A seminar entitled “Electrostatic Microactuators in Miniaturized Systems” will take place on 25 March at 6:30 p.m., in room F342 at Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto (ISEP).
The seminar will be delivered by Darius Virzonis, Professor at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Lithuania.
Free and mandatory registration here
Abstract
Miniaturization is more than just reducing size — it is a gateway to innovation. When existing functionalities are implemented on a microscopic scale, entirely new horizons emerge, enabling capabilities that were previously unimaginable. Inertial sensors are a perfect example: their miniaturization has revolutionized navigation and consumer electronics.
In this seminar, you will have the opportunity to explore the elegance and potential of electrostatic actuation in miniaturized systems, with a focus on micromechanical devices. The fundamentals of electrostatic actuation will be analysed first, followed by a concise overview of micromachining technologies — the fabrication processes. Next, two main actuator architectures will be considered: parallel-plate and comb-drive, where you will be able to examine their operating principles, advantages, and limitations.
The seminar will also cover the most common mathematical modelling strategies, emphasizing lumped-element modelling in the context of electrostatically driven electromechanical transducers. Finally, cutting-edge case studies will be presented: a multicellular electrostatic actuator and an innovative acoustic sensor for detecting light gases such as helium and hydrogen.
Biography
Darius Virzonis has been a leading figure in research on micromachining, nanofabrication, MEMS, and MOEMS since 2004. His early work focused on developing micromachining and nanomachining technologies for surfaces, particularly for micromachined capacitive ultrasonic transducers and sub-wavelength optical microstructures. He received his training and scientific expertise under the supervision of Prof. Arminas Ragauskas during his doctoral studies from 1995 to 1999.
From 2008 to 2012, he worked as an independent researcher in microtechnology at Chalmers University in Sweden. In 2008, he co-founded the first semi-private, publicly accessible academic micro- and nanofabrication laboratory in Lithuania, at the Panevezys Mechatronics Center. At the time, this laboratory housed the most advanced cleanroom facilities in the country and became the technological base for Virzonis’s research group. In 2024, this group founded Orius Tech, a company aimed at commercializing electrostatically actuated microstructured gas sensors.
