Abstract:
A thermal actuator includes a first arm having a proximal end and a distal end, a second arm, parallel to the first arm, having a proximal end and a distal end, and a third arm arranged between and parallel to the first and second arms, the third arm having a proximal end and a distal end. The third arm has at least one portion at the distal end of the third arm having a width that is substantially larger than a width of the first arm and a width of the second arm. The distal ends of the first, second and third arms are coupled together to form a distal end of the thermal actuator, and the first, second and third arms preferably are made of a single material. A number of thermal actuators can be arranged in an array. The thermal actuator or array of thermal actuators can be coupled to an applicator.
Abstract:
A method of fabricating a semiconductor integrated microactuator device that includes the steps of: bonding or laminating a driving element to a substrate for generating a vertical motion, and coupling a conversion element to the driving element for converting the vertical motion into rotational motion. The method can be effectively used for micro-actuators that utilize Coulomb's force, vibration, and fluid pressure as their driving force.
Abstract:
A microelectromechanical compound stage microactuator assembly capable of motion along x, y, and z axes for positioning and scanning integrated electromechanical sensors and actuators is fabricated from submicron suspended single crystal silicon beams. The microactuator incorporates an interconnect system for mechanically supporting a central stage and for providing electrical connections to componants of the microactuator and to devices carried thereby. The microactuator is fabricated using a modified single crystal reactive etching and metallization process which incorporates an isolation process utilizing thermal oxidation of selected regions of the device to provide insulating segments which define conductive paths from external circuitry to the actuator components and to microelectronic devices such as gated field emitters carried by the actuator.
Abstract:
A device for providing micro positioning having an operating range in the submicron order in the X and Y directions, respectively. Positioning is achieved by a device which includes a driving section bonded to a silicon wafer for applying a driving force to excite vertical motion, and a mechanism for converting this vertical motion into rotational motion. Three types of micro actuators are described herein: one, that uses vibration as its driving force; a second, that uses Coulomb's force; and a third, that utilizes fluid pressure, such as air.
Abstract:
A device for providing micro positioning having an operating range in the submicron order in the X and Y directions, respectively. Positioning is achieved by depositing a pair of aluminum electrodes on a piezoelectric element bonded on a silicon wafer, vertically moving the piezoelectric element, arranging a plurality of micro actuators whose contact pin ends, formed on the aluminum electrodes, rotate on a surface as an array, and displacing in the horizontal direction a moving member arranged on the micro actuator array.