INFORMATION PAPER

International Journal of Recent Trends in Engineering, Vol 1, No. 4, May 2009

FEM Simulation of Novel Thermal Microactuator

B.G.Sheeparamatti1, J.S.Kadadevarmath2, and M.S. Hebbal3
1
Basavashwar Engineering College/E & CE Dept, Bagalkot, India
Email: sheepar@yahoo.com
2
Karnataka University/ Electronics Dept, Dharwad, India
Email: jagadish_sk59@rediffmail.com
3
Basavashwar Engineering College/Automobile Engg. Dept, Bagalkot, India
Email: mshebbal3000@yahoo.com

Abstract— Microcantilevers are the basic and fundamental current density in the thick arm, and the thin arm heats up
MEMS based structures used in microsystems. more than the thick arm, which makes the thin arm to
Microcantilevers have been used both as sensors and bend. Thus, temperature produces thermal strain and
actuators. In this paper, modeling and simulation details of thermally induced deflections. This deflection makes the
a microcantilever for thermal actuation are presented. The
advantage of this actuator is, the tip of this actuator which
structure an actuator and specialty of this actuator is, its
actually drives some other object doesn’t gets heated and tip does not get heated to a high temperature.
hence can be used in any environment safely. The main The main objective of this work is to investigate the
objective of this work is to investigate the nature of microcantilever based actuator’s deflection for an applied
deflection of microcantilever based actuator for the applied potential difference across the base pads. In this work, a
potential difference across the base pads. In this device, two microcantilever based thermal actuator is modeled and
microcantilevers of different dimensions are considered and simulated. In the design two microcantilevers, which are
when these are subjected to same current, deflect joined at one point and are supported by big contact base
differently. The current density in the thin arm is greater pads are considered.
than the current density in the thick arm. Therefore, the
thin arm heats up more than the thick arm, which makes
the thin arm to bend. Thus, temperature produces thermal II. METHODOLOGY
strain and thermally induced deflections. This turns the The dimensions of the cantilevers are chosen with
microstructure into a thermal actuator. The amount of tip
arbitrary values. Finite element analysis is used in almost
deflection is a direct function of the applied potential
difference between the electrical connection pads. every engineering discipline. Earlier FEA packages were
Therefore, the amount of tip deflection can be calibrated as limited to linear, static stress analysis only. Now they
a function of applied voltage. Additional objectives of this have been extended to include nonlinear static stress,
work are to obtain voltage, temperature and displacement dynamic stress, fluid flow, heat transfer, electric,
plots. Increasing the applied voltage in the model developed electrostatic, magnetic, etc. These capabilities are
in ANSYS/Multiphysics, resulted in increase in the combined to perform coupled-field analysis that consider
deflection. This is because of direct relationship between the multiple physical phenomena and are tightly integrated
applied voltage, current density, temperature developed and within a CAD interface. The finite element method is
deflection.
very efficient since it can be applied to any geometry, any
Index Terms— Microcantilever, thermal microactuator, set of material properties, and loading conditions as long
FEM Analysis, ANSYS/ Multiphysics, MEMS as the appropriate constitutive relationships and
equilibrium conditions are met. One more advantage of
I. INTRODUCTION this FEA tool is, it is not restricted by size, and one can
use the so-called zoom feature in finite element meshing
A beam fixed at one end and free at the other end is to describe a miniature MEMS device. Hence many
called a cantilever and a cantilever whose dimensions are researchers have used this finite element method for
in the range of microns is termed as microcantilever. As modeling MEMS devices. The model was created
the dimensions of the cantilevers are miniaturized, the selecting the disciplines structural, thermal and electrical
ratios of length to area and area to volume will be of ANSYS/Multiphysics [4]. Fig. 1 shows the structure of
drastically changed and these changes alter the relative the microactuator model.
effects of various physical parameters in an altogether Two cantilever beams of different dimensions were
dramatic way than conventional macro cantilevers. modeled using coupled-field element type SOLID98 [4].
Microcantilevers are the basic and fundamental MEMS This element has thermal, electrical and structural
based structures used for microsystems. They have been properties for 3D model. As all the dimensions are taken
used for both sensing and actuating applications [1]. in microns, Young’s modulus, resistivity, and thermal
Analysis of these microcantilevers is easy mainly because conductivity is also taken in µMKSV units. The
analytical equations can be applied easily, and can also be modeled actuator requires analysis with a coupled-field
very easily implemented in FEM tools like ANYSIS / multiphysics analysis that accounts for the interaction
Multiphysics [2, 3]. In this device, two microcantilevers
of different dimensions are joined and when they are
subjected to same current, deflect differently. This is
because, current density in the thin arm is greater than the
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International Journal of Recent Trends in Engineering, Vol 1, No. 4, May 2009

