DESIGN AND CHARACTERIZATION OF HIGH-TORQUE LOW-SPEED SILICON-BASED ELECTROSTATIC MICROMOTORS USING STATOR/ROTOR CONTACT INTERACTIONS/

Capabilities of future direct-drive electrostatic actuators are invest igated through the mechanical characterization of annular-type polysil icon micromotors. Contact interactions are provided at the stator/roto r interface in order to allow high integrated speed reduction to be pe rformed. The driving torque is therefore considerably amplified, as a consequence of the torque/speed duality. Direct torque measurements ar e performed through a self-adjustable torque sensor that is integrated in the polysilicon rotor. The first experimental results presented he re give rise to the expectations of numerous direct drive applications down to the micrometer scale.