Bi-stable micro actuator based on stress engineered nano-diamond

In this work we present a bi-stable diamond micro-bridge with a centre operating contact, which can be used in various fields of application. The actuator is based on the thermal bi-metal actuation principle, switching a double anchored cantilever beam between two bi-stable positions as described previously [P. Schmid, F. J. Hernandez-Guillen and E. Kohn, Diamond and Related Materials, 12 (2003), pp. 418–421]. The actuator device is composed of two parts: (a) the beam actuator (which enables a bi-stable vertical movement of an operating contact) with frame and pillars, and (b) the base plate, which contains the contact base. The bi-metal actuator principle allows the generation of large forces acting onto the base, since the base-plate technology is independent from that of the actuator. Hybrid integration of this system offers applications in various fields. Several examples are proposed and described.