Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology

Byung-leul Lee

Ci-moo Song

Young-Ho Cho

Yong-soo Oh

Ki Bang Lee

An electrostatic driving apparatus for a microactuator is provided, in which a parasitic capacitance is offset to improve the performance thereof. According to the complementary electrostatic driving apparatus for the microactuator, in order to prevent an excitation signal from being mixed with a sensing signal via the parasitic path formed of parasitic capacitance according to the structure of the microactuator and vibration characteristics thereof, which cause noise, signals having opposite polarities are applied to activating vibration plates using an inverter such that the activating vibration signals of each plate, which cause noise, are offset, thereby markedly improving the signal-to-noise ratio. Also, the vibration displacement can be easily detected by a circuit which is not integrated with an actuator. In addition, a sensing unit is simplified, reducing the initial costs. Further, when the excitation signals are applied at the both sides of the vibration direction of the suspended vibration plate, only the AC component, i.e., the .omega. component, of the electrostatic force acts, so that the resonant characteristics can be improved without an offset of the displacement.

Complementary electrostatic driving apparatus for microactuator with

A vibratory structure and a method for controlling the natural frequency thereof are provided. The device has at least one elastic member supported by a first support end, an inertial object which vibrates by the elastic force of the elastic member, a moving electrode coupled to the inertial object, at least one effective stiffness controlling electrode supported by a second support end, and a power supplier for applying a voltage to generate an electric force between the moving electrode and the effective stiffness controlling electrode. This vibratory structure can contribute to controlling and improving the performance of a sensor, an actuator or a gyroscope, which employs the vibratory structure.

Vibratory structure, method for controlling natural frequency thereof,

A tuning fork type gyroscope includes a vibratory structure arranged to be spaced from a plane formed by a first axis and a second axis perpendicular thereto in a third axial direction perpendicular to the plane, driving means for vibrating the vibratory structure in the second axial direction by an electrostatic force, sensor electrode means arranged on said plane so as to sense displacement of the vibratory structure in the third axial direction while the vibratory structure moves with an angular velocity in the first axis, upper torque electrode means for balancing the force, arranged over the vibratory structure so as to control displacement of the vibratory structure in the third axial direction, and lower torque electrode means for balancing the force, arranged under the vibratory structure so as to control displacement of the vibratory structure in the third axial direction. Therefore, the distortion of the vibratory structure can be efficiently prevented, and an angular velocity can be accurately measured.

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Yongin, South Korea

Byung-leul Lee