Figure 1. Model of the Thermal Microactuator. Figure 3. Stress distribution without ‘U’ notch

(coupling) between thermal, electrical, and structural

fields. The tool used for design and simulation is III. REESULTS AND DISSUSSIONS
ANSYS/Multiphysics. The actuator is modeled using
multiphysics module of ANSYS, which allows the Initially, physical loads were applied to the
analysis of resulting stresses and deflections. Fig. 2 microcantilever tip and it behaved linearly, that is, higher
shows the meshed model of the microcantilever based the applied load, larger the deflection. In a similar
actuator. The developed finite element model consists of fashion increasing the applied voltage, resulted in
10978 elements, 16125 nodes and each node has five increase in the deflection, because of the direct
degrees of freedom. relationship between the applied voltage, current density,
After meshing the model and setting the temperature to temperature generated and deflection. “Fig. 5” shows the
300 C, voltage is applied between two electrical deflection and the Fig. 6 shows the temperature at
connection pads. Arresting the base of the contact pads different positions of the cantilever pairs considered.
in all directions, analysis is done and for this analysis, “Fig. 5” shows that highest strain occurred at the tip of
polysilicon material is used to build the actuator. This the beam.
ensured that the bases don’t move during the Applying 3V, 4V, 5V, 6V, and 7V to the developed
administration of the electrical voltage so that the actual model, resulting maximum deflection and maximum
deflection can be observed. The adequacy of the number temperature are recorded. Fig. 7 shows the graph of both
of elements used is confirmed by convergence of maximum temperature and deflection in microns. It
deflection at the tip of the cantilever beam. After shows the necessity of exact analysis of deflection of
analyzing the stresses at the base of the cantilevers as microcantilever in response to the applied
shown in the Fig. 3, a ‘U’ notch was introduced at voltage/current.
location ‘A’ as shown in the Fig. 4. This resulted in Similarly by changing cross section of the smaller
reduction of maximum principle stress by about 13% [5]. cantilever, some readings can be taken and finding the
The main advantage of this actuator is, the tip of this optimum cross section is a challenge. Stress distribution
actuator does not get heated to a high temperature and at the U notch and reducing the stress can also be taken
hence do not pass the heat to the subsequent part which is up as a separate work. Here, according to the required
to be driven. Thus this actuator has special advantage voltage actuation, one can increase the deflection per
than such cantilever based actuators. voltage, by setting optimum dimension to U-notch
keeping local stress value below permissible stress.

Figure 2. Mesh Model of the Thermal Microactuator Figure 4. Stress distribution with ‘U’ notch

80

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International Journal of Recent Trends in Engineering, Vol 1, No. 4, May 2009

2000 10

1800 9
temp
1600 8
def
1400 7

DEFL. ( Micron)
TEMP( OC)
1200 6

1000 5

800 4

600 3

400 2

200 1

0 0
3 4 5 6 7

VOLTS
Figure 5. Deflection of the thermal Microactuator

IV. CONCLUSIONS Figure 7. Graph of Max. Temperature and Deflection against

different voltages
This type of thermal actuators can be used to move
micro objects/devices, and an array of such actuators can
be used to produce large effects. The fact that the tip of REFERENCES
this actuator does not get heated to a high temperature
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Figure 6. Temperature distribution at different parts of the Thermal

Microactuator

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