Date of Award

2013-01-01

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Electrical Engineering

Advisor(s)

David Zubia

Abstract

In recent years the demand for high-speed, lower power consumption and large-capacity non-volatile memories has increased. Promisingly the memristor can be used due to its special characteristic of having memory through resistance change. The memristor behavior is not limited to digital applications but it can be used in analog application as well including: memristors in chaotic circuits, amoeba's learning, neural synaptic emulation, reprogrammable and reconfigurable circuits, and for neuromorphic computers. On the other hand Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) are small scale structures that can interact with the physical world due to their mechanical properties. These devices are widely used in diverse applications such as: accelerometers, pressure sensors, micro-optics, biosensors, tilting mirrors, and RF switches. One of the most common MEMS devices is the electrostatic actuator which moves a metal electrode when a voltage is applied; however these actuators are limited to one third of its gap. The purpose of this work is to investigate the potential of the integration of these two devices and extend the application branch of the memristor.

This work starts with the integration of the MEMS parallel plate capacitor and the memristor in a simple series circuit configuration where it is possible to observe that the displacement can be a function of the memristance giving the possibility of interpreting the upper electrode position in form of resistance instead of capacitance. Thus the memristor has the potential to sense the MEMS dynamics for different applications. The current in this configuration is limited by the MEMS restricting the change in the resistance of the memristor. To overcome this disadvantage different amplification stages are investigated to maximize the charge interaction between both devices using a BJT amplification, a MOSFET amplification, and an Op Amp stage.

Finally the memristor is used as a sensor element for the MEMS displacement in a simple design for a voltage close-loop control in order to improve the MEMS operation range. In the final control design it is shown that the MEMS upper plate can be stabilized up to 95% of the total gap with low power consumption. Thus the memristor can play an important role overcoming the limited operation range of the MEMS actuators.

Language

en

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Size

124 pages

File Format

application/pdf

Rights Holder

Sergio Fabian Almeida Loya

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