Piezoresistive feedback for improving transient response of MEMS thermal actuators

Rob K. Messenger; Timothy W. McLain; Larry L. Howell

doi:10.1117/12.657954

5 April 2006 Piezoresistive feedback for improving transient response of MEMS thermal actuators

Rob K. Messenger, Timothy W. McLain, Larry L. Howell

Proceedings Volume 6174, Smart Structures and Materials 2006: Sensors and Smart Structures Technologies for Civil, Mechanical, and Aerospace Systems; 617408 (2006) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.657954
Event: SPIE Smart Structures and Materials + Nondestructive Evaluation and Health Monitoring, 2006, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

We examine exploiting the inherent piezoresistivity of a polysilicon compliant mechanism to provide feedback sensing of the mechanism displacement. As the piezoresistive compliant mechanism deflects to produce motion its resistance changes producing a usable signal. The goal of this work is to improve the transient response of a thermal actuator through piezoresistive feedback control. Implementing feedback control significantly improves the actuators transient response. The actuator response time to step inputs is reduced from 800μs to 230μs with proportional control alone. The system bandwidth was increased from 500~Hz to 4~kHz with proportional control. The large overshoot in the step response or the resonant peak in the frequency response can be reduce by an appropriately tuned 2~kHz notch prefilter.

Citation Download Citation

Rob K. Messenger, Timothy W. McLain, and Larry L. Howell "Piezoresistive feedback for improving transient response of MEMS thermal actuators", Proc. SPIE 6174, Smart Structures and Materials 2006: Sensors and Smart Structures Technologies for Civil, Mechanical, and Aerospace Systems, 617408 (5 April 2006); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.657954

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