Analysis of Nonlinear Phenomena in a Thermal Micro-Actuator With a Built-In Thermal Position Sensor

An analysis of nonlinear effects associated with a chevron thermal micro-actuator with a built in thermal position sensor under static conditions is presented in this paper. The nonlinearities present in both actuator and sensor are studied. The phenomena considered for the sensor include: thermal coupling from actuator to sensor and temperature dependence of electrical resistivity. Those considered for the actuator include: non-uniform spatial distribution of temperature in arms, temperature dependency of thermal expansion coefficient, deviation of arm shape from straight line due to physical constraints, and temperature dependence of electrical resistivity.