抄録
Major advantages of a microactuator driven by light energy are that optical excitation enables noncontacting thermal energy supply and remote operation. Photothermal-drive is the method to get driving force by means of the thermal stress induced by the light energy. A micro-cantilever is the simplest element of a micromachine, and is driven by photothermal-effect using a modulated laser diode of 13mW. In the previous study, nanometer order of displacement is obtained by drive of a steel micro-cantilever. In this study, bimorph of aluminum and photoresist is employed that is made by improved fabrication method of a cantilever, and displacement of 630μm is obtained. Drive characteristics such as time response and frequency response of the bimorph micro-cantilever are measured. Applying the principle of photothermal driving to a bimorph microstructure of arch shaped cross, micromotion is excited on the bimorph microstructure by the periodic laser irradiation. A self-propelled bimorph microstructure is realized.
