
If a Shell element is connected to an element other than a Shell, the mechanical connectors that connect the elements
will have the drilling degree of freedom (rz is released).
Connecting Bricks and Beams

When using bricks, note that translations are continuous at the mechanical connectors between bricks and beams con-
nected by a single node, but rotations are not. This is different than with shells wherein both translation and rotation
continuities are maintained. In general, users should avoid situations where this might be a problem, as in the model
shown in Figure 6-26. In this model, a brick element is connected to the beam models through a single node, resulting
in the separation of the beams and plate when the plate moves.

Figure 6-26 Beams Connected to Brick Element With a Single Node
In Figure 6-27, the single connector on the beam end is connected to all three connectors on the end of the brick, but
the three connectors on the brick are all aligned, and this single connection is still not adequate enough to capture the
rotations of the beam. It is a best practice to connect one connector from one component to one connector of another
component. For this device, it may be best to use shell elements instead of brick elements.
Figure 6-27 Single Beam Connector Connected to Multiple Brick Connectors

Connecting Pie and Arc Components

Pie and Arc components are useful for creating a circular flexible plate (e.g. a microphone circular diaphragm). When
using a Pie component, be aware that it even though it appears to only have three edges, it is actually a quadrilateral
(all MEMS+ flexible components are quadrilaterals). As illustrated in Figure 6-28, the outer edge of the Pie compo-
nent is comprised of two edges:
Figure 6-28 Pie Component Edges
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Thus, to correctly partition a circular flexible plate in MEMS+ and to respect the number of nodes on both coincident
edges, a Pie component must be connected to two Arcs along its outer edge, as illustrated in Figure 6-29:
Figure 6-29 Pie and Arc Component Edges
Pie component Edge 2 and Edge 3 should be connected to the two Arc Edges Edge 4' and Edge 4'' respectively. When
the user applies the Wizard to these components, the nodes on Edge 3 will be merged with the ones of the edge 4', and
those of Edge 2 will be merged with the nodes of edge 4". Then, Edges 1' and 3" will be connected together, as shown
below:

Figure 6-30 Mechanical Connectors for Quarter Circular Membrane
A full circular flexible plate would be partitioned into at least four Pie and eight Arc components, as shown in Figure
6-31. The requirement of the minimum number of four Pie components is dictated by the Pie Extent Angle limitation
of 90 degrees.
Figure 6-31 Circular Membrane Comprised of Pie and Arc Components

6.2: Stack Model

Stack components are modeled by one or multiple shell elements that are stacked on top or below a parent plate or
beam component. Currently, stack components can only be added to parents that are modeled with Shell Elements.
Stacks on beam or Brick Elements are currently not supported.
Because Stack components must be added to a component that uses shells, users must keep in mind the limitations
and requirements of shell elements when using Stacks. For more information on shell elements, see page C6-11.
The stack components have no mechanical connectors. During simulation, it uses the mechanical connectors of the
parent component to determine and update its own position in space, as seen in Figure 6-32.
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Figure 6-32 Definition of Stack Component and its Parent
The normals of the stack shells are defined in reference to the top surface of the master component, as shown in the
figure above. These normals can be seen as rigid links between the stack and the master shell. Based on this assump-
tion, the positions of the internal stack nodes are determined by the positions of the master shell nodes and their cor-
responding shape function; see Figure 6-16. The link between the master and stack shells works both ways: Forces
and moments that are calculated during the simulation based on the given stack node displacements are applied to the
mechanical connectors of the host component. On a macroscopic scale, stacks add rigidity and mass to the mechani-
cal connectors of the master.

6.3: Electrode/Contact Model

The Electrode/Contact model calculates the electrostatic force and the capacitance between the electrode and the
movable layers according to the component’s position in space and the voltages applied to the two electrical connec-
tors (E and M, respectively, in Figure 6-33). Electrical pins are created only if at least one conductor material is
included in both the deposition layer stack of the parent component and the deposition layer stack of the electrode.
Otherwise, the Electrode/Contact model will act as a pure contact model without any electrical properties.
Note that this Electrode/Contact model is used by the Inherited Gap as well as the Independently Shaped Gaps.
6.3.1: Electrode/Contact Model Parameters

When the Electrode/Contact model is selected, the gap models the capacitance and electrostatic forces acting on a
movable mechanical component located above or below a fixed planar electrode. When an electrode is added to a
component that is a conductor, one electrical connector is added to the component, and one electrical connector is
added to the electrode itself. These two connectors define the voltages applied to the component and the electrode,
and the electrical behavior is modeled by a capacitor and a contact conductance between the two connectors. Note
that the electrical connectors are only created if both the selected deposit of the mechanical component and the
deposit selected in the electrode’s Properties dialog are both conductors.
If the Electrode/Contact Gap model is selected, the parameters shown in Table 6-3 become available:
Table 6-3 Properties of the Electrode/Contact Gap Model
Contact Settings Defines the parameters of the built-in contact model - -
Adhesion Optional force that includes stiction in the contact model. See 0 Pa or
Force per “Adhesion Softening” on page C2-4 for more information. MPa
Area
Adhesion Minimal gap at which the adhesion force starts acting between the 0 µm or m
Distance contact layers. See “Adhesion Softening” on page C2-4 for more
information.
Conductivity Conductivity in the contact region. This parameter should take into 1e12 S/m or
account the conductivity of the two materials in contact and their pS/µm
surface roughness. See “Contact Model” on page C6-35 for more
details.
Integration Points (for Number of Gaussian integration points used in every field section 3,3 -
Rigid Plate segments and to evaluate the capacitance and force contribution to the beam.The
shapes) more integration points used, the better the integration method, but
at the cost of a longer simulation. The user defines the number of
integration points in the specified directions, which are determined
by the shape:
 Rectangular, Triangular, Polynomial: In x and In y.
 Quadrilateral: On Edge 1-2 and 3-4; Edge 2-3 and 4-1
 Arc, Pie: In Angular Direction, In Radial Direction
For more information on integration points, see page C6-30.

Integration Points (for Number of Gaussian integration points used in every field section 4,2 -
Beams) to evaluate the capacitance and force contribution to the beam.The
more integration points used, the better the integration method, but
at the cost of a longer simulation. The user defines the number of
integration points Along the Length of the beam and Along the
Width of the beam. The position of the integration points is defined
by the integration method and the shape of the beam. For more
information on integration points, see page C6-30.
Account for In-Plane If this option is checked, when calculating the fringing fields, the - -
Displacement (Rigid simulator considers in-plane displacements of the rigid plate that
Plate) change the overlap between the electrode and the rigid plate in
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either X or Y direction. If this option is checked, the fringing fields
correction switches from a fast to a more accurate algorithm. The
difference between the two algorithms is minimal when the
protrusion of the fixed electrode is positive. The difference
increases as the protrusion decreases. Results are geometry-
dependent: users should investigate the trade-off between
simulation speed and accuracy for each design. Note that this
option will only lead to correct results if a significant overlap
between the rigid plate and the electrode remains during the
simulation. Situations where the rigid plate moves completely
away from the electrode are not accounted for with this option.
Invoking this option may significantly slow down simulation
speed.
Edge Type Defines the fringing field approximation along the edges created
by those values, as shown in Figure 6-40 on page C6-34. Note that
this parameter is not available for Pie shape component. For more
explanation of this parameter, including inheritance, see the
heading that follows.
6.3.2: Edge Type

When a parent-defined electrode is added to a component, its default protrusion settings are determined by the type of
component to which it is added. The protrusion parameter defines the electrostatic fringing fields between the
mechanical parent component and the Electrode/Contact component. By default, protrusion parameters are either
assigned 0 or Inherited, which is explained below. Default protrusion parameters can be overwritten by the user if dif-
ferent fringing field behavior is desired.
Face Type (set in parent

Inherited Protrusion
mechanical component)
External 0
Internal (assigned only by no fringing fields

the Wizard)
Fixed no fringing fields
Symmetry about XZ-Plane no fringing fields
Symmetry about YZ-Plane no fringing fields

Note that no fringing fields is equivalent to a Neumann boundary condition; for more information on fringing fields,
see Figure 6-40 on page C6-34.
Shell or Brick Elements: The default protrusion values are Inherited, which indicates that the fringing fields are
determined by the Face Type selected in the parent component (see table above). The user can find the corresponding
protrusion values listed in the Electrode component's Get Info window, available in the component’s right click menu.
Beams: For the Right and Left parameters, the default is 0, see Figure 6-40 for an illustration of this fringing field.
For End 1 and End 2, the default is Inherited, which, like the shell or brick elements, indicates that fringing values are
determined by the Face Type.
Rigid Plates segments: The default is 0. If the user wants a no fringing fields (undef value), he/she has to delete the
value in the field, and hit Enter.
6.3.3: Numerical Integration over the Gap

