Flow sensor based on the snap-through detection of a curved micromechanical beam.

We report on a flow velocity measurement technique based on snap-through detection of an electrostatically actuated, bistable micromechanical beam. We show that induced elecro-thermal Joule heating and the convective air cooling change the beam curvature and consequently the critical snap-through voltage (VST ). Using single crystal silicon beams, we demonstrate the snap-through voltage to flow velocity sensitivity of dV ST/du ≈ 0.13 V s m -1 with a power consumption of ≈ 360 µ W. Our experimental results were in accord with the reduced order, coupled, thermo-electro-mechanical model prediction. We anticipate that electrostatically induced snap-through in curved, micromechanical beams will open new directions for the design and implementation of downscaled flow sensors for autonomous applications and environmental sensors.

Experimental dynamic trapping of electrostatically actuated bistable micro-beams.

We demonstrate dynamic snap-through from a primary to a secondary statically inaccessible stable configuration in single crystal silicon, curved, doubly clamped micromechanical beam structures. Nanoscale motion of the fabricated bistable micromechanical devices was transduced using a high speed camera. Our experimental and theoretical results collectively show, that the transition between the two stable states was solely achieved by a tailored time dependent electrostatic actuation. Fast imaging of micromechanical motion allowed for direct visualization of dynamic trapping at the statically inaccessible state. These results further suggest that our direct dynamic actuation transcends prevalent limitations in controlling geometrically non-linear microstructures, and may have applications extending to multi-stable, topologically optimized micromechanical logic and non-volatile memory architectures.

Snap-through buckling of initially curved microbeam subject to an electrostatic force.

In this paper, the snap-through buckling of an initially curved microbeam subject to an electrostatic force, accounting for fringing field effect, is investigated. The general governing equations of the curved microbeam are developed using Euler-Bernoulli beam theory and used to develop a new criterion for the snap-through buckling of that beam. The size effect of the microbeam is accounted for using the modified couple stress theory, and intermolecular effects, such as van der Waals and Casimir forces, are also included in our snap-through formulations. The snap-through governing equations are solved using Galerkin decomposition of the deflection. The results of our work enable us to carefully characterize the snap-through behaviour of the initially curved microbeam. They further reveal the significant effect of the beam size, and to a much lesser extent, the effect of fringing field and intermolecular forces, upon the snap-through criterion for the curved beam.