We study a nonlinear wave equation appearing as a model for a membrane (without viscous effects) under the presence of an electrostatic potential with strength $λ$. The membrane has a unique stable branch of steady states $u_λ$ for $λ\in\lbrack0,λ_{\ast}]$. We prove that the branch $u_λ$ has an infinite number of branches of periodic solutions (free vibrations) bifurcating when the parameter $λ$ is varied. Furthermore, using a functional setting, we compute numerically the branch $u_λ$ and their branches of periodic solutions. This approach is useful to validate rigorously the steady states $u_λ$ at the critical value $λ_{\ast}$.
The occurrence of a finite time singularity is shown for a free boundary problem modeling microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) when the applied voltage exceeds some value. The model involves a singular nonlocal reaction term and a nonlinear curvature term accounting for large deformations.
A free boundary problem describing small deformations in a membrane based model of electrostatically actuated MEMS is investigated. The existence of stationary solutions is established for small voltage values. A justification of the widely studied narrow-gap model is given by showing that steady state solutions of the free boundary problem converge toward stationary solutions of the narrow-gap model when the aspect ratio of the device tends to zero.
A variational approach is employed to find stationary solutions to a free boundary problem modeling an idealized electrostatically actuated MEMS device made of an elastic plate coated with a thin dielectric film and suspended above a rigid ground plate. The model couples a non-local fourth-order equation for the elastic plate deflection to the harmonic electrostatic potential in the free domain between the elastic and the ground plate. The corresponding energy is non-coercive reflecting an inherent singularity related to a possible touchdown of the elastic plate. Stationary solutions are const…
In the past fifteen years mathematical models for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) have been the subject of several studies, in particular due to the interesting qualitative properties they feature. Still most research is devoted to an illustrative, but simplified model which is deduced from a more complex model when the aspect ratio of the device vanishes, the so-called vanishing (or small) aspect ratio model. The analysis of the aforementioned complex model involving a moving boundary has started only recently and an outlook of the results obtained so far in this direction is provided i…
The singular parabolic problem $u_t=Δu -\frac{λf(x)}{(1+u)^2}$ on a bounded domain $Ω$ of $R^N$ with Dirichlet boundary conditions, models the dynamic deflection of an elastic membrane in a simple electrostatic Micro-Electromechanical System (MEMS) device. In this paper, we analyze and estimate the quenching time of the elastic membrane in terms of the applied voltage --represented here by $λ$. As a byproduct, we prove that for sufficiently large $λ$, finite-time quenching must occur near the maximum point of the varying dielectric permittivity profile $f(x)$.
Well-posedness of a free boundary problem for electrostatic microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) is investigated when nonlinear bending effects are taken into account. The model describes the evolution of the deflection of an electrically conductive elastic membrane suspended above a fixed ground plate together with the electrostatic potential in the free domain between the membrane and the fixed ground plate. The electrostatic potential is harmonic in that domain and its values are held fixed along the membrane and the ground plate. The equation for the membrane deflection is a parabolic qua…
The dynamical and stationary behaviors of a fourth-order evolution equation with clamped boundary conditions and a singular nonlocal reaction term, which is coupled to an elliptic free boundary problem on a non-smooth domain, are investigated. The equation arises in the modeling of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and includes two positive parameters $λ$ and $\varepsilon$ related to the applied voltage and the aspect ratio of the device, respectively. Local and global well-posedness results are obtained for the corresponding hyperbolic and parabolic evolution problems as well as a criteri…
We study the effect of the parameter $λ$, the dimension $N$, the profile $f$ and the geometry of the domain $Ω\subset\mathbb{R}^N$, on the question of uniqueness of the solutions to the following elliptic boundary value problem with a singular nonlinearity: $$ 180pt {{array}{ll} -Δu= \frac{λf(x)}{(1-u)^2} & \hbox{in}Ω0<u<1 &\hbox{in}Ωu=0 &\hbox{on}\partial Ω. {array}. 130pt (S)_{λ, f} $$ This equation has been proposed as a model for a simple electrostatic Micro-Electromechanical System (MEMS) device consisting of a thin dielectric elastic membrane with boundary supported at 0 below a rigid gr…
The evolution problem for a membrane based model of an electrostatically actuated microelectromechanical system (MEMS) is studied. The model describes the dynamics of the membrane displacement and the electric potential. The latter is a harmonic function in an angular domain, the deformable membrane being a part of the boundary. The former solves a heat equation with a right hand side that depends on the square of the trace of the gradient of the electric potential on the membrane. The resulting free boundary problem is shown to be well-posed locally in time. Furthermore, solutions correspondi…
We consider a fourth order evolution equation involving a singular nonlinear term $\fracλ{(1-u)^{2}}$ in a bounded domain $Ω\subset\R^{n}$. This equation arises in the modeling of microelectromechanical systems. We first investigate the well-posedness of a fourth order parabolic equation which has been studied in \cite{Lau}, where the authors, by the semigroup argument, obtained the well-posedness of this equation for $n\leq2$. Instead of semigroup method, we use the Faedo-Galerkin technique to construct a unique solution of the fourth order parabolic equation for $n\leq7$, which improves and …
We consider the dynamics of an electrostatically actuated thin elastic plate being clamped at its boundary above a rigid plate. The model includes the harmonic electrostatic potential in the three-dimensional time-varying region between the plates along with a fourth-order semilinear parabolic equation for the elastic plate deflection which is coupled to the square of the gradient trace of the electrostatic potential on this plate. The strength of the coupling is tuned by a parameter $λ$ proportional to the square of the applied voltage. We prove that this free boundary problem is locally well…
A moving boundary problem with two free boundaries modeling a two-dimensional idealized MEMS device with pull-in instability is discussed. We use a fixed point argument to show that the model possesses stationary solutions for small source voltages. We also give a rigorous evidence that solutions of the model converge towards solutions of the associated small aspect ratio equation in the vanishing aspect ratio limit.
