Multi-Physics Equivalent Circuit Model for MEMS Sensors and Actuators

Multi-physics simulation is becoming an indispensable technique for integrated MEMS (micro electro mechanical systems) to comprehend the system level behavior including electronics, mechanics, and/or other physics domain such as optics. We have newly developed a single platform simulation technique for MEMS by using a compact model solver for the mechanical equation-of-motion implemented as an analog computation circuit on an electrical circuit simulator such as Qucs, LTspice and Cadence Virtuoso. In this talk, we review the conventional methods to develop an equivalent circuit model for MEMS and report our own simple and useful technique to create a compact model for electrostatic micro actuators and sensors by translating the algebraic analytical model into an equivalent circuit model based on the non-linear independent current source.