Structural behavior of a multi-layer based microbeam actuator

In this paper, the structural behavior of a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) composed of two electrically coupled parallel clamped-clamped microbeams is investigated. An Euler Bernoulli beam model is considered along with the nonlinear electric actuating force to get the equation of motion governing the structural behavior of the actuator. A reduced-order modeling (ROM) based on the Galerkin expansion technique, while assuming linear undamped mode shapes of a straight fixed-fixed beam as the basis functions, is assumed as a discretization technique of the equations of motion in this investigation. The results showed that the double-microbeam MEMS actuator configuration requires a lower actuation voltage and a lower switching time as compared to the single microbeam actuator. Then, the effects of both microbeams air gap depths were investigated. Finally, the eigenvalue problem was investigated to get the variation of the fundamental natural frequencies of the coupled parallel microbeams with the applied actuating DC load.