Comb-drives: Versatile micro-structures for capacitive sensing and electrostatic actuation

摘要

A comb-drive is a structure of interdigitated conductive fingers from which one part is able to move. Electrostatic forces allow the structure to function as an actuator whereas capacitance chances give way to use the structure as a sensor. Such structures became feasible on micrometer scale with the advent of surface micromachining in the late eighties. Since then there has been an overwhelming number of applications of comb-drives both in micro-actuation and sensing. This paper gives an overview of the basic operation of a comb-drive and its applications in sensing and actuation.