The electrostatic force, as well as the capacitance, is calculated using a numerical integration technique called Gauss-
ian Quadrature [12]. This approach is an approximation of the definite integral over the electrostatic gap between the
two conductor deposition layers. With Gaussian Quadrature, the integral is represented by a weighted sum of function
values calculated at the integration points. The model assumes a curved electrostatic field line at each integration
point, as shown in Figure 6-33. If there are dielectric layers between the two conductor layers, it is taken into account
by evaluating an equivalent electrical permittivity in the given conductor gap.
Figure 6-33 Electrode Integration Points for a Rigid Plate
The normalized forces at each integration point are used to approximate the electrostatic pressure load acting on the
movable layer. The number of integration points are defined in the Properties dialog of the corresponding electrode
component and can be visualized on the canvas in the electrical connector viewing mode. The speed and accuracy of
the simulation is strongly influenced by the number of integration points. In order to achieve optimal simulation per-
formance, the user should reduce the number of integration points to an absolute minimum required to represent the
gap between the two layers. For example, very few integration points are required if both conductor layers remains
largely horizontal during the simulation. In this case, a single integration point might be enough. On the other hand,
additional integration points are required if the gap does not remain constant as the result of large, out-of-plane
motions or deformations during the simulation. The more integration points used, the better the approximation, but at
the cost of a longer simulation. The position of the integration points is automatically defined by the integration
method and the shape of the overlapping area.
Note that an electrode cannot have a fewer number of integration points than the number of mechanical connectors
assigned to the parent component to which it is added. If the user specifies a number fewer than the number applied
in the parent component, the software will ignore it.

6.3.4: Perforation
Movable plate or electrode perforations are taken into account by adjusting the electrostatic field density at each inte-
gration point; compare with Figure 6-33. The local field density correction is based on the definition of a perforation
cell. Figure 6-34 illustrates the perforation cell using a rectangular perforation as an example.
Figure 6-34 Cell of a Rectangular Perforation
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The capacitance and the electrostatic force of a single perforation cell is calculated analytically by subdividing it into
several sections, as shown in Figure 6-35:
Figure 6-35 3-D Field Assumptions in an Elementary Cell
The electrostatic field in the dark shaded section is approximated with the homogeneous field of a plate capacitor.
The light shaded section is handled by a numerically corrected 2-D field solution defined by a vertical cut through the
elementary cell, as depicted in Figure 6-36:
Figure 6-36 2-D Field in the Complex Plane Used in the Cross-Section of an Elementary Cell

The electrostatic force and capacitance of the depicted 2-D field can be calculated analytically by means of conformal
mapping [19]. Converting the 2-D field into an approximation of the 3-D field of the perforation cell requires correc-
tions of the analytical solution. The overall solution of the 3-D problem is a mixture of analytical analysis and numer-
ically evaluated correction factors [3][4].
When a plate or flexible beam has an associated gap that uses the electrode model, the plate or beam can have
perforations or the gap can have perforations, but they cannot both have perforations. But if the gap only serves to
define contact, the gap and plate or flexible beam can be perforated.
6.3.5: Power Function Regression Capacitance Model

For perforated plates and gaps, the user can specify a capacitance model based on a power function. Under the Perfo-
ration Density setting is a Models: Capacitance parameter. If left to Default, the capacitance and electrostatic forces
are defined with the perforation model described on page C6-31. If set to Power Regression Points, the user enters the
capacitance values of a unit perforation cell for different gaps, as illustrated below:
The gap /capacitance pairs will be used to compute a power function that describes the capacitance variation with the
gap of a perforation unit cell. The derivative of this function will be used to describe the electrostatic force of the cell.
The function computed by MEMS+ is available in the Get Info window of any component with an electrostatic
model. The method used to find the function depends on the number of gap/capacitance pairs defined:
 One pair: the value is interpolated with a constant function.
 Two pairs: the values are interpolated with a power function of the form a*gapb
 Three or more pairs: a regression analysis is run to find the best function fit. The coefficient of determination
R2 is reported in the Get Info window with the equation.
When using regression analysis to find the best function fit, MEMS+ first attempts to target a power function of the
form a*(gap + b)c using a nonlinear ordinary least squares algorithm. In cases where the nonlinear algorithm did not
converge, a second attempt targets a power function of the form a*gapc using linear ordinary least squares. The func-
tion with the best coefficient of determination will be used and reported in the Get Info dialog of the Gap component,
as shown below:

Figure 6-37 Get Info Reports Power Function Equation
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If the gap value at which the form a*(gap +b)c is singular is greater than the electrostatic linearization gap (see page
C2-5), the simpler form a*gapc is always used and reported.
For best results when using this model, follow these recommendations:
 The gap in this function is the distance between the two conductor surfaces. Dielectrics should not be
included when determining the gap (see page C2-6).
 Minimize the error on capacitance values. The algorithm works well with a small number of points as long as
the error on capacitance is small. Figure 6-38 shows different results with six input pairs: the true curve is in
black, no error on input data in red, 2% maximum error in blue and 5% maximum error in green.
Figure 6-38 Influence of Error
 Increase the number of points, and increase the interval span on the lowest gap values (even outside the scope
of interest) to get a better fit. Figure 6-39 shows the results with a maximum error on inputs of 2% for differ-
ent number of points: true curve is in black, 5 points over [2.0 µm, 2.5 µm] in green, 10 points over [1.5 µm,

2.5 µm] in blue, and 15 points over [0.5 µm, 2.5 µm] in red.
Figure 6-39 Influence of Points
6.3.6: Edge Fields

The electrostatic fringing fields at the electrode edges are taken into account by correcting the numerically calculated
capacitance and force values. Depending on the Deposit Protrusion settings, the fringing fields at the electrode edges
are evaluated by numerical integration along the integration points closest to the edge. The force and capacitance con-
tribution at each edge integration point is evaluated analytically using 2-D fields, as shown in Figure 6-40. The 2-D
fields are calculated based on conformal mapping [19]. Note that no fringing fields is equivalent to a Neumann
boundary condition, as seen in the left-most image of Figure 6-40. Please also refer to page C4-6 and page C4-34 for
additional information on the Deposit Protrusion parameter.
Figure 6-40 Effect of Positive and Negative Protrusion on the Edge Fringing Field Approximation

6.3.7: Contact Model

The built-in contact model prevents the movable layer from penetrating the electrode layer. The gap at each integra-
tion point is monitored during the simulation. A contact pressure load is applied to the movable layer whenever one
or multiple integration points detect a penetration between the movable layer and the contact plane, as illustrated in
Figure 6-41.
Figure 6-41 Contact Integration Points
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The contact model calculates the contact force at each integration point as a function of penetration depth and the
layer’s material properties. The forces at each integration point are used to approximate a contact pressure load using
Gaussian Quadrature [15]. The calculated pressure load is applied to the mechanical connectors and acts in opposi-
tion to the contact plane penetration. The deeper the movable layer penetrates, the more pressure is applied to push it
back.
In order to avoid infinite electrostatic forces at the contact of two conductor layers, a linearized electrostatic force is
used. The gap at which the force and capacitance functions are linearized depends on the setting of the Components
Electrostatic Force Linearization Gap setting; see “Linearization Gap for Electrostatics and Fluidics” on page C2-5
for more details.
In addition, contact convergence is improved by the Contact Softening property of the Global Component Properties,
which acts as an exponential delay function that smooths the pressure force increase at the moment of contact. The
improvement in contact convergence comes at the cost of an artificially deep penetration of the two contact surfaces.
Usually there is no need to change the default setting; for more details, see “Contact Softening” on page C2-4.
6.3.8: Contact Stiction

An additional contact stiction force can be added to contact models by setting the Contact Settings/Adhesion Force
per Area > 0. See “Adhesion Softening” on page C2-4 for more details.
6.3.9: Contact Zippering

