Electrostatically levitated microactuators

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Abstract
A practical bearing for micromotors using non-contact electrostatic levitation has been proposed previously by the authors. The electrostatic levitation bearing uses the capacitance of a micromotor in a tuned circuit to achieve stability without the use of a feedback sensor. The authors have also experimentally demonstrated the feasibility and robustness of this proposed bearing concept. In the present work, the authors extend the stability analysis to six full degrees of freedom. The analysis is used to design an electrostatically levitated linear actuator, where a slider element is levitated and actuated. Motive force for the forward stroke is provided by additional drive electrodes, while the force for the return stroke is provided by the levitation circuits themselves. Experimental results showing 25 mu m to 600 mu m slider motion with concurrent levitation are presented.

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