Microactuators

G.K. Ananthasuresh
Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Indian Institute of Science
Bangalore, 560012, India
 What are actuators?
• Actuators use input energy and release 
output energy in a controlled manner.
• Mechanical actuators act upon something 
and move it with force or torque.
• There are many types of actuators.
– Based on the type of output energy released
– Based on the way output energy is released
– Based on the input energy used
 Actuators are transducers.
• Transducers covert one form of energy to 
another form.

Mechanical
Input  Output  Optical
energy energy Radiation
Actuator
Acoustic
Fields
Actuators with different output 
energies
• Mechanical actuators
– Produce motion
– Motors, engines, pumps
• Acoustic actuators
– Produce sound
• Optical actuators
– Produce light
– LEDs, solid‐state lasers
• Others
– Radiation
– Fields
An actuator’s output is usually 
mechanical.
• Actuators usually covert input energy into 
controlled mechanical energy.

Motion
Input  Output  Force/torque
energy Mechanical  energy Resonance
Oscillations
actuators Deformations
etc.
 Microactuators
• Produce motions over small distances.
– Of the order of microns to mm.
• Produce small forces.
– Of the order of pN to mN.
• Produce motion and force in entities of 
small sizes.
 Microactuator universe: displacements
Bell et al., 2005
J. Micromechanics and Microengineering
Displacement resolution

Maximum displacement
 Microactuator universe: forces
Bell et al., 2005
J. Micromechanics and 
Microengineering
Maximum force

Maximum displacement
Biological microactuators: displacements

Vliet et al., 2003
Acta Materialia.
Biological actuators: forces

Vliet et al., 2003
Acta Materialia.
Mechanical micro‐actuators with 
different input energies and how 
they are used.
• Electrostatic
• Electro‐magnet based
• Thermal
• Chemical
• Piezo‐electric
• Shape memory alloy (SMA)
• Smart material‐based
• Light‐induced
• Biological
Mechanical micro‐actuators with 
different input energies and how 
they are used.
• Electrostatic
• Electro‐magnet based
• Thermal
• Chemical
• Piezo‐electric
• Shape memory alloy (SMA)
• Smart material‐based
• Light‐induced
• Biological
Mechanical micro‐actuators with 
different input energies and how 
they are used.
• Electrostatic
• Electro‐magnet based
• Thermal
• Chemical
• Piezo‐electric
• Shape memory alloy (SMA)
• Smart material‐based
• Light‐induced
• Biological
Mechanical micro‐actuators with 
different input energies and how 
they are used.
• Electrostatic
• Electro‐magnet based
• Thermal
• Chemical
• Piezo‐electric
• Shape memory alloy (SMA)
• Smart material‐based
• Light‐induced
• Biological
Mechanical micro‐actuators with 
different input energies and how 
they are used.
• Electrostatic
• Electro‐magnet based
• Thermal
• Chemical
• Piezo‐electric
• Shape memory alloy (SMA)
• Smart material‐based
• Light‐induced
• Biological
Mechanical micro‐actuators with 
different input energies and how 
they are used.
• Electrostatic
• Electro‐magnet based
• Thermal
• Chemical
• Piezo‐electric A normally open valve;
• Shape memory alloy (SMA) www.smavalves.com
• Smart material‐based
• Light‐induced
• Biological
Mechanical micro‐actuators with 
different input energies and how 
they are used.
• Electrostatic
• Electro‐magnet based
• Thermal
• Chemical
• Piezo‐electric
• Shape memory alloy (SMA)
• Smart material‐based
• Light‐induced
• Biological
Mechanical micro‐actuators with 
different input energies and how 
they are used.
• Electrostatic
• Electro‐magnet based
• Thermal
• Chemical
• Piezo‐electric
• Shape memory alloy (SMA)
• Smart material‐based
• Light‐induced
• Biological
Mechanical micro‐actuators with 
different input energies and how 
they are used.
• Electrostatic
• Electro‐magnet based Tan et al. (2003)

