Characterization of electrothermal actuation with nanometer and microradian precision

The single motion cycles of an electrothermal actuator were measured with nanometer and microradian precision, using a recently introduced particle tracking method. The actuator linked two rigid bodies that translated and rotated. Stochastic input noise decoupled and coupled the two bodies within the play of the linkage, resulting in a nondeterministic output. The linkage was characterized using a simple model of the actuation mechanism, establishing a new approach to characterizing microelectromechanical systems (MEMS).