Feasibility study of micro electro-thermal actuator for lever nano motion

The nano manipulation needs miniaturized microtools for minute adjustment or in situ mechanical characterization. This paper demonstrates the feasibility of using bulk silicon electro-thermal expansion micro actuator to drive a lever nano motion platform. The feasibility study includes specimen preparation and dynamic and static characteristic testing. The specimen is made up of a micro electro-thermal actuator and two stage lever with 24.6 lever ratio for transforming the micro displacement of thermal expansion actuator into nano displacement of platform, and the dimension of whole specimen is 1150 mu m x 850 mu m. The other symmetry two stage lever is used to amplify the nano displacement of platform upon the micro displacement simultaneously for comparing with that one of thermal expansion actuator. The lever fulcrum is flexure hinge. In the testing, the apply voltage ranging from 0 to 5 V. The biggest static input displacement of thermal expansion actuator is more than 2 mu m, and the output displacement is about half of the input ones. The non-synchronizing phenomenon has been found in the dynamic process, which is depending on the frequency of applied alternating voltage.