Mechanical structures flatten out on the contact plane if the applied electrode voltage is further increased after first
contact. This behavior is called contact zippering. Contact zippering is particularly difficult to simulate and requires
special care in the selection of the appropriate model to represent the deformable structure. Depending on the compo-
nent, the user may choose from four different finite elements: Bernoulli Beam Elements, Timoshenko Beam Ele-
ments, Shell Elements or Brick Elements. Of all four model choices, Bernoulli beam elements are the only ones with
a fixed number nodes (two). All other models are high-order finite elements with a variable number of nodes that are
defined by the user. The number of nodes determines the number of mechanical degrees of freedom of the corre-
sponding mechanical model. The greater the number of degrees of freedom, the greater the flexibility of the corre-
sponding model and its ability to flatten out on a contact surface.
Increasing the number of nodes of a Bernoulli beam element is not an option, so multiple Bernoulli beam elements
need to be connected in series to accurately model a zipped-in structure. The actual number of beam elements

required depends on length of the structure that flattens out on the contact plane.
A series of Bernoulli beam elements in contact will form a snake-like shape along the beam section that is in contact,
as shown in the zipped-in cantilever beam of Figure 6-42:
Figure 6-42 Snake-Like Shape of Bernoulli Beam Elements Deformed onto a Contact Plane
The snake-like shape is a consequence of the underlying theory used to model Bernoulli Beam Elements. The beam
axis of each element is modeled by a third-order polynomial. Furthermore, Bernoulli beam elements require that the
cross-sections of the structure remain normal to the beam axis as the beam deforms (see “Beam Bending” on page
C6-3). The beam axis of the overall structure (consisting of several beam elements in series) is therefore modeled by
a single (high-order) polynomial function. The perfectly horizontal part of a zipped-in structure combined with the
deformed shape of the rest of the beam can not be described exactly by a single polynomial function. The polynomial
function needs to intersect with the contact plane in order to approximate the shape of a zipped-in structure (see Fig-
ure 6-42). The number of bends in the snake will depend on the number of segments. The greater the number of seg-
ments, the greater the number of possible bends. Because of the snake-like shape, some parts of the beam might either
appear above or below the contact plane.
Timoshenko Beam Elements, Shell Elements and Brick Elements do not share the same behavior. All three models
support a variable number of nodes and are capable of simulating shear stress. Shear stress is the direct consequence
of non-perpendicular cross-sections with respect to the beam axis. Timoshenko beam, shell and brick elements are
capable of reproducing the exact shape of a zipped-in structure, as seen in Figure 6-43.
Figure 6-43 Timoshenko Beam Elements Deformed onto a Contact Plane
Note that large mechanical forces can be produced by the contact models. Small variations in the penetration depth
can also lead to large variations in the contact force. The contact event itself, i.e., the point of transition from non-
contact to contact, is generally numerically hard for the simulator to handle easily because of the large discontinuities
in the component’s force and moment outputs between the two states. Therefore, contact simulation requires special
care for model and solver setup.

6.3.10: Contact Conductance

The electrical properties at contact are modeled by a built-in variable conductor between the two conductor layers.
The electrical conductance (1/Rc) is calculated based on [17], which is briefly summarized below.
In stationary electrical interfaces, the distribution of current flow through the interface is clustered about discrete
spots because of inherent surface roughness (or asperity). This clustering of current around the interfacial contacts
gives rise to contact resistance. Assuming that two semi-infinite conductive surfaces are in close contact, the contact
resistance Rc (also called the constriction resistance) at an asperity with radius a, is given by
ρ
Rc = ------
2a
where ρ is the resistivity [Ωm] of the mono-metallic material at the interface. For n multiple contacts within a given
interface, the approximate expression for Rc becomes
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Rc = ρ ×  --------- + ------- 
1 1
 2na 2α 
where α is the effective radius of the combined contacts. Empirical results show that for a large number of spots dis-
tributed within the effective radius α, 1/(2na) can be neglected. This effective radius is associated with the true phys-
ical contact area and is a function of the contact force F and material hardness H such that
F = Ac × H
where Ac = πηα2 and for which it is assumed that the contacting metals are mono-metallic and uncontaminated. η is
an empirical coefficient of order to model surface roughness on the order of unity. It is also assumed that the contact-
ing surfaces have no significant electrical insulation and that the number of contacts is large enough that
1 2H
Rc = ρ × ------ = π η ρ -------
2α 4F
upon substitution of F = Ac * H for α.
The Conductivity property available under Contact Settings is then 1/(ρη1/2) and must be a non-zero value.
In case of one or more dielectric layers between the electrode and the movable conductor layer, an additional “electri-
cal conductor” is connected in series to the contact conductance. The corresponding conductance is calculated by
multiplying the contact conductance with the contact area.
6.3.11: Package Deformation

The Electrode/Contact models support package deformation. Package deformation is automatically taken into
account if the back face of the electrode layer touches an imported package as explained in chapter “Interaction with
Gaps” on page C5-7.

6.4: Side Electrode/Contact Model

The Side Electrode/Contact models the electrostatic force acting on single side of a component. The model has a
built-in contact that restricts the in-plane motion of the corresponding component edge. When a Side Electrode/Con-
tact model is added to a component that is a conductor, one electrical connector is added to the component, and one
electrical connector is added to the electrode itself. These two connectors define the voltages applied to the compo-
nent and the electrode, and the electrical behavior is modeled by a variable capacitor and a contact conductance
between the two connectors. Note that the electrical connectors are only created if both the selected deposit of the
mechanical component and the deposit selected in the side electrode property table are both conductors.
The capacitance and the electrostatic force between the component and the side electrode is calculated by a 1D-
Gaussian integral along the length of the side electrode [15]. The electrostatic force and capacitance contributions at
each integration point are evaluated using 2-D fields, as seen in Figure 6-44:
Figure 6-44 Electrostatic 2D-Field Used at Each Integration Point
The 2-D fields are created and evaluated analytically by means of conformal mapping [19]. The actual shape and
scaling of the 2-D fields depend on the specified cross-section geometries and the current position of the component.
The number of integration points for each region integral is defined in the Properties dialog of the side electrode com-
ponent. The more integration points used, the better the approximation, but at the cost of a longer simulation.
6.4.1: Contact Model

The side electrode features a built-in contact model that prevents the movable structure from penetrating the side
electrode. Please refer “Contact Model” on page C6-35 for further information how contact is models in MEMS+.

6.5: Squeezed Film Damping Model

Squeezed film damping is a lubrication theory model for a thin film of fluid located in a gap created by parallel sur-
faces moving normal to each surface so as to expand and/or contract the gap volume. The MEMS+ squeezed film
damping model is a high-order finite element with a variable number of nodes. The number of nodes can be defined
by the user in the component’s Properties dialog. Each node is represented by a fluidic connector, as seen in Figure 6-
47.
The underlying high-order finite element represents the linearized Reynolds equation for the given gap geometry:
3
pa h 2 Δp ∂ Δp
- ∇  ------- – h  ------- = v
---------------
12μ eff  pa  ∂ t  pa 
where pa is the ambient pressure, h the height/thickness of the gap, μeff the Effective Viscosity, p the pressure in the
gap, and v the velocity of the plate. The linearized Reynolds equation implicitly considers that the fluid follows the
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ideal gas law.
The Squeezed-Film Damping model is nonlinear, which means that, for example, during a transient simulation the
Reynold’s Equation is linearized at each time step. Therefore, to the extent that even a large displacement is con-
strained by the size of the gap, and the previous limitation on the gap relative to the overall structure size is satisfied,
large displacements are accommodated by the MEMS+ Squeezed-Film Damping model.
The linearized Reynolds equation includes not only the damping resulting from viscous effects, but also the spring
effects resulting from the compressibility of a fluid. For instance, a typical solution will be dominated by damping at
low frequencies where most of the force response due to the fluid is from viscous effects of the fluid being squeezed
out. On the other hand, at high frequencies, structure motion is too fast to force the air out of the gap, and the fluid-
structure interaction is dominated by a spring force similar to squeezing a balloon. A key assumption in using the lin-
earized Reynolds equation is that the gap height is small compared to the plate dimensions. Thus, squeezed film
damping components are useful for gaps on the order of microns being squeezed by plates that are tens to hundreds of
microns in size.
The Squeezed Film Damping Gap models the damping effects of fluid being forced in and out of small, horizontal
gaps between the moving and fixed parts of devices.
Figure 6-45 Squeezed Film Damping
6.5.1: Effective Viscosity

In the derivation of the Reynolds equations, the fluid medium is assumed to be continuous. This implies that all
energy in the system is transferred not by particles hitting walls, for instance, but through molecular interaction. The
validity of this assumption is governed by the Knudsen number, defined as the ratio of the mean free path, λ, and a
characteristic dimension or length scale of the system (in our case the gap thickness h).
λ
K n = --
h
The flow regimes are generally recognized as follows: the continuum approximation is valid for Knudsen numbers up
to approximately10-2. As the Knudsen number increases, the flow experiences a transition between continuous and

free molecular flow. For a Knudsen number of up to around 10-1, the above equations are still valid if adjusted to
include a relaxation of the no-slip velocity boundary condition along the walls. For Knudsen numbers above approx-
imately 1, the above equations are no longer valid. See Table 6-4 for more information. Other sources may list differ-
ent Knudsen number ranges for the various flow regimes.
Table 6-4 Flow Regime Defined by Knudsen Number
Knudsen number range

