Electrothermal actuators fabricated in four-level planarized surface-miromachined polycrystalline silicon
- Air Force Phillips Lab., KAFB, NM (United States)
- Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
This paper presents the results of tests performed on a variety of electrochemical microactuators and arrays of these actuators fabricated in the SUMMiT process at the U.S. Department of Energy`s Sandia National Laboratories. These results are intended to aid designers of thermally actuated mechanisms, and they apply to similar actuators made in other polysilicon MEMS processes such as the MUMPS process. Measurements include force and deflection versus input power, maximum operating frequency, effects of long term operation, and ideal actuator and array geometries for different applications` force requirements. Also, different methods of arraying these actuators together are compared. It is found that a method using rotary joints, enabled by the advanced features of the SUMMiT fabrication process, is the most efficient array design. The design and operation of a thermally actuated stepper motor is explained to illustrate a useful application of these arrays.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- OSTI ID:
- 543683
- Report Number(s):
- SAND-97-2533C; CONF-971088-; ON: DE98000559; TRN: 97:005699
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: IEEE innovative systems in silicon `97, Austin, TX (United States), 8-10 Oct 1997; Other Information: PBD: 1997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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