A bellows-shape electrostatic microactuator

The bellows-shape electrostatic microactuator was developed by using a nove l fabrication technique which combines excimer laser ablation and polymer/m etal film deposition. The actuator consists of similar to 2.5 mu m thick pa rylene (poly-para-xylelene) polymer bellows and gold electrodes. The actuat or is 1.2 mm in diameter and the bellows part is a hollow screw thread the pitch of which is 23 mu m. Parylene and gold electrode are evaporated on th e screw-shape polyimide core mold made by excimer laser ablation. At the en d of the fabrication, the core mold is removed by wet etching. The actuator is driven by DC voltage and the displacement is 30 mu m(3.4% of the length of the actuator) and the actuation speed exceeded 20 mu m/ms when applied 100 V. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.