Reconfigurable microactuator and method of configuring same
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of Michigan
InventorsZhishan Hua, Erdogan Gulari, Mark A. Burns, Rohit Pal, Onnop Srivannavit
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A microactuator may be configured by activating a source of electromagnetic radiation to heat and melt a selected set of phase-change plugs embedded in a substrate of the microactuator, pressurizing a common pressure chamber adjacent to each of the plugs to deform the melted plugs, and deactivating the source of electromagnetic radiation to cool and solidify the melted plugs.
Claims21
A reconfigurable microactuator system comprising:
- a substrate including a plurality of thru chambers formed therein;
- a plurality of phase-change plugs each disposed within one of the thru chambers and having opposing surfaces;
- a flexible layer attached with the substrate and covering one of the surfaces of each of the plugs;
- and
- a cap positioned such that a common pressure chamber is defined adjacent to each of the plugs.
A method for configuring a microactuator including a substrate having a plurality of phase-change plugs embedded therein, the method comprising:
- activating a source of electromagnetic radiation to heat and melt a selected set of the plugs;
- pressurizing a common pressure chamber adjacent to each of the plugs to deform the melted plugs;
- and
- deactivating the source of electromagnetic radiation to cool and solidify the melted plugs thereby latching the deformed plugs.
A reconfigurable latchable microactuator system comprising:
- a substrate assembly including a plurality of membrane-covered actuation cells embedded therein, each of the actuation cells being configured to melt if heated by a source of electromagnetic radiation;
- and
- a helmet chip operatively arranged with the substrate assembly to form a common pressure chamber adjacent to the actuation cells, each of the actuation cells being further configured to deform when melted if subjected to pressure via the pressure chamber.
A reconfigurable microactuator having an array of individually selectively addressable membrane-covered phase-change actuation cells.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.