Design of a MEMS-based motion stage based on a lever mechanism for generating large displacements and forces

Published

July 6, 2016

Author(s)

Yong Sik Kim, Hongliang Shi, Nicholas Dagalakis, Satyandra K. Gupta

Abstract

Conventional miniaturized motion stages have the volume of 50 to 60 cm3 and the range of motion around 100 µm. Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS)-based motion stages have been good alternatives in some applications for small foot print, micron-level accuracy and a lower cost. However, existing MEMS-based motion stages are able to provide a force of µN level, small displacements (less than tens of microns), and need additional features for practical applications like a probe or a stage. In this paper, a single degree of freedom (DOF) motion stage is design and analyzed for a larger displacement, a larger output force, a smaller out-of-plane deformation, and a bigger moving stage for further applications. For these purposes, the presented motion stage is designed with a thermal actuator, folded springs, and a lever, and it is experimentally characterized. Furthermore, three different types of flexure joints are investigated to characterize their capabilities and suitability to serve as the revolute joint of the lever: a beam, a cartwheel, and a butterfly flexure. The presented motion stage has a moving stage of 15 mm x 15 mm and shows a maximum displacement over 80 µm, and out-of-plane deformation under a weight of 120 µN less than 2 µm. The force generated by the actuator is estimated to be 68.6 mN.

Citation

Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering

Pub Type

Journals

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Keywords

MEMS, motion stage, thermal actuator, folded beam, cartwheel flexure, butterfly flexure

Citation

Kim, Y. , Shi, H. , Dagalakis, N. and Gupta, S. (2016), Design of a MEMS-based motion stage based on a lever mechanism for generating large displacements and forces, Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=920668 (Accessed October 14, 2024)