On the parameters which govern the symmetric snap-through buckling behavior of an initially curved microbeam

In this paper, we extend the earlier studies to investigate the effects of various parameters which govern the symmetric snap-through buckling of an initially curved microbeam subject to an electrostatic force. The governing formulations are developed using Euler-Bernoulli beam theory. The mid-plane stretching experienced during the snap-through buckling is considered using von Karman nonlinear strain, and the nonzero strain component is determined and solved using Galerkin decomposition approach. The studied parameters include: beam fixation type (double-clamped and simply-supported), arch shape, residual axial force, and uniform temperature variation. The results of our work reveal the significant effects of the type of the beam fixation, the residual force, and the temperature variation on the criterion for the symmetric snap-through buckling of microbeams, while the effect of the arch shape is somewhat insignificant.