Title :
Fabrication of micromotors using LIGA process
Author :
Takimoto, Shinsuke ; Kondo, Ryoji ; Suzuki, Kenichiro ; Sugiyama, Susumu
Author_Institution :
Fac. of Sci. & Eng., Ritsumeikan Univ., Shiga, Japan
Abstract :
An electrostatic wobble micromotor and a comb drive microactuator were fabricated by the LIGA process. The following design rules for the micromotors were decided: a height of 100 μm, a maximum width for movable parts of 10 μm, a minimum width for fixed parts of 40 μm, a driving voltage of about 100 V, and a minimum gap of 2 μm between movable parts and fixed parts. Calculated torque outputs for the wobble motor and the comb drive actuator were 3.19×10-8 Nm and 11.33×10-8 Nm respectively under a driving voltage of 100 V. The basic structure of the micromotors was composed of movable and fixed electrodes of Ni and a sacrificial layer of SiO2 on a Si substrate. These micromotors were fabricated by a single mask process using LIGA. In this process, the difficult phase is removing the PMMA molds before the sacrificial layer etching of SiO2. The residual PMMA was removed by the GG developer after a second X-ray exposure without a mask. When the residual PMMA was left between the micropatterns, it was removed completely by using an organic solvent and so on. Therefore, the sacrifice layer etching and drive of the micromotors were successful. Actuation of the micromotors was confirmed. The applied voltage to the wobble motor and the comb drive actuator were 125 V and 65 V respectively. The maximum oscillation of the comb drive actuator was 4.54 μm under a frequency of 2.0×103 Hz
Keywords :
LIGA; electrostatic motors; elemental semiconductors; microactuators; polymer films; silicon; silicon-on-insulator; 10 mum; 100 mum; 125 V; 2 mum; 2000 Hz; 40 mum; 65 V; LIGA process; Ni; Si; Si-SiO2; SiO2 on Si substrate; X-ray exposure; comb drive actuator; comb drive microactuator; driving voltage; fixed electrodes; maximum oscillation; maximum width; micromotors; micropatterns; minimum gap; minimum width; movable electrodes; movable parts; residual PMMA; sacrifice layer etching; sacrificial layer; single mask; torque outputs; wobble motor; Actuators; Electrodes; Electrostatics; Etching; Fabrication; Microactuators; Micromotors; Process design; Torque; Voltage;
Conference_Titel :
Micromechatronics and Human Science, 1999. MHS '99. Proceedings of 1999 International Symposium on
Conference_Location :
Nagoya
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-5790-6
DOI :
10.1109/MHS.1999.820009