Patent ID: 8386201

Claim:
A method of characterizing the behavior of an electromechanical device, the method comprising: applying a driving voltage signal to the electromechanical device, wherein the electromechanical device includes a movable layer and a fixed layer that together form a capacitor; measuring a current through the electromechanical device as a function of time; integrating the current over a period of time, wherein integrating the current through the electromechanical device provides a measure of the charge accumulated on the electromechanical device as a function of time; determining a measure of a capacitance of the electromechanical device as a function of time by dividing the charge accumulated on the electromechanical device by the driving voltage signal; determining a measure of the position of the movable layer relative to the fixed layer based at least in part on a measure of the capacitance as a function of time; and determining a duration of an actuation time of the electromechanical device based at least in part upon the measure of the position of the movable layer as a function of time, wherein the actuation time corresponds to a transition period in which the electromechanical device moves from an unactuated state to an actuated state.