Conductive polymer coated flexible electrode for highly efficient force generation of electrostatic actuator

A flexible electrode coated with conductive polymer is presented to improve electrostatic force between contacting opposite electrodes. An elastic conductive polymer film can deform and fit to an opposite surface because a conductive polymer is more elastic than metals and Si. Developed flexible electrode composed of aramid film coated by PEDOT:PSS generates electrostatic force effectively superior to conventional bulk electrode. 160 nm thick PEDOT:PSS layer is spin-coated as a conductive polymer. Low temperature deposition of the conductive polymer using spin-coating reduces an unexpected electrode warpage due to a thermal stress caused by thermal processes such as metal evaporation. This paper reports fabrication and improved characteristics of a flexible electrode coated with conductive polymer. Furthermore, a developed electrode is applied to an electrostatic stepping motor to demonstrate its attractive performance. The electrostatic stepping motor also employs a conductive liquid based interconnection technology to reduce restriction.