Fabrication and Thermal Modeling of Electrothermal Origami Mems for Dry and Aqueous Environments
Year: 2024
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: The interaction with matter at the microscale has long been of interest, especially for purposes of sample stimulation and characterization.To achieve this, a myriad of micromanipulation technologies has been developed, ranging from optical tweezers and piezoelectric actuators to electrothermal (ET) bimorphs and beyond [1].ET bimorphs are especially useful, whereby through the layering of two materials with disparate coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE), large and rapid displacements are achievable.Inherent to these systems is a material that generates the localized Joule heating responsible for actuation (e.g.gold).This resistor can also serve as a strain gauge to assess sample mechanical properties through physical interaction.Moreover, the patterning of 'panels' as end-effectors on electrothermal actuators enables the creation of origami-inspired microsystems capable of dexterous motions, such as gripping, trapping, pressing, and probing (Figure 1).Such systems are excellent candidates for matter interaction; however, an important consideration is the heat transferred to the samples, especially heat-sensitive samples such as live cells.Here, we introduce thermal modeling of the ET actuators and adjoined panels, and a robust fabrication framework to enable safe and reliable performance in dry and aqueous environments.
Authors: Anan Ghrayeb, Kenn Oldham, Evgueni Filipov
Institution: University of Michigan
Language: English
Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
OpenAlex ID: W4408828216