A Jumping Silicon Microrobot with Electrostatic Inchworm Motors and Energy Storing Substrate Springs

Abstract

We present the first demonstration of a silicon microrobot using electrostatic inchworm motors to store mechanical energy in springs etched into the silicon substrate. The microrobot is fabricated using a two mask silicon on insulator MEMS process with a 40μm device layer and 550μm substrate. The springs in the silicon substrate can store 100μJ of energy, more than 10× greater than what has been demonstrated previously using energy storing springs in the silicon on insulator layer.