Flow regime
(Shih, et al.)
Continuum, no slip Kn < 0.01
Slip flow 0.01< Kn <0.1
Flow in transition 0.1 < Kn < 3
Free molecular flow 3 < Kn
For typical engineering problems, the characteristic length is much larger than the mean free path; therefore, the con-
tinuum approximation is always valid. However, this may not always be true in MEMS, especially for damping prob-
lems because the typical film (gap) thickness is on the order of a few microns and devices frequently operate in
reduced pressure conditions. As the film thickness decreases, the mean free path of gas molecules becomes compara-
ble to the film thickness. For example, the mean free path for air (at 25oC and atmosphere pressure) is about 0.067
μm. If the film thickness is 1 μm, then Kn is 0.067, which indicates a transition flow regime. The mean free path is
decreased either by decreasing the ambient temperature or by increasing the ambient pressure. If the no-slip condition
is no longer valid, a higher gas flow rate may be expected, reducing the damping effect. The reduction of damping
force due to flow regime transition is critical in the analyses of inertial sensors such as accelerometers, gyroscopes,
resonators, or zipping structures.
The squeezed film damping model extends the Reynolds equation representation into the free-molecular flow regime
by replacing the fluid viscosity with an effective viscosity [22].
μ
μ eff = -------------------------------------------------------
-
1.159
1 + 9.638 ( σ p K n )
where μ is the fluid viscosity. The coefficient σp is calculated from the tangential momentum accommodation coeffi-
cient αv:
2 – αv
σ p = --------------- ( 1.016 – 0.1211 ( 1 – α v ) )
αv
The accommodation coefficient is set in the top-level Components properties dialog (see page C2-1) and is inherited
in the squeezed-film damping model. The user can override this setting for an individual component by entering a
value in the Accommodation Coefficient field under the squeezed-film damping model.
The mean free path is calculated as
μ πk TB
λ = ----- ------------
p a 2m
where T is the temperature, kB is the Boltzmann constant, and m is the molecular mass.
The equivalent mean free path definition for an ideal gas is shown below. This equation is the one used by MEMS+.

π
λ = μ ------------
2p a ρ
6.5.2: Edge Boundary Conditions

As presented in the previous section, the Squeezed Film Damping model uses the linearized Reynolds equation for
the given gap geometry. Now me must apply an appropriate edge boundary condition. The easiest choice is trivial
boundary condition (p = 0), but it is only valid if the plate dimensions are much larger than the film thickness. How-
ever, in practical MEMS devices, the flow escaping from the borders may contribute significantly to the damping
force. Experimental measurements and simulation performed by Vemuri et al. [23] show that the damping force
increases considerably due to the flow resistance introduced by escaping fluid turning around external edges, even for
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a film width/thickness ratio as high as 20.
An acoustic boundary condition adds an additional flow resistance to all fluidic nodes on the edge, as illustrated in
Figure 6-46. The additional flow resistance is calculated based Veijola et al [24]; see also [22].
Figure 6-46 Model of Flow Resistance Added with External Edge
In MEMS+ the acoustic boundary condition is calculated as follows:

δ-----p = ------
p-
δn ΔL
where ΔL is the length over which the pressure drops linearly to zero, p is the pressure in the gap, and n is the outward
normal.
How ΔL is calculated is determined by the Edge Flow Condition parameter, which is available in the Gap and the
Comb Stator components. If this parameter is set to Automated Elongation, MEMS+ will calculate ΔL based on Kn.
This built-in elongation formula is valid for Kn <100 and aspect ratios length/gap ≥ 2.
In addition, MEMS+ offers two user-defined elongation settings: Absolute Elongation and Elongation Relative to the
Gap. These two options can be used when the Automated Elongation is invalid (Kn > 100 and/or small aspect ratios
(for example, length/gap < 2). They can also be used by advanced users either to fine tune their damping for a very
specific case or to compare to another solver, such as CoventorWare.
If the Absolute Elongation option is selected, enter the elongation value in SI units; the default is 1µm.
If the Elongation Relative to the Gap option is selected, enter a relative elongation value (no unit). The default value
is 0.7 and will result in an elongation value of 0.7h where h is the height or thickness of the gap.

To use the Edge Flow Condition on a Gap component edge, set the Edge Type parameter of the corresponding edge to
Edge Flow (or leave it to Inherited if set in the parent component). If the Edge Type is not set to Edge Flow or inher-
ited as such from the parent, the Edge Flow Condition setting will be ignored.
The Edge Type of Zero Flow will result in δp/δn = 0.
Note that to set a trivial boundary condition on an edge, ground all the fluidic connectors on that edge.
Boundary conditions are set automatically in the Comb Stator component. To view which boundary conditions have
been set for a Comb Stator, right click on it, and select Get Info.
6.5.3: Fluidic Nodes/Connectors

The MEMS+ model evaluates the linearized Reynolds equation by discretizing it into a variable-order finite element.
This approach is an approximation of the definite integral over the fluid gap between the movable and the fixed
layer(s). When squeezed film damping is added to a component, Fluidic Connectors will be created in the gap
between movable and fixed layer(s) as shown in Figure 6-47. Fluidic connectors of Squeezed Film Damping compo-
nents can be seen as vertical lines in the Fluidic Connector Viewing Mode. Each fluidic connector represents fluidic
degrees of freedom with pressure as the across variable and volumetric flow as the through variable.
Figure 6-47 Squeezed Film Damping Fluidic Nodes/Connectors
During simulations the pressure and flow values at each fluidic connector position are calculated based on the initial
gap and motion of the mechanical structure. The number of fluidic nodes/connectors has a strong influence on the
speed and accuracy of the simulation. In order to achieve an optimal simulation performance, the user should reduce
the number of fluidic nodes to a minimum required to represent the pressure distribution inside the gap. The more flu-
idic nodes used, the beer the approximation, but at the cost of a longer simulation.
For each solver iteration (during the simulation), the model evaluates the gap thickness h, the movable layer velocity
v, and effective viscosityμeff at each integration point.
Connecting Adjacent Squeezed Film Damping Components

If two Squeezed Film Damping components touch each other, as shown in Figure 6-23, make sure the number of Flu-
idic Connectors on the common edge match. The image was created after applying the Wizard autoconnect feature
described in “Exposing Fluidic Connectors” on page R4-28 of the MEMS+ Reference.

Figure 6-48 Connecting Two Squeezed Film Damping Components
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Both images show two adjacent Squeezed Film Damping components added to an Arc and a Rectangle component.
The mismatch of the number of fluidic connectors on the common edge on the left hand image could not be resolved
by the Wizard. The fluidic connectors along the coincident edge remain unconnected. Such a connection configura-
tion will prevent fluid exchange between the adjacent Squeezed Film Damping components, which is equivalent to an
invisible wall separating the two adjacent fluid gaps. The lack of communication between the gaps will cause incor-
rect simulation results and should therefore to be avoided.
6.5.4: Squeezed Film Damping Gap Parameters

Table 6-5 Properties of the Squeezed Film Damping Gap Model
Gap Fluid Defines the fluid in the gap. This parameter will accept any fluid inherited -
material defined in the Material Database. If left to inherited, the gap
fluid will be assigned the Ambient Fluid designated in the top-level
Components Properties dialog. (see page C2-1).
Back Plate Pressure This option is only relevant if the electrode includes perforations. ambient
This input sets the pressure condition on the backside (opposite to the pressure
moving mechanical structure) of the fixed perforated Electrode/
Contact. Options are Ambient Pressure, Floating Pressure, or Floating
Pressure With Half Resistance. Please see “Perforation” on page C6-47
for additional information.
Number of Nodes Determines the number of simulation points/fluidic connectors created

in the specified direction or on the specified edge.
Rectangle, in x, in y 3,3
Triangular
Segment,
Rectangular
Segment,
Polynomial
Segment
Quadrilateral On Edge1 2 and 3-4, On Edge 2-3 and 4-1 3,3
Arc in Angular Direction, in Radial Direction 3,3
Pie On the Straight Edges 3
Beams Along the Length, Along the Width 3,3,

Accommodation Specifies the tangential momentum accommodation coefficient used Inherited -

