Research Initiation Award: Frictionless Micro-Electro- mechanical Bearings

本研究旨在设计和 制造无摩擦微轴承 用于各种微型 机电系统（MEMS）。 近年来，各种微电机 以及许多其他小型驱动装置 已经提出了一些装置， 制造，使用硅和其他 精密微机械加工技术 因为这些设备本身 如此之小，设计和开发 轴承和直线导轨的应用 一项极其艰巨的任务， 没有被成功证明。 然而，微轴承和 微引导是一种基本的 任何微机器的组成部分， 必须加以发展。 据信 由于其微小的尺寸 参与，成功的轴承将 采取完全不同的形式 传统轴承的性能， 宏观尺度可能涉及 创新的概念。 拟议 研究涉及到一个这样的 不同的和潜在的创新 的设计. 它采用了一种共振 电动悬架实现开放式 在所有三个回路中实现稳定悬浮 方向 的优势 建议的设计包括完整的 静电兼容性 微电机和低功耗 消费需求。 的 建议暂停可以制定 具有可用的组件， 成功地利用作为 微型轴承和微型导轨 各种微型电机的设计。

This research is to design and fabricate frictionless microbearings for use in various micro- electromechanical systems (MEMS). Recently, a variety of micromotors and a host of other small actuating devices have been proposed and fabricated, using silicon and other precision micromachining techniques. Because these devices themselves are so small, the design and development of bearing and linear guides become an extremely arduous task, and have not been successfully demonstrated. However, microbearings and microguides are an essential component of any micromachine and must be developed. It is believed that due to the minuscule sizes involved, successful bearing would take radically different forms from those of conventional bearings in the macro scales and may involve innovative concepts. The proposed research involves one of such different and potentially innovative designs. It employs a resonant electric suspension to achieve open loop stable levitation in all three directions. The advantages of the proposed designs include complete compatibility with electrostatic micromotors and low power consumption requirements. The proposed suspension can be developed with available components and can be successfully utilized as microbearings and microguides in various designs of micromotors.