Rectilinear Electrothermal Actuator Using High-Aspect-Ratio Micromachined Composite of SU-8 and Silicon

Abstract

A precisely rectilinear electrothermal actuator integrated with highly thermally expandable micromachined composites of SU-8 and silicon is presented. The actuator is capable of producing a maximum output rectilinear displacement of 42 μm with an estimated blocked force of up to 61 mN. The actuator operates at a low temperature rise of less than 266 °C and at input voltage of less than 15 V. Thermal time constant of the actuator is measured to be less than 3 ms. Such a powerful and power-efficient actuator could benefits future devices in optical MEMS.