Foil-level fabrication of inkjet-printed pyroMEMS balloon actuators

Abstract

The fabrication, modeling and testing of a pyroMEMS balloon actuators are presented herein. A foil-level fabrication method was developed, integrating nickel-plated, inkjet-printed igniters capable of generating >200 degrees C for similar to 1 s-sufficient for fuel combustion-and a low-temperature (120 degrees C) lamination technique using thick photodefinable epoxy sheets. Two different fuel mixtures and three different chamber volumes were tested. Balloon actuators (5 mm dia.) were successfully inflated, reaching over 5 mm in height. Maximum balloon heights were in good agreement with the semi-analytical model developed (28-35 % over prediction).