Transfer function tuning of a broadband shoaling mechanical amplifier near the electrostatic instability

Abstract

We present a tunable broadband shoaling mechanical amplifier and a method to extend its operation near the electrostatic pull-in instability. The model has been verified experimentally on a vacuum encapsulated silicon MEMS device. We show that by adding an appropriate mechanical compensation spring, the amplifier can be operated near the pull-in instability in a quasi-linear fashion. Furthermore, electrostatic band-pass region and amplification tuning is shown.