Title :
Polysilicon vertical actuator powered with waste heat
Author :
Varona, J. ; Tecpoyotl-Torres, M. ; Hamoui, A.A.
Author_Institution :
Univ. Autonoma del Estado de Morelos, Morelos
Abstract :
This paper presents a new micro thermal actuator with bi-directional vertical motion. Traditional thermal actuators require an electric current to generate heat by Joule effect and obtain motion via thermal expansion. This work offers a simplified polysilicon thermal actuator designed to operate with an external heat source and, for example, scavenge heat from the surrounding medium. The actuator was fabricated using a standard surface micromachining process (PolyMUMPs). The thermal actuation characteristics, analysis, and experimental results for this novel micro-mechanical device are provided to illustrate performance and potential applications.
Keywords :
microactuators; micromachining; silicon; thermal expansion; waste heat; Joule effect; Si; bidirectional vertical motion; micromechanical device; microthermal actuator; polysilicon vertical actuator; surface micromachining process; thermal actuators; thermal expansion; waste heat; Actuators; Circuits; Current; Geometry; Microactuators; Micromechanical devices; Structural beams; Thermal expansion; Thermal force; Waste heat;
Conference_Titel :
Custom Integrated Circuits Conference, 2008. CICC 2008. IEEE
Conference_Location :
San Jose, CA
Print_ISBN :
978-1-4244-2018-6
Electronic_ISBN :
978-1-4244-2019-3
DOI :
10.1109/CICC.2008.4672136
