A multi-walled carbon nanotube-aluminum bimorph nanoactuator.
A multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNT) bimorph nanoactuator has been modeled, fabricated and characterized. A thin aluminum film was uniformly deposited on the sidewalls of MWNTs using a pulsed laser deposition method to create the bimorph nanostructure. For a temperature change from 290 to 690 K with measured dimensions of 100 +/- 20 nm for the MWNT diameter, 40 +/- 10 nm for the Al thickness, and 5.2 +/- 0.5 microm for the bimorph length, the measured deflection was 550 +/- 200 nm, which was in good agreement with the calculation. The actuation force was measured using a lateral force microscopy technique, and the measured values agreed well with the prediction based on the model. The nanoactuator generated a microN force at its tip.
Mechanical Engineering Department, Stevens Institute of Technology, Castle Point on Hudson, Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA.
Onejae
O
Sul
Eui-Hyeok
EH
Yang
D000535:Aluminum / Q000737:chemistry*; D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D008422:Materials Testing; D008846:Micromanipulation / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation*; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010316:Particle Size; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013696:Temperature; D014159:Transducers
D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D000535:Aluminum