Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Control circuits for electromagnetic devices – For relays or solenoids
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-21
2004-02-03
Dinkins, Anthony (Department: 2836)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Control circuits for electromagnetic devices
For relays or solenoids
C361S166000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06687112
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a control system for an electrostatically-driven microelectromechanical device; and more particularly, to a system which uses multiple electrodes to control the microelectromechanical device, and selects an electrode pattern and a corresponding driving voltage to drive the microelectromechanical device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent decade, the research for constructing MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical System) by integrating microelectronics, microstructures and micro-optical components has been increased dramatically. The key technology in developing the next generation optical MEMS and RF MEMS components relies on the research of the micro-optics, radio-frequency based micro-electro-mechanics. It is noted that MEMS based devices can be applied to various fields which are much attractive to the commercial oriented venture capital. Among others, the essential reason is that by using MEMS technology to design and develop a system is capable of using batch semiconductor manufacturing process to fabricate small sized devices with low cost and high performance, which can comply closely with the trend of environmental protections and economic considerations. Thus it is considered to be the most important technology in developing so called Next Generation Manufacturing Technology.
MEMS has played an important role in developing key technology for optical/wireless communication, and biotechnology using existing or self-developed micro-sensors and/or micro-actuators, for example the MEMS has been widely used for various microwave and millimeter wave applications in the last decade. One of the most important components used in VCO circuits of RF systems is a tunable capacitor, and the MEMS based capacitor can avoid high power losses associated with semiconductors at high frequency. Generally, electrostatically actuating method is thought to be the most common driving method for a MEMS system, since electrostatically driven MEMS system contain advantages of higher operation frequency and lower power consumption. Therefore, in the course of designing a MEMS system, an electrostatic force has been widely used in the fields, such as micro-actuators, micro-sensors, optical components, millimeter wave switches and micro-fluidics.
Conventionally, the electrostatically driven MEMS system always employs two parallel plates with a fixed area and a bias voltage to produce a desired electrostatic force. The more an overlapping area is, the greater an actuating force is generated. However, there is a nonlinear relationship existing between the actuating force and the applied driving voltage (i.e. bias voltage), such that a control design for applications in MEMS system becomes difficult to accomplish, namely, the non-linearity transfer characteristic of electrostatic driving method usually limits the feasibility of the practical realization. Moreover, in order to achieve the accuracy for each of various applications, it needs to employ a sophisticated circuit design with a limited success to comply with a design specification. Nevertheless, this problem prevents us to develop a realistic MEMS system, and it also results in another problem on cost efficiency.
Accordingly, it is necessary to develop a control system so as to improve the existing problem for the nonlinear relationship between the electrostatic force and the corresponding driving voltage, such that possibly obtains the driving characteristics such as a linear driven, a digital driven, and an ultimately optimal driven manners on the MEMS system based on each of the various applications. Thus, it is able to reach a higher operation accuracy for the existing MEMS system which currently only contains a limit accuracy.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, in order to overcome the problem described on above, an object of the invention is to provide a control system for an electrostatically-driven microelectromechanical device, which uses multiple electrodes to control the microelectromechanical device, and selects an electrode pattern and a corresponding driving voltage to drive the microelectromechanical device, such that depending on various applications, the control system in accordance with the invention is capable of altering a non-linearity of the device and achieving important characteristics such as a linear driven, a digital driven, and an ultimately optimal driven manners on the MEMS system as well as improving an accuracy of the MEMS system.
For achieving the above object, according to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a control system for an electrostatically-driven microelectromechanical device, comprising: a movable plate, actuated by an electrostatic force, for generating a rotation and a translation actions; multiple electrostatically-driving electrodes, for generating the electrostatic force by applying driving voltages; a switching matrix circuit, having electrical switching components, for switching multiple electrostatic driving electrodes; and a controller, for determinating operation characteristics of the electrostatically-driven microelectromechanical device and selecting electrode patterns through said switching matrix circuit.
Further, according to the above aspect, wherein the above movable plate is a micromechanical suspension element.
Further, according to the above aspect, wherein the multiple electrostatically-driving electrodes are micromechanically fixed plates, and each electrode has a rectangular, a circular and a polygonal shapes as well as has equal of different areas.
Further, according to the above aspect, wherein the electrical switching components of the switching matrix circuit include relays, analog switches, and translator arrays.
Further, according to the above aspect, wherein the controller has a processing unit along with an associate peripheral, and wherein the processing unit is a microprocessor, and the associate peripheral is a memory circuit.
Further, according to the above aspect, wherein the operation characteristics are transfer characteristics of the microelectromechanical device, including physical quantities which are output parameters of the microelectromechanical device and applied DC voltages.
Further, according to the above aspect, wherein the electrode patterns are formed of electrodes which are selected from the multiple electrostatically-driving electrodes in order to form an area for generating the electrostatic force.
Thus, by using the control system in accordance with the invention, the MEMS is possible to have the following efficacies:
1. For different MEMS applications, the control design can be a linear driven, digital driven, and optimal driven manners, etc.;
2. The operation accuracy of the MEMS can be determined by total number of selected multiple electrodes; and
3. The performed of the MEMS can reach a desired accuracy even with a restriction of the limited accuracy of the power supply.
These and other object, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments thereof, which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4448346 (1984-05-01), Kuwaki et al.
patent: 4663538 (1987-05-01), Cotton et al.
patent: 6039316 (2000-03-01), Jackson et al.
Chiou Jin-Chern
Lin Yu-Chen
Dinkins Anthony
National Chiao Tung University
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