Electrical-Mechanical

Transduction
• For the generalized capacitor (potential energy):

•For a linear electrical capacitor:

ε – permitivity
A – area
G – Gap
Comb Drive – Another version of the electrostatic actuator.
•What is different?
•Before, C=A/g
•Now, C=C0+C1x
•Linear in x, the direction of motion.
•Consequences?

•The Force is constant.

• Look at one finger, treat capacitance as that of a parallel plate capacitor:
• Then C=A/g.
• A=lt.
• C=lt/g, but remember that g is a constant.
• So, C=lt/g=C1l (or =C1x)