Out-of-plane platforms with bi-directional thermal bimorph actuation for transducer applications

This paper reports on the Buckled Cantilever Platform (BCP) that allows the manipulation of the out of plane structures through the adjustment of the pitch angle using thermal bimorph micro-actuators. Due to the micro-fabrication process used, the bimorph actuators can be designed to move in both: Counter Clockwise (CCW) and Clockwise (CW) directions with a resolution of up to 110 µm/V, with smallest step in the range of nanometers. Thermal and electrical characterization of the thermal bimorph actuators showed low influence in the platforms temperature and low power consumption (< 35µW) mainly due to the natural isolation of the structure. Tip displacements larger than 500µm were achieved. The precise angle adjustment achieved through these mechanisms makes them optimal for a range of different MEMS applications, like optical benches and low frequency sweeping sensors and antennas.