Coefficient by the squeezed-film damping model. It may have a value between 0
and 1, where 0 is specular reflection and 1 is random reflection. This
coefficient is thought to be in the range of 0.8-1.0 for micromachined
surfaces. If left to Inherited, it will have the same value set in the top-
level Components (see page C2-3).
Parent Perforation Specifies a user-defined conductance for the mechanical (parent) layer. Built-in m2*s/kg
Conductance Density It must be a positive value. For more information, see Perforation Model
Conductance Density.
Gap Perforation Specifies a user-defined conductance for the gap layer. It must be a Built-in m2*s/kg
Conductance Density positive value. For more information, see Perforation Conductance Model
Density.
Edge Flow Condition This option is only relevant if any of the Edge Type parameters are set Inherited =
to Edge Flow. It determines how the pressure drops at the edge of the
component. For more information, see page C6-41.
If left to Inherited, it will have the same value set in the top-level
Components (see page C2-3).
Edge Type This parameter specifies whether fluid escaping along the particular
edge is subjected to edge-turning resistance.
User options are inherited, Edge Flow, and Zero Flow.
 Inherited: Boundary condition is determined by the Fixed Deposit
Protrusion parameter of the parent Electrode/Contact component.
Please refer to Edge Type Inheritance.
 Edge Flow: Models fluid flow in/out of the domain, accounting for
flow resistance at the edge (see “Edge Boundary Conditions” on
page C6-41). It assumes that the flow going out of the gap into open
space is governed by ambient pressure (variable set in the root
Components).
 Zero Flow: Models the flow along the edge with a Fixed Face Type
in the mechanical element; the assumption is that there is no fluid
flow in/out of the domain along this edge.
The Internal edge type can only be applied by the Wizard, and once
set, becomes a read-only property. The Wizard assigns this edge type if
the edge is attached to another component, so fluid will flow in/out
from one domain to the adjacent damping element domain.
Triangular Edge pressure can be set on x, Diagonal, y inherited

Segment
Rectangle, Edge pressure can be set on Lower y, Upper x, Upper y, Lower x inherited
Rectangular
Segment,
Polynomial
Segment
Quadrilateral Edge pressure can be set on Edge 1 2, Edge 2 3, Edge 3 4, Edge 4 1 inherited
Arc Edge pressure can be set on Inner Radius, Start Angle, Outer Radius, inherited
Extent Angle
Pie Edge pressure can be set on Start Angle, Radius, Extent Angle inherited
Beams Edge pressure is set on each end of the beam and on the left and right inherited
sides of the beam.

Perforation Conductance Density

The Parent Perforation Conductance Density and the Gap Perforation Conductance Density parameters can be used
to override the built-in perforation model with a user-defined conductance.
If the value is undefined, the squeezed film will use the built-in conductance density to model leakage through perfo-
rations; if a value/expression is entered, it will be used instead of the built-in value. Both the built-in model and the
user-defined model are based on an equivalent conductance density to approximate the leakage through perforations,
which means a homogenized leakage flow all over the plate is used to model the effect of the perforation grid. So for
the squeezed-film model, perforated plates are replaced by equivalent porous plates, with a leakage equally distrib-
uted all over the surface of the plate.
Note that the only restriction on the Parent Perforation Conductance Density and the Gap Perforation Conductance
Density parameters is that they must be positive values. The user can enter a custom value for one or both of these
parameters, but it is up to the user to calculate valid values for each of these parameters.
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Built-In Perforation Model
When a squeezed-film damper includes perforation on either of the plates (or both), the squeezed-film damping equa-
tion is modified to account for the loss coming from the fluid leakage through the holes. Perforation is taken into
account by considering an additional term (P / l 2) to the Reynolds equation:
2 2
12 μ- ∂P ------ + ∂--------
P- + ∂-------- --------- ∂-----h
–------------ P- = 12μ
P- – ---
h P 0 ∂t ∂x 2 ∂y 2 l 2 h ∂t
2 3
P0 is the ambient pressure. The coefficient l is referred to as an attenuation length by Bao [22]. It is defined as
3
h H eff η ( β )
l = ---------------------------
2 2
3β r0
with
4
3r0 K ( β )
η ( β ) = 1 + ----------------------
-
3
16H eff h
and
2 4
K ( β ) = 4β – β – 4lnβ – 3
Heff is the effective hole length defined as

3πr
H eff = H + -----------0
8
β is the ratio between the hole radius r0 and the containing cell radius rc; see Figure 6-49.
Based on these definitions, the built-in leakage conductance density, g, is
3
h -
g = -------------
2
12πl
User-Defined Perforation Model

If the user enters a value/expression instead of the default built-in model, the built-in conductance g is replaced by the
user-defined value. Note that you need to enter a conductance density, so if you extract a conductance for a single per-
foration cell with FEM computation for example, convert this value to a density using the following formula:

⋅ cellArea-
g = G
------------------------------
plateArea
In Figure 6-49, cellArea is the area of a small square (dotted lines), and plateArea is the area of the green plate:
Figure 6-49 Definition of CellArea and PlateArea
Edge Type Inheritance

The edge boundary conditions of the squeezed film damping for the Gap are defined by the Edge Type parameter. An
edge boundary condition is automatically chosen by the software based on the parent component if the corresponding
parameter is set to inherited. To understand what the inherited parameter means for each Edge Type, the user can
right click on the Squeezed Film Damping component, and select Get Info. This window lists the implied boundary
condition for each inherited parameter. Deposit Protrusion values and inherited boundary conditions are listed below:
Deposit Protrusion (from

Inherited Boundary Condition on Edge
Electrode/Contact parent)
No fringing fields Zero Flow if the mechanical connector(s) is fixed along that edge
Internal if the edge is connected to an adjacent component
0 Edge Flow
Positive value Edge Flow
Negative value Edge Flow
Inherited (for shape components Boundary condition is determined by the Face Type set in the
and End1 and End2 of beams) electrode's parent component
Added without the Electrode/Contact model:

Face Type (from the parent

Inherited Boundary Condition on Edge
mechanical component)
External Edge Flow
Internal (assigned only by the Internal

Wizard)
Fixed Zero Flow
Symmetry about XZ-Plane Internal
Symmetry about YZ-Plane Internal
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Perforation
The MEMS+ squeezed film damping model takes into account perforations in either the movable or fixed layer(s) by
adding an additional loss factor in the original Reynolds equation on page C6-42. The added loss factor depends on
the perforation geometry and the boundary condition being applied on the back side of the perforated plate. Three dif-
ferent back side boundary conditions are supported: Ambient Pressure, Floating Pressure, or Floating Pressure With
Half Resistance. The back side boundary condition can be set by the property Back Plate Pressure in the component’s
Properties dialog; see Table 6-5.
The squeezed film damping model supports perforations in either the movable or the fixed structure. For a MEMS+
model, including the perforations on either the movable or the fixed layer(s) will produce identical results. Note that
both the movable and fixed structure can include perforations.
Back Side Boundary Condition = Ambient Pressure

The option selected for the Back Plate Pressure parameter has an impact on the number of fluidic connectors created
by the Squeezed Film Damping component. If the Ambient Pressure option is selected, fluidic connectors are only
created in the gap between the movable and fixed layers as seen in Figure 6-50:
Figure 6-50 Perforated Deposition Layer with Ambient Back Side Pressure
Movable or fixed layer perforations are taken into account by considering the additional loss factor (p/l2) in the Reyn-
olds equation (compare with the original Reynolds equation on page C6-42):.
3
p a h  2  Δp p  ∂  Δp
-  ∇ ------- – ---- – h ------- = v
---------------
12μ eff   p a  l 2 ∂ t  p a 
With P defined as the pressure in the gap and l defined as the attenuation length, which depends on the shape of a sin-
gle perforation hole, the perforation density, and the thickness of the perforated layer [22]. The additional loss factor
accounts for the fluid flow through the perforation and is equivalent to adding a fluid resistor between each fluidic
node in the squeezed film gap and the ambient pressure.

Back Side Boundary Condition = Floating Pressure

The Floating Pressure option will create fluidic connectors in the gap between the movable and fixed layers as well as
on the back side of the perforated layer, as shown in Figure 6-51. The corresponding loss factor added to the Reyn-
olds equation takes the form (p-pB)/l2
3
p a h  2  Δp p – p B ∂  Δp
-  ∇ ------- – --------------- – h ------- = v
---------------
12μ eff   p a  l  ∂ t pa
2  
With p defined as the pressure in the gap, shown as lines, and pB defined as the pressure on the back side of the perfo-
rated layer, shown as markers in Figure 6-51. The added loss factor (p-pB)/l2 is equivalent to adding a flow resistor
between the fluidic nodes in the gap and their corresponding counterparts on the back side.
The Floating Pressure option can also be used to apply a non-ambient pressure on the back side of the perforated
deposition layer. Please refer to the corresponding add-on components Pressure Load on Fixed Perforated Deposit
and Fluid Back Chamber for Squeezed Film Damping for additional information.
Figure 6-51 Perforated Layer with Ambient Back Side Pressure
Back Plate Pressure = Floating Pressure With Half Resistance

