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This work describes a novel micromechanical structure capable of producing out-of-plane motion from in-plane forces generated by electrostatic microelectromechanical system (MEMS) actuators. The MEMS actuator is fabricated in a commercial silicon-on-insulator (SOI) MEMS process and is anchored at two distinct locations through a pair of beams with a relatively low stiffness in the vertical direction. A comb-drive, whose fixed and moveable fingers are implemented in the same layer with a uniform thickness, is employed to create an attractive electrostatic force. This in-plane electrostatic force rotates the actuator along an axis defined by the anchors, which results in the vertical motion of a suspended platform. Due to the simple structure of the actuator, it can be readily manufactured with standard bulk micromachining processes. Experimental results demonstrate that the actuator can provide of vertical …