• Thermal
• Chemical
• Piezo‐electric
• Shape memory alloy (SMA)
• Smart material‐based
• Light‐induced
• Biological
Characteristics of a mechanical 
(micro)actuator
• Stroke The maximum 
• Force/torque displacement possible 
• Stiffness with an actuator.
• Input energy
• Efficiency
• Linearity
• Hysteresis
• Response time
• Drift
• Bandwidth
Characteristics of a mechanical 
(micro)actuator
• Stroke Maximum 
• Force/torque force/torque generated 
• Stiffness by an actuator.
• Input energy
• Efficiency
• Linearity
• Hysteresis
• Response time
• Drift
• Bandwidth
Characteristics of a mechanical 
(micro)actuator
• Stroke The rate at which the 
• Force/torque generated force/torque 
• Stiffness decreases with stroke.
• Input energy
• Efficiency
• Linearity
• Hysteresis
• Response time
• Drift
• Bandwidth
Characteristics of a mechanical 
(micro)actuator
• Stroke The energy (e.g., 
• Force/torque voltage × current) 
• Stiffness given to the actuator.
• Input energy
• Efficiency
• Linearity
• Hysteresis
• Response time
• Drift
• Bandwidth
Characteristics of a mechanical 
(micro)actuator
• Stroke The ration of the 
• Force/torque released energy to the 
• Stiffness input energy.
• Input energy
• Efficiency
• Linearity
• Hysteresis
• Response time
• Drift
• Bandwidth
Characteristics of a mechanical 
(micro)actuator
• Stroke The extent to which 
• Force/torque the force and stroke 
• Stiffness are linear.
Ideally, we want 
• Input energy
constant force.
• Efficiency
• Linearity
• Hysteresis
• Response time
• Drift
• Bandwidth
Characteristics of a mechanical 
(micro)actuator
• Stroke The difference in 
• Force/torque displacement/force for 
• Stiffness the same values of 
input energy in up 
• Input energy
and down strokes.
• Efficiency
• Linearity
• Hysteresis
• Response time
• Drift
• Bandwidth
Characteristics of a mechanical 
(micro)actuator
• Stroke The time taken for the 
• Force/torque actuator to respond 
• Stiffness from the instant the 
input signal is given.
• Input energy
• Efficiency
• Linearity
• Hysteresis
• Response time
• Drift
• Bandwidth
Characteristics of a mechanical 
(micro)actuator
• Stroke The unintended shift 
• Force/torque in force or 
• Stiffness displacement even 
when the input energy 
• Input energy
is steady.
• Efficiency
• Linearity
• Hysteresis
• Response time
• Drift
• Bandwidth
Characteristics of a mechanical 
(micro)actuator
• Stroke The frequencies at 
• Force/torque which the actuator can 
• Stiffness reliably provide the 
rated displacement 
• Input energy
and force.
• Efficiency
• Linearity
• Hysteresis
• Response time
• Drift
• Bandwidth
 Some microactuators
• Electrostatic micromotors
• Electrostatic comb‐drive
• Magnetic actuators
• Thermal microactuators
• Pneumatic actuators
• Piezoelectric actuators
• Surface‐tension driven fluidic actuators
 Electrostatic comb‐drive
Lee et al. (1989‐1991) Sandia National Laboratories (after 2000)
Comb‐drive: a schematic
Getting linearity…
 Why is electrostatic force the most 
popular in microactuators?
E Young’s modulus w Thickness of beams g Gap between comb‐fingers
t Width of the  l Length of the  N Number of comb‐pairs
suspension beams suspension beams
V Voltage
2Etw3
k Lumped mechanical stiffness of the suspension
l3
N  0tV 2
Fe  Electrostatic force
2g

Fe  N  0V 2  l 3 Deflection of the shuttle
   
k  4 E  gw3

  N  0V 2  l 2 2
  3 L Scaling of relative deflection with size for fixed 
l  4 E  gw voltage
   4E   gw 
3
V    2   L Scaling of voltage for fixed relative deflection
l   N 0   l 
Electrostatic micro‐motors

There was a race

between U.C.
Berkeley and MIT to
make the first rotary
motor in silicon.
Harmonic micro‐motor (MIT)
Micro‐gear train (Bell Labs)
Micromechanical lock (Sandia)
Pin in a maze
SUMMiT of Sandia
Sandia’s microengine gear train
Inertial forces can be significant.

The inertia may be insignificant but

velocities are relatively huge
(million rpm is not uncommon).

Therefore, inertial forces could be

substantial.

Figures: courtesy of Sandia

National Laboratory
Wedge motor of Sandia
Our prime mover linkage c/o micro
Is electro‐magnet force not 
scalable to micro?
• Electromagnetic force between two coils
0 l
F I1 I 2
2 d
Case 1: Constant current density
I
J  constant =  I  L2  F  L4 Very, very bad
Acs
Case 2: Constant temperature rise
1
 J As  k T  J   I  L  F  L2
2
Bad
L
Is electro‐magnet force not 
scalable to micro?
• Between a coil and a permanent magnet
  
F  Il B

Case 1: Constant current density

I
J  cosntant =  I  L2  F  L3 Very bad
Acs
Case 2: Constant temperature rise
1
 J 2 As  k T  J   I  L  F  L2 Still bad
L
But with a powerful magnet, one can manage good magnitude of force.
Magnetic actuation‐based pump
Kim, Ananthasuresh, and Bau, 2002.