The third back plate pressure condition, Floating Pressure With Half Resistance, adds the same fluidic connectors as
Back Side Boundary Condition = Floating Pressure; compare to Figure 6-51. The loss factor added to the original
Reynolds equation, is only half of what is with the Floating Pressure condition:
3
p a h  2  Δp p – p B ∂  Δp
-  ∇ ------- – --------------- – h ------- = v
---------------
12μ eff   p a  2l  ∂ t p a
2  
The Floating Pressure With Half Resistance option is used when a fixed perforated layer separates two squeezed film
damping gaps, as shown in Figure 6-52:
Figure 6-52 Perforated Layer between Two Squeezed Film Damping Gaps

Figure 6-52 shows a model of two squeezed film gaps exchanging fluid through a perforated layer located in between
the two gaps formed by toplyr/btmlyr and Substrate/btmlyr.
Note that it is required set the Back Plate Pressure = Floating Pressure With Half Resistance in both squeezed film
components in order to make sure that the two corresponding models only account for half of the loss resistors used
to model the common fixed perforated layer in the middle.
6.5.5: Squeezed Film Damping for Straight Comb Stators

The squeezed film damping model can be added to a Straight Comb Stator component. Comb damping is based on
the Reynold's equation that is already used for squeezed film damping models in the Gap components (see previous
sections). Comb Damping is constructed using Side Gap and Gap Models automatically connected together.
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With this model, the user only sets the number of nodes in the length, width, and height of the stator fingers. The
Accommodation Coefficient (see page C6-39) and Edge Flow Condition (see page C6-41) only need to be set if the
user does not want to use the inherited value from the top-level Components (see page C2-1).
6.5.6: Package Deformation

All squeezed film damping models support package deformation; see “Package Component” on page C5-1. In the
case of the Gap\squeezed film damping model, package deformation is automatically taken into account if the back
face of the selected fixed layer touches an imported package. In the case of the Straight Comb Stator\squeezed film
damping model, package deformation is taken into account if a bottom electrode is specified and its back face touches
an imported package. For more information, see “Interaction with Squeezed-Film Damping Model” on page C5-8.
6.5.7: Comparison with CoventorWare’s Reynolds Solver

Both the MEMS+ squeezed-film damping model and CoventorWare’s DampingMM Reynolds solver use the linear-
ized form of the Reynolds equation. And for both MEMS+ damping and the CoventorWare Reynolds solver, a key
assumption in using the linearized Reynolds equation is that the gap is small compared to the plate dimensions.
But for MEMS+, the squeezed-film model is nonlinear, which means that, for example, during a transient simulation
the Reynolds equation is linearized at each time step. Therefore, to the extent that even a large displacement is con-
strained by the size of the gap, and the previous limitation on the gap relative to the overall structure size is satisfied,
large displacements are accommodated by the MEMS+ model.
For CoventorWare DampingMM, the Reynolds equation is linearized about the initial gap and does NOT consider
gap changes due to the simulation, so the CoventorWare solver has the following restrictions: small amplitude motion
and small pressure changes.

6.6: Comb Model

6.6.1: Electrostatic Comb Model
For the comb/stator interaction, the forces and capacitance are derived from an accurate, analytical approximation of
the electrical field between the participating conductors. For the electrical field calculation, the following simplifying
assumptions are made:
 Because of the relatively slow motion of the comb fingers, the electrical field between them is quasi-static.
 According to the principle of superposition, the electrostatic field can be decomposed into simpler partial
fields. In calculating the partial fields, only neighboring fingers interact. The interaction of distant fingers is
neglected because of the weakening of electrostatic field lines.
 Fingers are considered equipotential: the voltage applied to the electrical connector associated with the comb
is constant and equally distributed.
 All comb fingers are rigid throughout the simulation.
Numerical Settings
The electrostatic field of the whole structure is approximated based on the evaluation of individual comb cells, each
consisting of three fingers, as seen Figure 6-53. The actual comb structure can be considered as a periodic repetition
of horizontally cascaded comb cells.
Figure 6-53 Definition of a Comb Cell
The number of comb cells that is evaluated at every solver iteration can be defined via Numerical Settings/ Comb
Cells. The position of the considered comb cells is automatically defined based on the numerical integration tech-
nique called Gaussian Quadrature [15], as illustrated in Figure 6-54. The comb cell force and capacitance contribu-
tions of all other comb cells (not evaluated) are approximated based on polynomial expansion.

Figure 6-54 Comb Cell Evaluation
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Note that finger endpoint locations do not need to coincide with real finger locations. The considered comb cell loca-
tions are defined by the positions of the Gauss integration points, which are mathematical constants. Finger endpoint
locations are visualized as markers in electrical viewing mode, as seen in Figure 6-55:
Figure 6-55 Comb Cells as Shown in Electrical Viewing Mode
Evaluated Evaluated
Comb Cells Comb Cells
The image shows two different Numerical Settings/ Comb Cells parameter settings. The parameter for the comb on
the left is set to 3 and on the right to 2. Hence, for the left comb, only three out of twelve comb cells are evaluated
during the simulation, and for the right comb, only two out of twelve comb cells are evaluated during the simulation.
The number of considered comb cells has a dramatic impact on the simulation performance: the more comb cells are
evaluated, the slower the simulation. Reducing the number of comb cells can drastically reduce the transient simula-
tion time. Low numbers (or even 1) are often sufficient for combs with straight, perpendicular edges; higher numbers
are recommended for polynomial and circular edges or comb structures that are subject to substrate deformation (see
“Interaction with Comb Stators” on page C5-10). In order to optimize the simulation performance, the user should
compare simulations results for different settings.

Electrostatic Calculations for Comb Cells

The electrostatic force and capacitance contributions of a comb cell are evaluated by decomposing them into field
regions marked as R1 to R5 in Figure 6-53. The capacitance matrix, as well as the force and moment vectors of each
field region, are evaluated by numerical integration along the principal axis of each region. The numerical integration
for the regions R1 to R3 is done in finger direction, as illustrated in Figure 6-56:
Figure 6-56 Evaluated Comb Cells
R4 represents the region between the movable finger and the stator (if the stator anchor width > 0). R5 represents the
region between the stator fingers and the movable plate. R4 and R5 also have force and capacitance contributions
from finger tip to finger side.
At each integration point the cross-section of the field region is decomposed into one or more 2-D fields that appear
in the different planes of the elementary cell, as illustrated in Figure 6-57 [4]:
Figure 6-57 2-D Electrostatic Fields Used in the Comb Components

The 2-D fields are created and evaluated based on conformal mapping techniques [18][19]. The actual shape and
scaling of the 2-D fields depend on the specified comb geometry, the current position of the movable comb fingers,
and the presence of the electrode layers (Top Electrode and Bottom Electrode layers), as shown in Figure 6-58:
Figure 6-58 Effect of Electrode 2-D Field in the Finger’s Overlap Region
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The number of integration points for the comb regions R1 to R3 integral is defined by the parameter Numerical Set-
tings/Integration Points. In the example shown in Figure 6-56, the parameter Numerical Settings/Integration Points is
set to 2, which sets two integration points for each of the three regions. The more integration points used, the better
the approximation, but at the cost of a longer simulation. Setting Integration Points to a low number is usually suffi-
cient and recommended for most comb drives used for in-plane actuation and motion detection; higher numbers are
recommended for combs with large out-of-plane rotations, as shown in Figure 6-59.
Figure 6-59 Comb Field Approximation for Out-of-Plane Finger Rotation
The electrostatic field in the overlapping region of the example comb cell is approximated based on the evaluation of
the 2-D fields in the two cross-sections. In this example the Numerical Settings/Integration Points parameter is again
set to 2. Additional integration points (and therefore cross-sections) will increase the accuracy of the 3-D comb field
approximation at the expense of the simulation performance.
As for the comb cells, Coventor recommends comparing the simulation results for different settings in order to find

the optimal trade-off between simulation accuracy and speed. The discretization of the comb cell regions R4 and R5
are not affected by the Numerical Settings/Integration Points parameter. Both regions are always internally repre-
sented by a single cross-section.
6.6.2: Damping Comb Model

Numerical Settings
Selecting the Squeezed Film model for a Straight Comb Stator component effectively adds a squeezed film model to
each side of the central finger of the considered comb cell, shown below. These four squeezed film models form a
damping cell for the comb. Because the Number of Comb Cells is set to 1, we have fluidic connectors only around the
central comb finger and stator fingers, which will represent the damping comb cell. The damping model will then
approximate the damping on the complete comb structure. For more information on comb cells, see page C6-50.

