A novel MEMS electromagnetic actuator with large displacement

This paper presents a novel MEMS actuator driven by Lorentz force. The actuator has a structure of folded beams, which is favorable for a large lateral stroke. A displacement of more than 55 pm was achieved with a magnetic field of 0.14T and the diving current of 8 mA. The actuator can generate a large displacement under a low driving voltage and can easily be integrated with CMOS circuits. Lorentz force is proportional to the magnetic field and the driving current, which results in an easy control of the lateral displacement on the diving current. The simple structure and fabrication process ensure the actuator to have a high fabrication yield and good stability. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.