Abstract

As the development of fiber optic communications, Micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) technology has been one of the most promising technologies to create optical components. MEMS devices have a number of advantages, such as small size, low power consumption, etc. However, more works and researches need to be done to improve the reliability, lifetime and functionality of these devices. The focus of this project is to investigate the fundamental mechanical and physical properties of simple microstructures utilized in typical MEMS devices. In this project, an electrostatically driven micro actuator comprising a micro plate and a cantilever beam associated with thin film stresses is designed. The individual parts of the device are modeled and designed. First of all, the mechanical and physical effect of thin film stresses on the cantilever beam is modeled and simulated. Then the electrostatic and mechanical properties of the cantilever beam and the micro plate are investigated. In order to verify our results with practical devices, the proposed devices are fabricated using standard surface micromachining process, MUMPS technology, followed by post-processing technology. Experimental results and observations prove the modeling and simulation results are in good agreement with the experimental results. Furthermore some improvements and modifications of the fabricated devices are proposed for future research.