Experimental Investigation of Bouncing Dynamics of a MEM Switch Under Electrostatic Actuation

Abstract Advantages of MEMS technology such as low-cost, low power consumption, high functionality, and small size and light weight of the devices. The aim of the present research is to understand the bouncing dynamic behavior of MEM switches in order to improve the switch performance and reliability. It is well known that the bouncing can dramatically degrade the switch performance and life; hence, in the present study, bouncing dynamics of a cantilever-based MEM switch has been studied in detail. To this end, a model of MEM switch that incorporates electrostatic force, squeeze film air damping force as well as asperity-based contact force has been proposed for an electrostatically actuated switch. Euler-Bernoulli beam theory and an approximate approach based on Galerkin’s method have been employed for predicting transient dynamic responses. In the present study, performance parameters such as initial contact time, permanent contact time, major bounce height, and the number of bounces have been quantified in the presence of interactive system nonlinearities. Prototype design and fabrication through UW-MEMS process and an experimental investigation via a micro-scanning laser Doppler vibrometer system are also performed to verify the analytical predictions. The present investigation on the bouncing dynamic behavior of a class of MEM switches is envisaged to yield greater insight into the design, reliability and performance predictions for this class of switches.