Micro thermal actuator with integrated capacitive position sensor

This paper describes a novel design of an indirect-heating thermal actuator with integrated capacitive position sensor. The displacement of the actuator provided by the sensor enables a feedback control capability. The analytical model and finite element analysis (FEA) are presented to validate the design concept. The devices were fabricated using MetalMUMPs process. The experimental result shows a good agreement with the analytical analysis and the FEA. A proportional-integral (PI) feedback control application with the designed thermal actuator with integrated capacitive position sensor was conducted using the MEMS/FPGA platform and the results are documented.