Current driven magnetic actuation of a MEMS silicon beam in a transmission electron microscope.

Micro-Electro-Mechanical-System (MEMS) devices associated to Transmission Electron Microscopes (TEM) have demonstrated their high potential for atomic resolution imaging of specimen while applying stress for mechanical testing. This paper introduces a novel actuation principle for the MEMS device in TEM relying on the internal magnetic field of the TEM and current flow through the device. The actuation principle is experimentally demonstrated in TEM and entirely modeled in the case of a silicon beam. The model is validated through static and dynamic experimental studies. The thermal side-effect of current flow is taken into account. The major advantages of the proposed magnetic actuation principle are the bidirectional control of the displacement of the device, the intrinsic linear displacement of the device with applied current and the potential milliNewton (mN) range force generation.