Near Zero-Power Omnidirectional, In-Plane Pull-In-Based MEMS Switch
This work presents a novel, in-plane, near zero-power omnidirectional MEMS switch device based on the nonlinear pull-in effect. The proposed design features a suspended movable mass anchored by six planar spiral springs, ensuring uniform stiffness in all in-plane directions. The inertial contact threshold is tuned by omnidirectional parallel-plate electrostatic actuators. Experimental results validate the device's tunability in multiple directions, with thresholds ranging from 400 mg to 5.25 g for an actuation voltage range between 14 V and 5 V, respectively. These results demonstrate the device's potential for reliable and versatile, near-zero power, multi-threshold acceleration detection.
Authors
- Carlos Ferreira (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9488-5003)
- Jorge M. Pereira (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7594-3535)
- Rosana A. Dias (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3877-0946)
- Fahimullah Khan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6471-9602)
- Jorge Cabral (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9954-9746)
- Inês S. Garcia (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4605-6961)
- J. Fernandes (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1620-7618)
- Filipe S. Alves (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3439-8235)
- Filipa C. Mota (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-8990-8145)
Institutions
- California Earthquake Authority (US)
- International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (PT)
Publication Details
- Published
- 2025-06-29
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1109/transducers61432.2025.11110619
- Primary Topic
- Advanced MEMS and NEMS Technologies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00