Takashi Konno

SiO2 Electret Generated by Potassium Ions on a Comb-Drive Actuator

Silicon dioxide electret generated by doping potassium ions will be demonstrated by forming it on a comb-drive actuator. The comb-drive actuator made of silicon on an insulator substrate is oxidized with bubbling a stream of KOH solution to form silicon oxide film including potassium ions uniformly on the etched side walls of comb electrodes. After a bias-temperature procedure at about 900–1000 K and 100 V was applied to the device, we confirmed a 40 V built-in potential difference between the opposing comb electrodes. The gradual decay of the potential was observed, but 35 V was maintained even after 1 month.

Nanotweezers with Proximity Sensing and Gripping Force Control System

Nanoscale electromechanical systems – nanotweezers with highly intelligent functions – based on an electrostatic comb drive actuator have been developed for the manipulation and interrogation of nanostructures. These nanotweezers can detect contact with the substrate or sample during approaching or gripping operation by monitoring the resonance state change of the comb drive. A contact position reproducibility of 10 nm is obtained, which prevents the crushing of the probe against the substrate and increases the reliability of sample gripping. The manipulation and detection functions of these nanotweezers are evaluated in a focused ion beam/scanning electron microscopy (FIB/SEM) system.

SiO 2 electret induced by potassium ions on a comb-drive actuator

This paper reports a novel SiO2 electret on comb-drive actuator, which is formed by concise procedure and low cost. The SiO2 electret is generated by doping potassium ions and formed on vertical walls of driving electrodes in a comb-drive actuator. The current generated by the extraneous vibration was observed, so this device is thought to be useful as the vibration power generator.