High amplification compliant microtransmissions for rectilinear electrothermal actuators

This paper reports on synthesized designs of beam-based compliant microstructures used to modify the force-displacement relationships of electrothermal actuators. The design process uses a two-stage approach: truss elements are used for the topology synthesis and beam elements are used for the dimensional optimization. In order to accommodate buckling constraints, it limits the stress and the length of the beam segments. Measurements of devices fabricated from 11.5 mum thick p(++) Si and 55 mum thick electroplated Ni as structural materials match theoretical predictions within 20%. Rectilinear non-resonant displacements up to 100 mum and displacement amplification factors >20x are obtained. The large displacement amplitude has a number of potential applications, including the switching or manipulation of optical fibers. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.