Patent ID: 7720661

Claim:
A method for making a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) electrostatic comb-drive device, the method comprising: constructing a finite element model of an initial comb tooth geometric unit; selecting an initial comb tooth overlap dimension; performing a finite element analysis calculation of capacitance for both the selected initial overlap dimension and for each of one or more different overlap dimensions adjacent to the initial overlap dimension; constructing a model of a relationship of capacitance versus overlap dimension; applying a second derivative test to solve for an inflection point in the relationship of capacitance versus overlap dimension; selecting an overlap dimension corresponding to the inflection point; and making a MEMS electrostatic comb-drive by orienting a movable proof mass having comb teeth to a stationary comb tooth frame, so that the comb teeth and the stationary comb tooth frame overlap by the selected overlap dimension.