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Published on: August 15, 2014
Two-Directional Operation of Bistable Latchable Micro Switch Actuated by a Single Electrode
Lior Medina1, Rivka Gilat2, Bojan Ilic3
1School of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv 69978, Israel; liormedi@post.tau.ac.il, krylov@tauex.tau.ac.il.
Abstract:
Curved micromechanical beams are a versatile platform for exploring multistable behavior, with potential applications in mechanical based logic elements and electrical and optical switches. Here we demonstrate bidirectional electrostatic actuation of a bistable, latched, micromechanical beam by the same electrode, which was used for the snap-through switching of the device. The release of the mechanically-latched beam is achieved by pre-loading the structure using a rising voltage applied to the electrode, followed by a sudden decrease of the voltage. This abrupt removal of the loading results in a transient response and dynamic snap-back of the beam.
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