Device and method for electrostatically levitating a disk and method for using an electrostatic levitated disk as a sensor

US6856067B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Robert Bosch GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Wilhelm Frey · Palo Alto, US
• Zhiyu Pan · San Jose, US
• Andreas Niendorf · Berlin, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 21, 2003
• Grant date: Feb 15, 2005
• Expiry date: Jun 7, 2023

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H02N1/08
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A device for levitating a disk including three bottom electrodes situated below the disk and equidistantly around a top circle and three top electrodes situated above the disk, opposite the three bottom electrodes, and situated equidistantly around a bottom circle. Two bottom reference electrodes are situated below the disk, a first bottom reference electrode forming a bottom inner circle on a bottom inner perimeter of the set of three bottom electrodes, a second bottom reference electrode forming a bottom outer circle on a bottom outer perimeter of the set of three bottom electrodes. Two top reference electrodes are situated above the disk, a first top reference electrode forming a top inner circle on a top inner perimeter of the set of three top electrodes, a second top reference electrode forming a top outer circle on a top outer perimeter of the set of three top electrodes. A drive circuit for driving the three bottom electrodes, the three top electrodes, the two bottom reference electrodes, and the two top reference electrodes. A method of levitating a disk includes applying a first plurality of voltages to three bottom electrodes situated below the disk. A second plurality of…