Performance-enhanced heat converter used in FPA utilizing a SiOx/Al corrugated micro-cantilever actuator

This paper proposes a performance-enhanced SiOx/Al corrugated micro-cantilever structure, which transfers heat to mechanical deformation. Analytical simulations are carried out using the Finite Element Method (FEM), compared to the traditional straight bi-material structure(TSBMS) with same length L, the corrugated bi-material structures(CBMS) have higher temperature response sensitivity S_T and lower stiffness factor K. Furthermore, two types of cantilever was fabricated, and the test result verifies the change of the stiffness factor K. Finally, the thermal-mechanical uncooled infrared focal plane array (FPA) with CBMS was fabricated, and the test results show that the bending response of the CBMS is about 2 times greater than TSBMS with same length. The CBMS proposed in this paper could be used widely in MEMS apparatus field based on bimaterial microcantilever.