MICROSCOPIC SURFACE ELECTROCHEMICAL ACTUATORS FOR VOLTAGE-TUNABLE OPTICAL ELEMENTS

Voltage controllable optical resonators (VCOR) are critical to the world of photonics, theyallow dynamic tuning of the amplitude and phase of light via electric modulation of two semi reflective plates. Here, I present a novel application of a voltage-driven micro actuator technology, the surface electrochemical actuator (SEA), to work as the moving top membrane of an optical resonator. These actuators are fabricated massively in parallel, in a two layers of lithography fabrication procedure utilizing low temperature atomic layer deposition of platinum not exceeding 250C. After chemical release from their substrate, submerging in electrolyte, and when tethered in a fixed boundary condition, the platinum actuator buckles and exhibits maximum out-of-plane displacements on the order of several hundred nanometers with similar further changes in displacement across a mere +/-150mV of applied bias relative to the electrolyte solution. In the visible light range, these displacements shift the peak of the resonant reflected wavelength across the entirety of the visible light spectrum. These actuators are microscopic in lateral dimensions ranging from 10-100 micrometers, exhibit fast response times in the tens of milliseconds, with a power consumption ranging in fractions of a nanowatt. These results provide an ultra-low voltage CMOS compatible optical resonator that can enable high-performance reflective displays and imaging.

Author dc:creator

• Gonzalez-Medrano, David

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Miskin, Marc, Z
• Olsson, Troy

• Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Physics

Language dc:language.iso

en

Repository record dc:identifier.uri

https://repository.upenn.edu/handle/20.500.14332/62356

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repository.upenn.edu:20.500.14332/62356