Influence of Materials on the Performance Limits of Microactuators

Abstract

AbstractThe selection of actuators at the micro-scale requires an understanding of the performance limits of different actuation mechanisms governed by the optimal selection of materials. This paper presents the results of analyses for elastic bi-material actuators based on simple beam theory and lumped parameter thermal models. Comparisons are made among commonly employed actuation schemes (electro-thermal, piezoelectric and shape memory) at micro scales and promising candidate materials are identified. Polymeric films on Si subjected to electro-thermal heating are optimal candidates for high displacement, low frequency devices while ferroelectric thin films of Pb-based ceramics on Si/ DLC are optimal for high force, high frequency devices. The ability to achieve ∼10 kHz at scales < 100μm make electro-thermal actuators competitive with piezoelectric actuators considering the low work/volume obtained in piezoelectric actuation (∼ 10−8J.m−3.mV−2). Although shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators such as Ni-Ti on Si deliver larger work (∼ 1 J.m−3K−2) than electro-thermal actuators at relatively low frequencies (∼ 1 kHz), the critical scale associated with the cessation of the shape memory effect forms the bounding limit for the actuator design. The built-in compressive stress levels (∼ 1GPa) in thin films of Si and DLC could be exploited for realizing a high performance actuator by electro-thermal buckling.