Comparative study on stiffness characterization of planar S & W-form micro-springs based on MEMS

S-form and W-form are two kinds of typical structure of planar micro-springs based on MEMS (Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems), because of diverse form they have different mechanics features. This paper presents the study on comparative study on stiffness characterization of nickel planar S & W-form micro-springs based on MEMS by theory analysis, tensile test and ANSYS Finite Element Method. The conclusion has been drown that the stiffness of a S-form micro-spring is stronger than that of W-form in the case of the same size of outline, feature, thickness and clearance, which is valuable for providing feasible directions to the optimization design and manufacture of the micro-spring.