A microactuator is a microscopicservomechanism that supplies and transmits a measured amount of energy for the operation of another mechanism or system. As a general actuator, following standards have to be met:
The basic principle can be described as the expression for mechanical work
since an actuator is to manipulate positions and therefore force is needed. For different kind of microactuators, different physical principles are applied.
↑Fujita, Hiroyuki; Toshiyoshi, Hiroshi (1998). "Micro actuators and their applications". Microelectronics Journal. 29 (9): 637–640. doi:10.1016/S0026-2692(98)00027-5.
↑Wood, D.; Burdess, J. S.; Harris, A. J. (1996). "Actuators and their mechanisms in microengineering". IEE Colloquium on Actuator Technology: Current Practice and New Developments (Digest No: 1996/110): 7/1–7/3. doi:10.1049/ic:19960698.
↑Ma, Z. C.; Fan, J.; Wang, H.; Chen, W.; Yang, G. Z.; Han, B. (2023). "Microfluidic Approaches for Microactuators: From Fabrication, Actuation, to Functionalization". Small. 19 (22). doi:10.1002/smll.202300469. PMID36855777.