Out‐of‐plane buckled cantilever microstructures with adjustable angular positions using thermal bimorph actuation for transducer applications. (1st October 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Arevalo, Arpys; Conchouso, David; Castro, David; Diaz, Marlon; Foulds, Ian G.
• Is Part Of: Micro & nano letters. Volume 10:Number 10(2015)
• Page Start: 545
• Page End: 549
• Publication Date: 2015-10-01
• Subjects: cantilevers -- transducers -- micromirrors -- scanning antennas -- oscillators -- microactuators; temperature 125 C -- infrared camera -- thermal characterisation -- DC source -- electromechanical characterisation -- low‐frequency oscillator -- scanning antenna -- optical micromirror -- transducer application -- thermal bimorph actuation -- adjustable angular position -- out‐of‐plane buckled cantilever microstructure; Nanotechnology -- Periodicals; Nanostructures -- Periodicals; Microtechnology -- Periodicals; 620.5
• DOI: 10.1049/mnl.2015.0198
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1750-0443

Abstract

Abstract : The integration of thermal bimorph actuators and buckled cantilever structures to form an out‐of‐plane plate with adjustable angular positions is reported. This structure could be used as a platform to build other transducers such as optical micromirrors, scanning antennas, switches or low‐frequency oscillators. The electromechanical characterisation has shown that these structures can adjust their angular position by 6° when they are operated using a DC source. The thermal characterisation performed by an infrared camera showed that the heat‐affected zone reaches a maximum temperature of 125°C while the rest of the structure remains unaffected by the generated heat.