Skip to content
2000
Volume 15, Issue 2
  • ISSN: 1876-4029
  • E-ISSN: 1876-4037

Abstract

Background: The thermal time constant is the core parameter for determining the dynamic response of the electrothermal actuators and the corresponding maximum operational frequency. Aim: Since it is necessary to determine how the thermal actuation occurs within the cantilever, this paper presents two models for the thermal time constant of bimetal microcantilevers. One model is based on the bimetallic effect, and the second is based on temperature gradients in layers. Methods: In order to investigate and check the validity of the two proposed models, the device was actuated electrothermally, and the thermal time response was estimated. A driving voltage was applied to the platinum electrode. The first model is based on the interface thermal resistance between the base and the top electrode layer. The second model assumes that the temperature gradients within the base layer are responsible for thermal actuation. Results: The microcantilever was excited electrothermally with a resonance frequency of 1.89 MHz. The bimetallic effect was found to be less able to stimulate the microcantilever at this resonance frequency. Therefore, it was concluded that thermal actuation occurred as a result of temperature variation within the SiC base layer. Conclusion: The results also indicated that temperature variations within one of the two materials in contact might be responsible for thermal actuation, especially if the material has high thermal conductivity.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/mns/10.2174/1876402914666220622104104
2023-06-01
2025-07-09
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/content/journals/mns/10.2174/1876402914666220622104104
Loading
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error
Please enter a valid_number test