Experimental analysis of pull-out voltage of electrostatically actuated microcantilever beam based on contact-stiction model

The effects of stiction forces on the pull-out voltage of electrostatically actuated microcantilever beams have been theoretically and experimentally investigated. An analytical method to estimate the pull-out voltage of microcantilevers under the presence of stiction forces along with electrostatic forces has been presented based on Euler Bernoulli beam model. The stiction effects of van der Waals force and Casimir force have been incorporated along with the electrostatic force in the Euler Bernoulli equation and the results have been numerically evaluated to predict the pull-out voltage. The theoretical results have been compared with experimental results through experimental investigation of the voltage transfer characteristics of the cantilever.