VO2 thin films for micromanipulators

The use of VO₂ thin films as the active element in micromanipulators of multiple degrees of freedom is studied. It is shown that the insulator-to-metal transition of VO₂, which occurs at around 68°C, can be used to create localized stress gradients in micro-structures. By controlling the location and intensity of these stress gradients, precise and multiple inflection points within a cantilever beamcan be achieved. This transition can be induced locally by any form of heating. In this work the transition is induced by optical radiation which allows remote actuation of the micromanipulators. Due to the relatively low transition temperature of VO₂, the particularly localized heating shown here, and the recently demonstrated actuation in aqueous media, these micromanipulators can be used in the different fields of bio-engineering.