If a Top or Bottom Electrode is added to the Straight Comb Stator, another set of fluidic connectors/squeezed film
model is added accordingly:
Figure 6-60 Fluidic Connectors Added with Bottom Electrode
M
The number of comb cells that is evaluated at every solver iteration can be defined via Numerical Settings/ Comb-
Cells. The position of the considered comb cells is automatically defined based on the Gaussian Quadrature numeri-
cal integration technique (see Figure 6-54). The damping of all other comb cells (not evaluated) are approximated
based on polynomial expansion.
Below is an example of a damping comb cell created for simulation. For this stator, the Number of Comb Cells is set
to 1, so the damping comb cell is created at the middle of the stator. Because the Comb and Stator have an even num-
ber of fingers, the simulated comb cell (with its fluidic connectors) do not coincide with the actual geometry. The
considered comb cell locations are defined by the positions of the Gauss integration points, which are mathematical
constants.
Figure 6-61 Simulated Damping Comb Cell
Figure 6-62 shows the effect of changing the number of comb cells for the squeezed film damping model:

Figure 6-62 Varying Number of Cells
Number of Cells = 2
Number of Cells = 3
Damping Calculations for Comb Cells

The number of considered comb cells has a dramatic impact on the simulation performance: the more comb cells are
evaluated, the slower the simulation. Reducing the number of comb cells can drastically reduce the transient
simulation time. Low numbers (or even 1) are often sufficient for combs with straight, perpendicular edges; higher
numbers are recommended for polynomial and circular edges or comb structures that are subject to substrate
deformation (see “Interaction with Comb Stators” on page C5-10). In order to optimize the simulation performance,
the user should compare simulations results for different settings.
For squeezed film damping, in most cases a single cell is enough to approximate damping for translational modes; but
more cells may be needed for rotational modes. When the number of cells is strictly lower than the number of fingers
in the comb, the solver uses a periodic boundary condition on the damping cell. Periodic means that the right edge of
the first stator finger is fluidically connected to the left edge of the second stator finger, as highlighted below:

Figure 6-63 Periodic Boundary Condition for Damping Comb Cell
M
Using a periodic model means that we assume the damping in the cell to be equivalent to the damping per cell in an
infinite number of cells. This leads to a good approximation as soon as the number of real cells approximated by the
numerical cell number is large enough (with ratio > 4 we have an error < 5%). For ratios smaller than two, the user
should switch to the full model by setting the Number of Comb Cells to All.

6.7: Piezoelectric Model

The Piezoelectric Model can be added as a property of flexible components (plates and beams) or as a parameter in
the Stack Component. It can only be added to components with the Model Type set to Shell Elements. It is used to
model the electromechanical behavior of a piezoelectric material in a flexible structure. It can either be used to actu-
ate a flexible shape or to convert mechanical motion into an electrical signal based on the piezoelectric effect.
When a Piezoelectric model is added to a component, it will search its flexible shape parent component for a conduc-
tor material/piezoelectric material/conductor material sequence (as shown in Figure 6-64) in the selected deposit
stack of the parent component.
Figure 6-64 Piezoelectric Deposit Stack
If the Piezoelectric Deposit is valid, it will create two electrical connectors: one for the top conductor material and
one for the bottom conductor material. In addition, both a capacitance and conductance pin are added to the Output
tree. If the piezoelectric deposit test fails, the component will be in an error state and show the corresponding error
message in its Properties dialog.
To create a piezoelectric deposit stack, use multiple Stack components, rather than the Optional Model parameter that
is available in the flexible components.
Note that the Piezoelectric model inherits its nonlinear/linear status from its mechanical parent.
During the simulation, a voltage-dependent piezoelectric stress is applied to the piezoelectric deposit seen in Figure
6-65.
Figure 6-65 Piezoelectric Model with Voltage
Note that in MEMS+, electrical conductivity is a switch to designate a material as either a conductor or dielectric.
However, when it comes to piezoelectric models, a piezoelectric material that has a non-zero electrical conductivity
(thus appears as a conductor) can be inserted between two other conductors and still create a capacitor.
The piezoelectric stress is calculated by
σ p = – eE
where E is the electric field vector in the PZE material:
0
E = 0
Vb – Vt-
-----------------
h
h is the thickness of the piezoelectric material, and (Vb-Vt) is the voltage difference applied between the two electri-
cal pins, labeled Vb and Vt.

The built-in PZE model can also be used for piezoelectric sensing. Piezoelectric sensing is modeled by creating a
stress/strain-dependent current flow from electrical pin Vt to Vb. The total current i between the electrical pins,
including the electrical current generated by the internal resistance 1/ ρ, the capacitance C, and the PZE material
strain depending charge Q is calculated as follows:
i = d ( Vt – Vb )C + dQ + ( Vt – Vb )ρ
dt dt
The capacitance C can be evaluated as
C = ε zeff S ⁄ h
where S is the surface of the piezoelectric deposit, ε zeff is the effective permittivity of the piezoelectric material
M
under plane stress assumption in the vertical direction, and h is the thickness of the deposit.
Note that ε z = ε 0 × ε r , and ε is ε r and ε in the z direction; this is the only relative permittivity that is relevant
eff r ε r
in the piezoelectric model.
This model assumes a thin piezoelectric film is deposited on a thicker structure. As such, the film is under mixed
mechanical conditions where vertical stress is free to relax, but not in-plane stresses. As detailed in [25], these condi-
tions yield an effective permittivity:
2
ε zeff = ε zε + e z:zz ⁄ C zzzz
where ε z ε is the permittivity of the piezoelectric material at constant strain, e z:zz is the piezo-strain coupling coeffi-
cient linking the stress in z to the electric field in z, and Czzzz is the elastic stiffness coefficient in z.
When an external load, in the form of a resistor, is inserted between terminal Vt and Vb, the piezoelectric stack will
act like a current source in the short circuit extreme (R=0), but will act like a voltage source in the open circuit
extreme (R=inf). For R values in between these extremes, the piezoelectric stack will act as a current and voltage
source, proportional to the external load value, R. Note that Vt-Vb = iR, where i is as described and R is the external
load.
Computation of piezoelectric current requires the use of a conservation solver, such as Cadence Spectre. Signal
flow solvers, such as MATLAB/Simulink, will not be able to calculate current output.
Piezoelectric coefficients, electrical conductivity, and relative permittivity are set in the Materials Properties Data-
base (see page R1-1 of the MEMS+ Compact Modeling Reference) and automatically extracted for the piezoelectric
materials assigned in the Process Editor.
Note that the piezoelectric model inherits its nonlinear/linear status from its mechanical parent.

6.8: Piezoresistive Model

The Piezoresistive model can be added as a property of the Beam component (see page C3-69). It can only be added
to the component if the Model Type is set to Bernoulli Beam. It models the electromechanical behavior of a piezore-
sistive material in a flexible structure by converting the elongation into a change of resistivity. Note that only axial
strains are accounted for in the conversion; strains resulting from flexure that would induce a change of resistivity are
not accounted for in the conversion.
When the Piezoresistive model is selected, it searches the deposit stack for a piezoresistive material. The piezoresisi-
tive deposit can also be explicitly selected from the deposit list under the Piezoresistive model properties. If the
piezoresistive deposit is valid, Innovator creates two electrical connectors: one for each end of the piezoresistive
deposit, as shown below. In addition, a conductance pin is added to the Output tree. If the piezoresistive deposit is not
valid, the component will be in an error state and show the corresponding error message in the Properties dialog.
Figure 6-66 Piezoresistive Model with its Connectors
When the Wizard is run on a beam that uses the Piezoresistive model, the two electrical connectors of the beam are
incorrectly connected. To correct this issues, manually disconnect these electrical connectors so that the
conductance pin reappears, or before running the Wizard, uncheck the Connect Electrical Connectors option in the
Document Properties dialog (see page R4-30 for more details).
In MEMS+, electrical conductivity is a switch to designate a material as either an ideal conductor or ideal dielectric.
However, when it comes to a piezoresistive model, the piezoresistive material must have non-zero electrical conduc-
tivity (thus appears as a conductor), but still create a conductance.
The conductance of the piezoresistive deposit is calculated by
S0
G = ------------------- A ( t )L ( t )
1 + πl σl
where S0 is the electrical conductivity, πl is the piezoresistive coefficient in the direction of the beam, σl is the axial
stress, A(t) is the cross-section area of the piezoresistive deposit at any given time, and L(t) is the length of the beam
at any given time.
Piezoresistive coefficients and electrical conductivity are set in the Materials Properties Database and are automati-
cally extracted for the piezoresistive materials assigned in the Process Editor.
Note the following:
 The piezoresistive model is always nonlinear.
 When the Piezoresistive model is added to a component, the Vertical Offset is ignored.

