Micro-Robotic Actuation Units Based on Thin-Film Piezoelectric and High-Aspect Ratio Polymer Structures

A fabrication procedure is presented for creating microactuation elements that link piezoelectric thin-films with high-aspect ratio parylene microstructures. Resulting actuators permit relatively large rotational motions for low voltage operation, while maintaining large weight-bearing capacity. Actuator fabrication is performed on a silicon wafer though a combination of metal and thin-film lead-zirconate-titanate (PZT) deposition and patterning, parylene refill of high-aspect ratio trenches, and dry release of moving parts from the silicon substrate. Static and dynamic responses of various test structures are measured, to estimate material properties of the integrated PZT-polymer structures, for use in future actuator modeling and optimization.