Conducting interpenetrating polymer network sized to fabricate microactuators

Interpenetrating polymer networks can become successful actuators in the field of microsystems providing they are compatible with microtechnologies. In this letter, we report on a material synthesized from poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) and polytetrahydrofuran/poly(ethylene oxide) and microsized by decreasing its thickness to 12 μm and patterning the lateral side using plasma etching at high etch rates and with vertical sidewalls. A chemical process and a “self degradation” are proposed to explain such etching rates. Preliminary actuation results show that microbeams can move with very large displacements. These microsized actuators are potential candidates in numerous applications, including microswitches, microvalves, microoptical instrumentation, and microrobotics.

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