Thermal and mechanical analysis of an SU8 polymeric actuator using infrared thermography

Abstract

In the current paper, report the detailed thermomechanical analysis of a polymeric thermal actuator integrated in a microelectromechanical systems microgripper, is reported. The inclusion of an actuator design which eliminates completely the parasitic resistance of the cold arm improves considerably the thermal efficiency of the system and enables large displacements at lower input voltages and operating temperatures than reported previously. Two different microgrippers built using a trilayer polymer/metal/polymer combination of SU8/gold/SU8 have been modelled, fabricated, and tested. As opposed to standard models, heat transfer by conduction to the ambient as well as between adjacent beams has been modelled. A semi-empirical approach for the calculation of conductive heat transfer coefficients has also been provided. The analysis combines simulations with electrical, deflection, and spatially resolved temperature measurements. The latter was carried out using infrared thermography, its use in polymeric actuators reported here for the first time. The good agreement between the models and the experimental data support the conclusions of the basic analytical model, i.e. thermal losses are dominated by two conduction mechanisms (into the ambient and between the hot and cold arms), and encourage its use for qualitative thermal design assessment and optimization.