Design of a MEMS micromirror actuated by electrostatic repulsive force

A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) micromirror actuated by electrostatic repulsive force is demonstrated. The design is based on the principle that an asymmetric electric field produced by special layout of the electrodes can generate a repulsive force, which moves the mirror surface upwards. The factors affecting the magnitude of the driving force of the micromirror actuator are analyzed by FEA. The prototype is fabricated using a commercial available surface micromachining process and successfully tested using a Zygo NewView7300 interferometer. The displacement of the micromirror reaches 1.2 μm at 60 V.