Fundamental improvements in the design of comb-drive actuators have allowed their use in a 1 xN optical switch requiring 200 um static deflection and a switching speed of less than 1 ms. The main obstacle to the development of large-displacement comb-drive actuators has been electromechanical side instability, which increases with forward deflection and may cause catastrophic failure. In this work, the stable deflection range is increased by employing prebent suspensions and linearly engaging comb teeth. Nonlinear analytical models, as well as Mechanica finite element models and Simulink numerical models have been developed to fully characterize the performance of the actuators and facilitate their design. A simple, high-yield, deep-reactive-ionetching fabrication process has produced consistent performance that closely matches FEA and numerical models of the electrostatic actuators. Using separately-fabricated, highly-reflective mirrors, the actuators have been utilized in a compact optical design that features high-speed, low optical-loss switching.
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