Fabrication of a three-dimensional micro-manipulator by laser irradiation and electrochemical techniques and the effect of electrolytes on its performance

Ribbon type and three-dimensional micro-actuators, consisting of three-layer structure of acrylic acid resin/Au/polypyrrole, were fabricated by aluminum anodizing, laser irradiation, and electrochemical techniques, and their performance was examined. Anodized aluminum specimens were irradiated with a pulsed Nd–YAG laser to remove anodic oxide films locally, and then an Au layer was deposited at the area where film had been removed. The subsequent electrophoretic deposition of acrylic acid resin on the Au layer, dissolution of anodic oxide film and the metal substrate, and deposition of polypyrrole on backside of Au layer by electro-polymerization enabled the fabrication of a three-layer actuator. Cyclic voltammetry of the ribbon type actuator in different electrolyte solutions showed that redox reactions of polypyrrole is accompanied with doping and dedoping of hydrated cations, and that the redox reaction strongly depends on the valency of cations in the solutions. The three-dimensional micro-actuator showed good performance as a manipulator, gripping and moving objects of several milligram in solutions.