A novel method for fatigue testing of MEMS devices containing movable elements

Abstract: In this paper we present an electronic circuit for position or capacitance estimation of MEMS electrostatic actuators based on a switched capacitor technique. The circuit uses a capacitive divider configuration composed by a fixed capacitor and the variable capacitance of the electrostatic actuator for generating a signal that is a function of the input voltage and capacitive ratio. The proposed circuit can be used to actuate and to sense position of an electrostatic MEMS actuator without extra sensing elements. This approach is compatible with the requirements of most analog feedback systems and the circuit topology of pulsed digital oscillators (PDO).