Static pull-in analysis of microcantilevers based on the modified couple stress theory

This paper investigates the deflection and static pull-in voltage of microcantilevers based on the modified couple stress theory, a non-classic continuum theory capable to predict the size effects for structures in micron and sub-micron scales. It is shown that the couple stress theory can remove the gap between the experimental observations and the classical theory based simulations for the static pull-in voltage. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.