Smart Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) Actuators

微致动器广泛应用于许多重要的微器件/系统中。例子包括惯性系统中的微型陀螺仪；微波/射频系统中的微可调谐电子器件（开关、可调谐电容器、可调谐电感）；光学系统中的微可调谐光子器件（扫描仪、可调谐滤波器、衰减器、可调谐激光器）；生物/医疗系统中的微型设备（微泵）。目前，越来越多的新型微执行器被开发出来以满足特定的要求，但这些微执行器大多没有集成驱动电路。必须使用复杂的台式表征设备来驱动和确定这些微致动器的运动。这是阻碍微致动器被最终用户广泛使用的一个大问题。以前从未对这个问题的解决方案进行过彻底的研究。随着微执行器的发展将不可避免地从实验室研究转向工业应用，开发集成闭环控制微执行器是非常必要和及时的。在这个项目中，所谓的“智能”微致动器将集成传统的微致动器和驱动电子设备，以解决目前微致动器的局限性。两个综合子系统，即电子驱动和无线传输系统，将根据本项目提出的几项新技术进行研究。将经典集成电路与基于MEMS的电力电子技术相结合的技术将为微执行器的可编程高压/大功率驱动提供一种新的解决方案。双通道射频传输系统将用于构建微执行器的无线控制系统。将追求结合两个子系统的整体方法，以达到集成的智能微致动器系统。

Microactuators are widely used in many important micro devices/systems in different engineering disciplines. Examples include micro gyroscopes in inertial systems; micro tunable electronic devices (switches, tunable capacitors, tunable inductors) in microwave/ radio frequency systems; micro tunable photonic devices (scanners, tunable filters, attenuators, tunable lasers) in optical systems; micro devices (micropump) in biological/ medical systems. Currently more and more novel microactuators are being developed to meet specific requirements, but the majority of these microactuators are without integrated driving circuits. Complex bench top characterisation equipment has to be used to drive and determine the movement of these microactuators. This is a big problem that disadvantages microactuators from being widely used by end-users. A solution to this problem has never been thoroughly investigated previously. As microactutaor development will inevitably be shifted from laboratory research into industrial applications, the development of integrated close-loop controlled microactuators is very necessary and timely. In this project, so called 'smart' microactuators that integrate conventional microactuators with driving electronics will be developed to address the limitations of present microactuators. Two integrated sub-systems, namely electronic drivers and wireless transmission systems, will be investigated following several new techniques proposed in this project. The technique of the combination of classical integrated circuits with MEMS based power electronics will provide a novel solution for programmable high voltage/ high power drivers for the microactuators. Dual-channel radio frequency transmission systems will be utilised to construct wireless control systems for the microactuators. A holistic approach of combining the two sub-systems will be pursued to arrive at an integrated, smart microactuator system.