Validation of compact models of microcantilever actuators for RF-MEMS application

Electromechanical behavior of microcantilever specimens for in-plane and out-of-plane bending tests, currently designed by industry for Radio-Frequency application, are here analyzed. Main features of these two layouts are discussed. In particular, a comprehensive experimental validation of 2D and 3D numerical models implemented to predict the coupled electromechanical behavior of these microsystems is performed. Effectiveness of plane models to predict pull-in, in presence of geometric non-linearity, due to large tip displacement and initial curvature of microbeam, is investigated. Three dimensional models are then used to investigate the local effects of the electric field and the limits of the two dimensional approach. In addition, this paper investigates the effectiveness of 2D models to be used as compact numerical tools in substitution of some known Model Order Reduction techniques, which unfortunately are unsuitable to predict simultaneously the effects of both the electromechanical and geometric non-linearities.