Analysis of Unstable Behavior Occurring in Electro-Mechanical Microdevices

	MSM 99 Technical Proceedings of the 1999 International Conference on Modeling and Simulation of Microsystems Chapter 8: Numerics, Algorithims
	Analysis of Unstable Behavior Occurring in Electro-Mechanical Microdevices
Authors:	E.-R. König and G. Wachutka
Affilation:	Münich University of Technology, DE
Pages:	330 - 333
Keywords:	micromechanical devices, stability analysis, electrostatic drive, simulation, micromirror, membrane
Abstract:	We analyze the instability which is inherent to electrostatically driven microdevices. Further, we propose a homotopy method to overcome this difficulty during simulation of these devices. Starting from a simplified model, the governing differential equations are formulated and their stability behaviour is analyzed. Based on this analysis, a homotopy method is presented which overcomes this instability. Thus the simulation of microdevices with both rigid and exible structures becomes possible with no regard to stable and unstable areas of operation. The algorithm presented here is based on an iterative coupling of commercially available FEM- and BEM- solvers. Numerical results are presented for a micromirror and a membrane, including the contact problem.
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ISBN:	0-9666135-4-6
Pages:	697
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