Electromagnetic Micromotors - Design, Fabrication and Applications

Microactuators have become essential elements of microelectromechanical systems, for example, for positioning purposes and for fluid-handling tasks in microfluidic systems. UV depth lithography and other new micromachining technologies, which have been developed since the 1990s, have initiated extensive investigations of electromagnetic microactuators, which are characterized by high forces, large deflections, low driving voltages resulting from low input impedances and robustness under harsh environments. This paper reviews the comprehensive research on the design, fabrication and application of electromagnetic micromotors performed in our laboratory over the past years.