MEMS-fabricated ICPF grippers for aqueous applications
Open Access
- 1 January 2003
- conference paper
- Published by Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
- Vol. 1, 556-559 vol.1
- https://doi.org/10.1109/sensor.2003.1215377
Abstract
This paper presents the results of our ongoing investigation of using Nafion solution to construct micron scale actuators as grippers for underwater manipulation. We have demonstrated MEMS-based fabrication of cantilever structures composed of Au/Nafion/Au film layers on silicon substrates is possible. The smallest actuators fabricated were 30 /spl mu/m wide, 300 /spl mu/m long and 0.4 /spl mu/m thick. We have shown that 2-finger actuators (each 100 /spl mu/m wide, 1200 /spl mu/m long and 0.4 /spl mu/m thick) could be fully actuated in water at /spl sim/7 V DC. In addition, we have found that micro Au/Nafion/Au cantilevers can respond to pH level changes in a solution environment, suggesting that they could potentially be used as biological sensors.Keywords
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