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The shuffle motor is a linear electrostatic stepper motor employing a mechanical transformation to obtain large forces and small steps. A model has been made to calculate the step size and the driving voltage as a function of the load force and the motor geometry. The motor consists of three polysilicon layers and has been fabricated using surface micromachining. Tests show an effective step size of about 85 nm and a produced force of 43 μN at 40 V driving voltage.

Nanowires of vaious lengths and widths have been fabricated using a wafer-scale shadow mask with deposition windows, or nanoslits, created with focused ion beam machining. Metallic nanowires with widths down to 50 nm and lengths up to 100 micrometers have been realized. Measurements of electrical I-V characteristics show linear behavior of nanowires with widths and thickness each around 50 nm

The shuffle motor is a electrostatic stepper motor that employs a mechanical transformation to obtain high forces and small steps. A model has been made to calculate the driving voltage, step size and maximum load to pull as well as the optimal geometry. Tests results are an effective step size of about 85 nm and a maximum produced force of about 40 /spl mu/N at 40 V clamping voltage and 25 V actuator voltage.

A linear electrostatic stepper motor has been designed and fabricated in a single mask surface micromachining process. It consists of two drive units that alternately generate a step to move the shuttle. The friction and adhesion in the clamps has been measured. A friction coefficient of 0.8/spl plusmn/0.3 has been found. The adhesion in the clamp is just low enough to release the clamping shoe. Stepping cycles have been performed successfully to obtain a deflection of 15 /spl mu/m, with steps in the order of 2 /spl mu/m. The deflection is limited by the suspension. The generated force equals 3 /spl mu/N at 40 V driving voltage.