An Electrostatic Micropositioner with 3 Degrees-of-Freedom

This work presents a novel micropositioner with 3 degrees-of-freedom (DOF) based on attractive electrostatic forces. The proposed micropositioner is anchored at two distinct points and suspended through a pair of curved shaped beams. The behavior of the micropositioner is studied through numerical simulations and experimental measurements. It is fabricated with a device layer of 59 mu m and Silicon Nitride (SiN) optical waveguides are integrated onto its suspended structure. The experimental results indicate that the micropositioner can provide displacements of +/- 1 mu m, 1.2 mu m, and 0.65 mu m along the x, y, and z axes, respectively, when activated by a DC voltage of 70 V. Therefore, this micropositioner holds great promise for applications requiring versatile positioning capability.