6.8.1: Example
To demonstrate how this model works, we will use a simple cantilever beam with a piezoresistive material:
M
The first step in using the piezoresistive model is to include a piezoresistive material in the device deposit stack. A
material is designated as piezoresistive by including piezoresistive coefficients, as shown below:
Next that material is specified for a deposit:
Because the piezoresistive model can only be used with the Bernoulli Beam model, you may want to designate this
model for the Beam component in the associated component library:

In Innovator, we add a Beam model, and specify a deposit stack that includes the piezoresistive material. It can be
multiple deposits or just the piezoresistive material. We can then select the Piezoresistive Model from the Optional
Model drop-down menu. Note that if you select the Piezoresistive Model and there is no piezoresistive material in the
deposit stack, Innovator will display an error when you click on Apply or OK in the Beam Properties dialog.
Before we run the Wizard, we open the Document Properties dialog (by clicking on the Open document icon ),
and uncheck the Wizard Actions > Connect > Electrical option so that the two electrical connectors and Conductance
output pin are preserved. After running the Wizard, we expose the electrical connector at Beam End 2:

M
In Simulator, we change the M2_x,_y, and _z degrees of freedom to Force Source Types instead of Position, and we
set up a DC Sweep that varies the force on the M2_x DOF:
After running the DC Sweep, the GetInfo window for the analysis shows conductance output for each force value. We
can also plot the conductance results in Simulator:

The current output can be calculated from the conductance values multiplied by the applied voltage (1 V). Figure 6-
67 shows the force versus the calculated current. MEMS+ correctly predicts that for a piezoresistive material, when
force is applied to a piezoresistor, its resistance increases, and its current output decreases.
Figure 6-67 Current Output in Relation to Force

Section 7: References Version 6.2
Section 7: References
1 ABAQUS Theory Manual Version 5.7, 1997.

2 M. S. Floater and K. Hormann. “Barycentric rational interpolation with no poles and high rates of approxima-
tion.” NumerischeMathematik, 107(2):315-331, Aug. 2007.
3 G. Lorenz, R. Neul. "Network-type modeling of micromachined sensor systems" in Proc. 2. Int. Conf. on Model-
ing and Simulation of Microsystems, MSM98, Santa Clara, April 1998, pp. 233-238.
4 G. Lorenz, R. Neul, and S. Dickmann. "Modeling of electrostatic MEMS components" in Proc. 2. Int. Conf. on
Modeling and Simulation of Microsystems, MSM99, San Juan, April 1999, pp. 128-131.
M
5 J. Przemieniecki. Theory of Matrix Structural Analysis. New York: Dover Publications, 1985.
6 G. Lorenz, Netzwerksimulation mikromechanischer Systeme. Dissertation, Universität Bremen, Shaker Verlag,
1999.
7 M.P. de Boer, and T.A. Michalske. "Accurate method for determining adhesion of cantilever beams," Journal of
Applied Physics, Vol. 86, No.2, 15 July 1999.
8 Warren C. Young. Roark’s Formulas for Stress & Strain. McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1989.
9 Stephen D. Senturia. Microsystem Design. Boston: KAP, 2000.
10 M. I. Friswell. "Model Reduction using Dynamic and Iterated IRS Techniques," Journal of Sound and Vibration
(1995) 186(2), 311-323.
11 Leif Myklebust, and Bjorn Skallerud. "Model Reduction Methods for Flexible Structures," 15th Nordic Seminar
on Computational Mechanics, 18-19 October, 2002, Aalborg, Denmark.
12 J. N. Reddy. Mechanics of Laminated composite plates and shells, CRC Press, 2004.
13 Walter D. Pilkey. Analysis and Design of Elastic Beams Computational Methods, John Wiley & Son, Inc, 2002.
14 Klaus-Jürgen Bathe. Finite Element Procedures, Prentice Hall International, Inc, 1996.
15 D. Chapelle, and K. J. Bathe. The Finite Element Analysis of Shells: Fundamentals, Springer, 2003.
16 D. Chapelle, and K. J. Bathe. "The mathematical shell model underlying general shell elements," International
Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering, 48(2): 289-313, 2000.
17 R.S. Timsit. "Electrical contact resistance: properties of stationary interfaces," IEEE Transac. on Components
and Packaging Technology, 22(1) 1999, 85.
18 Steven G. Krantz. Handbook of Complex Variables. Birkhäuser, 1999.
19 Prem K. Kythe. Computational Conformal Mapping. Birkhäuser, 1998.
20 D. Teegarden, G. Lorenz, and R. Neul, "How to model and simulate microgyroscope systems," IEEE Spectrum
(July 1998) pp. 66-75.
21 S. Roundy and P. K.Wright, “A piezoelectric vibration based generator for wireless electronics,” Smart Materials
and Structures (2004) pp. 1131-1142.
22 M.Bao, H.Yang, “Squeeze Film air damping in MEMS”, Sensors and Actuators A: Physical DOI:10.1016/
j.sna.2007.01.008
23 S. Vemuri, G. K. Fedder, T. Mukherjee, “Low order square film model for simulation of MEMS devices,” in:
Proc. MSM’00, San Diezo, USA, March 27–29, 2000, pp. 205–208.
24 T. Veijola, K. Ruokonen, I. Tittonen, “Compact model for the squeezed-film damping including the open border
effects”, in: Proc. MSM’01, Hilton Head Island, USA, March 19–21, 2001, pp. 76–79.

Section 7: References Version 6.2
25 S. Gevorgian, A. Tagantsev, A. K.Vorobiev, Tuneable Film Bulk Acoustic Wave Resonators. Springer-Verlag,
2013.

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6.

MEMS+ Component Reference

ii March 29, 2018 Coventor, Inc.

1.2: Available Components........................................................................... C1-4

2.2: Properties................................................................................................ C2-1

2.3: Numerical Simulation Settings.............................................................. C2-4

2.4: Rayleigh Damping .................................................................................. C2-7

2.5: Unit Scale Factors .................................................................................. C2-8

2.6: Right Click Options ................................................................................ C2-8

3.2: Package ................................................................................................... C3-2

3.3: SubSchematic......................................................................................... C3-2

Coventor, Inc. March 29, 2018 iii

3.4: Rigid Plate ...............................................................................................C3-6

3.5: Rigid Geometry .....................................................................................C3-41

3.6: Straight Comb .......................................................................................C3-42

3.7: Flexible Shapes.....................................................................................C3-47

3.8: Beams ....................................................................................................C3-69

iv March 29, 2018 Coventor, Inc.

Adding a Gap......................................................................................................... C3-98

3.9: Suspensions ....................................................................................... C3-108

3.10: Spring ................................................................................................ C3-120

3.11: Damper .............................................................................................. C3-123

3.12: Electrical Pad .................................................................................... C3-125

3.13: Layout............................................................................................... C3-129

3.14: Fluid Components ............................................................................ C3-137

Section 4: Component Add-Ons

Coventor, Inc. March 29, 2018 v

4.1.2: Independently Shaped Gap ................................................................................... C4-11

4.2: Inherited Movable Gap .........................................................................C4-34

4.3: Comb Stators ........................................................................................C4-43

4.4: Stack Components ...............................................................................C4-66

4.5: Fluid Back Chamber .............................................................................C4-71

4.6: Fluid Side Chamber ..............................................................................C4-76

4.7: Pressure Load .......................................................................................C4-78

vi March 29, 2018 Coventor, Inc.

4.7.3: Pressure Load on Fixed Perforated Deposit .......................................................... C4-79

Section 5: Package Component

5.2: How to Import a Package....................................................................... C5-2

5.4: Package in a Simulation ...................................................................... C5-13

Section 6: Underlying Model Theory

Coventor, Inc. March 29, 2018 vii

Multi-Layer Shells .................................................................................................. C6-13

6.2: Stack Model ...........................................................................................C6-27

6.3: Electrode/Contact Model......................................................................C6-28

6.4: Side Electrode/Contact Model .............................................................C6-38

6.5: Squeezed Film Damping Model ...........................................................C6-39

viii March 29, 2018 Coventor, Inc.

6.5.4: Squeezed Film Damping Gap Parameters ............................................................ C6-43

6.6: Comb Model .......................................................................................... C6-50

6.7: Piezoelectric Model .............................................................................. C6-58

6.8: Piezoresistive Model ............................................................................ C6-60

Coventor, Inc. March 29, 2018 ix

x March 29, 2018 Coventor, Inc.

Coventor, Inc. March 29, 2018 C1-1

Figure 1-1 Complex Mechanical Structure Made of Basic Shapes

C1-2 March 29, 2018 Coventor, Inc.

1.1.1: Features in the MEMS+ Behavioral Model Library

Coventor, Inc. March 29, 2018 C1-3

1.2: Available Components

Table 1-1 Library Components

Category Icon Component Name Page

Top-Level Component Components C2-1

Local Frame Local Frame R3-1

SubSchematic SubSchematic C3-2