Balaji and Ananthasuresh, 2005-07

 Coils on the chip
• Fabrication of micro coils is possible but it increases the 
process complexity.

Ahn and Allen, 1993, JMEMS

 (Comtois and Bright’s heatuator, 1994)

Hot
Cold

Bends upwards

(Made with PennSOIL)

Bends downwards
Many variations with shape, doping,
electrical and thermal boundary conditions

Parallel connection Selective doping gives

reversed bending the same effect
V
Undoped

Hot

Cold

Bend upwards
Electro‐thermal actuation
Enhanced thermal expansion

Expansion building block

Deformed
(Made using MUMPs)

(Moulton and Ananthasuresh, 2000)

Electro‐thermally actuated 
parallel linkages

Moulton, Li, and Ananthasuresh, 2001

 Piezoelectric actuators
Active materials that generate electric charge with mechanical strain 
and vice versa.

Typically, have large forces but very small displacements.

Usually, used in bimorph mode.

Give precise motions.

Require large voltages to operate.

800 N Stiffness = 32 N/um

Piezo-stack actuator
Force

800 N block force.

25 microns displacement.
Displacement
25 um
 Thermo‐pneumatic actuation
A normally closed fluidic valve

Trapped fluid Glass

Silicon

Glass Flow
Thermo‐pneumatic actuation

Redwood Microsystems’s
thermo-pneumatic normally
closed valve
 Pneumatic actuation
C. J. Kim, UCLA
Bi-metal cantilevers
curled due to residual
stress.
Opened with actuating
the bottom membrane
Other ways of micro‐actuation 
(IISc)
I ・ Input ports actuated Cell grasped
O O
I Compliant micro by fine-motion stages x x
mechanism with two
O ・ Output ports in contacts for
I contact with cell
manipulation
x ・ Observation ports
for tracking and force
x
computation
Compliant
x O
Cell probed with micro
a single contact Light source mechanism
x^ ^y z^ I I
Tiltable arm
Gross
Fine motion
I I motion
stage
stage

z y Circular motion stage

x

Haptic interface
for human operator
Microscope
Controller

CCD camera

PC Image processing
Computation of forces and displacements
I/O to controller and haptic interface
Microactuation with precision stages 
(IISc)

Zebrafish embryo
Bio-cell Micromanipulation Setup

Close-up of the gripper

holding zebrafish embryo

PDMS miniature compliant gripper

 Novel digital speakers
Digital reproduction of sound (DRS)

Analog Advantages of DRS:

Large dynamic range is not necessary.

Nonlinearity can be controlleddistortion

is minimized.
Digital
Fault tolerance.

Intensity control.

Speaklets are combined to

produce the sound effect.

With low-pass filters, the sound is

smoothened.
Diamond et al., 2003
 Surface‐driven flows
• Several actuation modes by changing surface tension: chemical, 
thermal, electrical, etc.

Cho, Moon, Kim, (JMEMS, 2003)

Digital Microfluidics by surface tension driven droplets

 Power on a chip: MIT microengine
A microengine can be made with the same power density as that of a big gas
turbine engine.
MIT Microengine (Source: Epstein, 2003)
Power on a chip

Detail of the DRIE-

Demo engine with H2 fuel etched blades

Turbine-compressor test
 Smart actuator example

S. Dubowsky’s group at MIT: Microbot space explorer

Supported by NASA Institute for Advanced Research (NIAC)

A dielectric elastomer with 200% strain to help microbot hop.

Micro actuation – macro effect
 Main points
• Characteristics of actuators
• Miniaturization is necessary…
– Because we need to move solids and make the fluids flow.
• Status
• Electrostatic actuation is good for sensors.
• Thermal, magnetic, pneumatic are for real actuation.
• Piezo and voice‐coil (electro‐magnet)are used for precision motion.
• SMA and other active materials are for special needs.
• Micro fluidics is going for surface‐tension, electrophoresis, electro‐
osmosis, etc.
• Commercial microactuators are not available as stand‐
alone devices.
• Piezo‐stack actuators are available in large sizes.
• Much more research is needed on actuators.