Characterizations of Optimized Microshutter Arrays For Space Borne Observatory Applications

We report the latest design, fabrication, and characterization results of the Next-Generation Microshutter Arrays (NGMSA) for space borne observatory applications. Our modified blade design aims to improve overall actuation torque by reducing the electrostatic force between free end of the shutter blade and the adjacent silicon frame, which generates counter torque at intermediate travel range, thus enables pure electrostatic actuation for more reliable and stable microshutter operations. This paper presents the experimental performance results of newly fabricated microshutter arrays with varying design parameters and compares the results with simulation predictions.