An electrostatically actuated MEMS microgripper with high amplification for precision manipulation

This paper presents a low-voltage electrostatically actuated MEMS microgripper with high amplified displacements. The design incorporates a novel compliant mechanical amplifier that efficiently converts vertical motions into horizontal motions, resulting in a high amplification ratio of 9.25. The design incorporates a capacitive displacement sensor that can accurately measure the microgripper’s jaw movement. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is utilized to optimize the design parameters, considering the fabrication constraints. The fabrication is based on the standard silicon-on-insulator micromachining process (SOIMUMPs), combined with an in-house etching process. Experimental testing demonstrates a maximum jaw displacement of 26.8 μm at a low applied voltage of 18 V. A successful grasping of a micro-object is demonstrated, which validates the practicality and effectiveness of the proposed design. Such a microgripper can be promising for the growing need for precise micromanipulation in various applications, such as biological cell manipulation and micro assembly.