Energy-efficient MEMS electrothermal actuators based on high-voltage pulse excitation and on-chip status feedback

Abstract

Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) electrothermal actuators (ETAs) are widely used for their compact design and compatibility with Integrated Circuits (ICs). However, their high energy consumption limits integration in energy-constrained systems. This paper introduces a novel approach to improve the energy efficiency of MEMS ETAs. High-voltage pulses are used to quickly drive the actuator to its target position, while a status feedback mechanism ensures timely power disconnection, reducing thermal damage from high-voltage excitation. The temperature and displacement responses of a V-shaped ETA under high-voltage pulse excitation are analyzed in detail. Experiments demonstrate that achieving a displacement of 160 µm requires only 2.0 ms and consumes 80.5 mJ in a non-vacuum environment with a 64 V pulse, a 66.4% reduction in energy consumption compared to conventional methods. In a vacuum environment, a 30 V pulse achieves actuation in 11.0 ms with 90.4 mJ of energy consumption, a 77.7% reduction. Both experimental and simulation results highlight the effectiveness of this approach, achieving significant reductions in actuation time and energy consumption with higher input voltages.