A semilinear parabolic equation with constraint modeling the dynamics of a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) is studied. In contrast to the commonly used MEMS model, the well-known pull-in phenomenon occurring above a critical potential threshold is not accompanied by a breakdown of the model, but is recovered by the saturation of the constraint for pulled-in states. It is shown that a maximal stationary solution exists and that saturation only occurs for large potential values. In addition, the existence, uniqueness, and large time behavior of solutions to the evolution equation are studie…
The dynamics of a free boundary problem for electrostatically actuated microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) is investigated. The model couples the electric potential to the deformation of the membrane, the deflection of the membrane being caused by application of a voltage difference across the device. More precisely, the electrostatic potential is a harmonic function in the angular domain that is partly bounded by the deformable membrane. The gradient trace of the electric potential on this free boundary part acts as a source term in the governing equation for the membrane deformation. The m…
In this paper for all $p>1$ we prove that the pull-in voltage of the $p$-MEMS (micro-electro mechanical systems) problems on a smooth bounded domain of $\mathbb R^{d}, d\geq1,$ is minimized by symmetrizing the domain and the permittivity profile. The proofs rely on some suitable version of Talenti's comparison principle. We also demonstrate our method to the multidimensional MEMS type problems on the whole space $\mathbb R^{d}, d\geq3,$ and the Dirichlet boundary value problems of second order uniformly elliptic differential operators.
The dynamical and stationary behaviors of a fourth-order equation in the unit ball with clamped boundary conditions and a singular reaction term are investigated. The equation arises in the modeling of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and includes a positive voltage parameter $λ$. It is shown that there is a threshold value $λ_*>0$ of the voltage parameter such that no radially symmetric stationary solution exists for $λ>λ_*$, while at least two such solutions exist for $λ\in (0,λ_*)$. Local and global well-posedness results are obtained for the corresponding hyperbolic and parabolic evol…
A free boundary problem modeling a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) consisting of a fixed ground plate and a deformable top plate is considered, the plates being held at different electrostatic potentials. It couples a second order semilinear parabolic equation for the deformation of the top plate to a Laplace equation for the electrostatic potential in the device. The validity of the model is expected to break down in finite time when the applied voltage exceeds a certain value, a finite time singularity occurring then. This result, already known for non-positive initial configurations of…
We discuss an evolution free boundary problem of mixed type with two free boundaries modeling an idealized electrostatically actuated MEMS device. While the electric potential is the solution of an elliptic equation, the dynamics of the membranes' displacement is modeled by two parabolic equations. It is shown that the model is locally well-posed in time and that solutions exist globally for small source voltages whereas non-existence holds for large voltage values. Moreover, our model possesses a steady state solution that is asymptotically stable. Finally, we show that in the vanishing aspec…
A stationary free boundary problem modeling a three-dimensional electrostatic MEMS device is investigated. The device is made of a rigid ground plate and an elastic top plate which is hinged at its boundary, the plates being held at different voltages. The model couples a nonlocal fourth-order equation for the deformation of the top plate to a Laplace equation for the electrostatic potential in the free domain between the two plates. The strength of the coupling is tuned by a parameter $λ$ which is proportional to the square of the applied voltage difference. Existence of a stable stationary s…
We consider a free boundary problem modeling electrostatic microelectromechanical systems. The model consists of a fourth-order damped wave equation for the elastic plate displacement which is coupled to an elliptic equation for the electrostatic potential. We first review some recent results on existence and non-existence of steady-states as well as on local and global well-posedness of the dynamical problem, the main focus being on the possible touchdown behavior of the elastic plate. We then investigate the behavior of the solutions in the time singular limit when the ratio between inertial…
A parabolic free boundary problem modeling a three-dimensional electrostatic MEMS device is investigated. The device is made of a rigid ground plate and an elastic top plate which is hinged at its boundary, the plates being held at different voltages. The model couples a fourth-order semilinear parabolic equation for the deformation of the top plate to a Laplace equation for the electrostatic potential in the device. The strength of the coupling is tuned by a parameter $λ$ which is proportional to the square of the applied voltage difference. It is proven that the model is locally well-posed i…
We study general equations modeling electrostatic MEMS devices \begin{equation} \begin{cases} \label{P} φ\big(r,- u'(r)\big)=λ\int_0^r\frac{f(s)}{g(u(s))}\,\mathrm{d}s, & r\in(0,1), \\ 0 < u(r) < 1, & r\in(0,1), \\ u(1) = 0, \tag{$P_λ$} \end{cases} \end{equation} where $φ$, $g$, $f$ are some functions on $[0,1]$ and $λ>0$ is a parameter. We obtain results on the existence and regularity of a touchdown solution to \eqref{P} and find upper and lower bounds on the respective pull-in voltage. In the particular case, when $φ(r,v) = r^α|v|^βv$, i.e., when the associated differential equation involve…
We study the global solution curves, and prove the existence of infinitely many positive solutions for three classes of self-similar equations, with $p$-Laplace operator. In case $p=2$, these are well-known problems involving the Gelfand equation, the equation modeling electrostatic micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), and a polynomial nonlinearity. We extend the classical results of D.D. Joseph and T.S. Lundgren \cite{JL} to the case $p \ne 2$, and we generalize the main result of Z. Guo and J. Wei \cite{GW} on the equation modeling MEMS.
