An XZ Micropositioning Mechanism (XZMM) With Out-of-Plane Translation

This paper introduces the XZ Micropositioning Mechanism (XZMM) that is fabricated in the x-y plane and translates components in the x-z direction using one linear input. The positioning platform of the mechanism remains parallel to the substrate throughout its motion. The XZMM has been tested and actuated using thermal actuation and achieves an out-of-plane output displacement of 41 micrometers with a 27 micrometer x-direction input.