Microfabrication of compliant all-polymer MEMS thermal actuators

This paper presents a fabrication process for compliant all-polymer MEMS actuators. This process allows high-aspect ratio conductive and non-conductive polymer features to be fabricated together in-plane. With this capability, robust all-polymer thermal actuators have demonstrated displacements as large at 100 μm and forces as high as 55 μN. The actuators are fabricated with elastomeric materials only, so they are very robust and can undergo large strains in both tension and bending and still operate once released.