A thermoelastic microactuator with planar latch-up operation

Latch-up 특성을 갖는 평면형의 열구동 마이크로 액츄에이터

We designed and fabricated a planner-type thermoelastic microactuator with a latch-up operation for optical switching. Latch-up actuation is prerequisite to implement an optical switch with low power consumption and high reliability. The proposed microactuator consists of four cantilever-shaped thermal actuators, four displacement linkages, two shallow arch-shaped leaf springs, a mobile shuttle mass with a micromirror, and four elastic boundaries. The structural layer of the planar microactuator is phosphorous-doped 12$\mu\textrm{m}$-thick polysilicon, and the sacrificial layer is LTO(Low Temperature Oxide) of 3$\mu\textrm{m}$thickness. The displacement of actuator is as large as 3$\mu\textrm{m}$when the length of actuation bar is 100$\mu\textrm{m}$in length at 5V input voltage. The proposed microactuators have advantages of easy assembly with other optical component by way of fiber alignment in the substrate plane, and its fabrication process features simplicity while retaining batch-fabrication economy.