Abstract
Electrically deformable surfaces based on dielectric elastomers have recently demonstrated controllable microscale roughness, ease of operation, fast response, and possibilities for programmable control. Potential applications include marine anti-biofouling, dynamic pattern generation, and voltage-controlled smart windows. Most of these systems, however, exhibit limited durability due to irreversible dielectric breakdown. Lowering device voltage to avoid this issue is hindered by an inadequate understanding of the electrically-induced wrinkling deformation as a function of the deformable elastic film thickness. Here we report responsive surfaces that overcome these shortcomings: we achieve fault-tolerant behavior based on the ability to self-insulate breakdown faults, and we enhance fundamental understanding of the system by quantifying the critical field necessary to induce wrinkles in films of different thickness and comparing to analytical models. We also observe new capabilities of these responsive surfaces, such as field amplification near local breakdown sites, which enable actuation and wrinkle pattern formation at lower applied voltages. We demonstrate the wide applicability of our responsive, fault-tolerant films by using our system for adjustable transparency films, tunable diffraction gratings, and a dynamic surface template/factory from which various static micropatterns can be molded on demand.
Highlights
Among these various approaches, electric-field-induced deformation is attractive due to its ability to reversibly actuate at high frequency and its potential for miniaturization and programmable control[33]
In order to incorporate these dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) into real-world applications, it will be necessary to address the issues with dielectric breakdown which limit the durability of these systems
We contribute to the fundamental understanding of these DEA-like systems by investigating how the critical voltage/ field necessary to induce surface wrinkles varies with the elastic film thickness
Summary
Electric-field-induced deformation is attractive due to its ability to reversibly actuate at high frequency and its potential for miniaturization and programmable control[33]. Defects, and large deformations during actuation in DEA-like systems may create some locally thinner areas (e.g. depressions of creases and wrinkles) which, at constant surface potential, create high local fields. These high fields drive the film to become even thinner in these locations, resulting in a positive feedback loop which leads to eventual dielectric breakdown and short circuiting[40]. We demonstrate potential applications in tunable transparency films, dynamic diffraction gratings, and dynamic surface templates using commercially available materials for the rigid layer (Kapton tape), elastic layer (PDMS), and integrated top electrode (Au)
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