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The push-pull principle: an electrostatic actuator concept for low distortion acoustic transducers

  • Electrostatic actuators are of particular interest for microsystems (MEMS), and in particular for MEMS audio transducers for use in advanced true wireless applications. They are attractive because of their typically low electrical capacitance and because they can be fabricated from materials that are compatible with standard complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. For high audio performance and in particular low harmonic distortion (THD) the implementation of the push-pull principle provides strong benefits. With an arrangement of three electrodes in a conjunct moving configuration on a beam, we demonstrate here for the first time a balanced bending actuator incarnating the push-pull principle operating at low voltages. Our first design already exhibits a harmonic distortion as low as 1.2% at 79 dB using a signal voltage of only 6 Vp and a constant voltage of only ±10 Vdc in a standard acoustic measurement setup. Thus, exceeding our previously reported approach in all three key performance indications at the sameElectrostatic actuators are of particular interest for microsystems (MEMS), and in particular for MEMS audio transducers for use in advanced true wireless applications. They are attractive because of their typically low electrical capacitance and because they can be fabricated from materials that are compatible with standard complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. For high audio performance and in particular low harmonic distortion (THD) the implementation of the push-pull principle provides strong benefits. With an arrangement of three electrodes in a conjunct moving configuration on a beam, we demonstrate here for the first time a balanced bending actuator incarnating the push-pull principle operating at low voltages. Our first design already exhibits a harmonic distortion as low as 1.2% at 79 dB using a signal voltage of only 6 Vp and a constant voltage of only ±10 Vdc in a standard acoustic measurement setup. Thus, exceeding our previously reported approach in all three key performance indications at the same time. We expect that our novel electrode configurations will stimulate innovative electrostatic actuator developments for a broad range of applications. In this paper we report the basic theory, the fabrication and the performance of our novel actuator design acting as an audio transducer.show moreshow less

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Metadaten
Author: Bert Kaiser, Hermann A. G. Schenk, Lutz Ehrig, Franziska Wall, Jorge Mario Monsalve, Sergiu Langa, Michael Stolz, Anton MelnikovORCiD, Holger Conrad, David Schuffenhauer, Harald SchenkORCiD
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41378-022-00458-z
ISSN:2055-7434
Title of the source (English):Microsystems & Nanoengineering
Document Type:Scientific journal article peer-reviewed
Language:English
Year of publication:2022
Volume/Year:Vol. 8
Article number:125
Way of publication:Open Access
Faculty/Chair:Fakultät 1 MINT - Mathematik, Informatik, Physik, Elektro- und Informationstechnik / FG Mikro- und Nanosysteme
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