Intercalated carbon: a novel electromechanical material for MEMS actuators and microelectronics

摘要

This paper presents intercalated graphite an innovative material for use in MEMS actuators. It demonstrates experimental data from carbon fiber actuators and proposes thin-film carbon actuators. Formed from polyimide compounds, graphitic carbon, when intercalated, produces strain values an order of magnitude better than traditional polysilicon thermal actuators at low voltages. These high strain values at low voltage and current provide a high-force, low-power solution for next-generation MEMS devices.