Theoretical Modeling of Vibrations of Mechanically Assembled 3D Serpentine Structures

Abstract

Abstract Vibration of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) is of growing interest for applications in vibration measurements, vibration energy harvesters, and vibration sensors. Among the structures and devices reported, a class of 3D structures formed by mechanically guided assembly is showing promising potentials, owing to the ability of controlled vibration behaviors (e.g., modes and natural frequencies) by reversibly changing the compressive strain. In addition, serpentine structures are good candidates for MEMS due to their ultra-low natural frequencies. Hence, we present a study on the vibration of the mechanically assembled 3D serpentine structures. A theoretical model is established to capture the vibration mechanism, and therefore, a simple analytical expression for the natural frequency is derived. On this basis, the influence of material/geometry parameters on the natural frequency is systematically discussed. The developed analytical model would provide a better understanding of vibration mechanism in mechanically assembled 3D structures