Printed actuators made with electroactive polymers on flexible substrates

This article presents a manufacturing process and the electro-mechanical characterization of actuators made with electroactive polymers based on a PDVF terpolymer. Indeed, the PVDF-TrFE-CFE presents a high electrostrictive strain under electrical field. By introducing it in a metal-insulator-metal structure processed on a thin PEN foil, cantilevers were realized on flexible substrates. The cantilevers fabrication process is described, and their characterization is done by the measurement of the displacement bending and the consequent calculation of the induced strain under electric field. A theoretical model is proposed and validated by the experimental measurements.