Research
Large Stroke Actuators for Adaptive Optics
Project Overview
A 3-dimensional MEMS fabrication process to prototype large stroke (>10um) actuators as required for use in future adaptive optic systems in astronomy and vision science is presented. The Electrochemical Fabrication (EFAB tm) process crates metal microstructures by electroplating multiple, independently patterned layers.
The process has the design freedom of rapid prototyping where multiple patterned layers are stacked to build structures with virtually any desired geometry, but in contrast has much greater precision, the capability for batch fabrication and provides parts in engineering materials such as nickel.
Large Stroke Actuator Designs.
The design freedom enabled by this process has been used to make both parallel plate and comb drive actuators designs that can have large vertical heights of up to 1 mm. As the thickness of the sacrificial layers used to release the actuator is specified by the designer, rather than by constraints of the fabrication process, the design of large-strok actuators is straightforward and does not require any new process development