Abstract
In this paper, a MEMS electrothermal microgripper is introduced, analyzed and tested. The microgripper has been fabricated using the PolyMUMPs surface micromachining process. Analytical models were established based on the electro-thermal and thermo-mechanical analysis to describe the mechanical performances of the microgripper. Axial deformations including first-order nonlinear strain---displacement relations are also included to account for the presence of thermal loading. The materials parameters that significantly affect the performance of the microgripper are discussed, including the thermal conduction, convective and temperature-dependent resistivity. The experimental results show that input voltages below 14 V are required for the microgripper to achieve the jaws deflection in 9.1 μm. Both the experimental and analytical results are in good agreement with the results of modeling. To demonstrate the reliability of the microgripper, the repeatability and reproducibility of jaws gap were tested.
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