A Nonlinear MEMS Resonator for Generating AC Voltages Without Electronics

High temperature applications exists where AC voltage generation would be useful, but the operating temperature is too high for many semiconductor electronic devices to operate reliably. Micromachined Si devices can operate at these elevated temperatures. The nonlinear characteristics of the MEMS parallel plate actuator can be exploited to realize a self-oscillating resonator by placing the PPA in series with a large value resistor and a DC voltage source with a voltage greater than or equal to the pull-in voltage of the PPA. In addition to generating an oscillating proof mass motion, the voltage across the PPA also oscillates with the same fundamental frequency. This phenomenon was modelled in MATLAB Simulink and investigated experimentally.