A tri-electeode electrostatic actuator with one moving MEMS electrode and two stationary electrodes (tri-electrode actuator topology) is experimentally tested in this article. The stationary controlling (intermediate) electrode is perforated and below the moving MEMS electrode, while the common electrode is further below. Numerical simulations were performed to discover the optimal design parameters for a tri-electrode electrostatic actuator in comparison to a conventional two electrode electrostatic actuator. A silicon-based moving MEMS electrode was designed with a relatively linear spring constant, and the controlling intermediate and primary stationary electrodes were fabricated on either side of a quartz substrate instead of free space to simplify their fabrication. The measurement results showed that the tri-electrode topology can control the displacement of the MEMS with a lower controlling voltage and with extended controllable range before pull-in instability, compared to the conventional actuator. Simulations and measurements showed that the controlling voltage was reduced by 2.6 times compared to the conventional actuator design employing a bipolar driven intermediate electrode, while the controllable deflection range before pull-in was elevated by 33%. This tri-electrode design offers benefits for applications in need of arrays of electrostatic actuators such as deformable mirrors.
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