A Novel Bistable Device Driven by Single Actuator via Moment Input

This work presents a novel fully-compliant bistable device that only requires one actuator for switching between its two stable states. The proposed one-actuator bistable device consists of a curved-beam structure and a V-beam actuator. The proposed device, which is driven by a thermal actuator via moment input, is a significantly improved version of our previous work, consumes less die area, is of much less complexity, and does not require latching mechanisms. Characterization of the proposed device of different dimensions was performed and discussed. Preliminary measurement results show that a 50 pulse frequency of 7.5 V with 50% duty cycle applied to the V-beam actuator can continuously switch the device between the two stable states. The maximum switching rate is about 25 Hz.