Electrostatic actuation and control of micro robots using a post-processed high-voltage SOI CMOS chip

In this paper we present an energy efficient control and power conversion circuit in a 1 μm HV SOI CMOS for a sub-millimeter robot known as a catom. The circuit provides power delivery through capacitive coupling and generates an internal high voltage that is then used to charge electrostatic actuation electrodes that move the robot. The architecture is implemented in a low power digital design and a novel high voltage driver that minimizes static power consumption for charging high voltage actuation electrodes. High voltage operation is extended by removing inherent parasitic FET gates through the post-processing removal of the Si backside carrier substrate of the SOI die.