Year: 1996
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: An electrostatically-actuated polyimide microvalve with low power consumption (< 1mW) is presented in this paper. Bias voltage applied across a sub-micron gap between the sealing electrodes generates a large electrostatic force (1.3N) resulting in a tight seal for the valve. Built-in residual stress results in a curled bimorph cantilever which allows for a microactuator with large displacement. This microactuator is used to open and close a fluid path hole etched in silicon for a microvalve. The microactuator can be actuated with 25V for a displacement of 200 μm. The cantilever actuator is mainly composed of polyimide, which is flexible enough to conform over the flow hole, thereby eliminating the need for the design of a valve seat.
Authors: Abraham P. Lee, Julie Hamilton, Jimmy Trevino
Institution: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Language: English
Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1574618013