Temperature profile optimization for silicon-polymer electrothermal microgripper

This paper presents design and simulation on optimizing a sensing microgripper structure based on silicon-polymer electrothermal actuators and piezoresistive force-sensing cantilever beams. The simulation is to utilize the structure and organize heaters for lower temperature at gripper's jaw, while not affecting the displacement. By reducing the heat diffusion into the base and the redistribution of heat sources for silicon combs of the actuator, the temperature profile of this microgripper has been improved considerably. The result is 63% reduction of operating temperature (from a maximum of 200 °C was reduced to 74 °C) and power consumption is also reduced by 50%.