Theoretical and experimental results of an electrostatic micro motor with large gear ratio fabricated by the LIGA process

Abstract

It is known that the extension of the LIGA process by a sacrificial layer technique allows the fabrication of movable microstructures with great structural height without the need to assemble individual components. With this technique an electrostatic stepping micro motor has been fabricated and tested. The design of the motor has been optimized with regard to large torque by finite-element-method calculations. The radii of the rotor and the axle have been adjusted to the step width of the motor in order to realize a rolling movement of the rotor on the axle, which minimizes the friction.