Microfabrication of PPy microactuators and other conjugated polymer devices

Conjugated polymers have a number of interesting properties that can be exp loited in microfabricated sensors and actuators. For example, polypyrrole i s a conjugated polymer that can change volume to deliver significant stress es and strains. These materials can be patterned using conventional microfa brication techniques. The procedures for doing this are described in this p aper, focusing on the microfabrication of polypyrrole microactuators. in ad dition, other methods for the deposition and patterning of conjugated polym ers are reviewed. A special technique for releasing actuators, differential adhesion, is also detailed.