Electrochemically driven polypyrrole bilayers for moving and positioning bulk micromachined silicon plates

The conjugated polymer polypyrrole undergoes a volume change of several percent when its oxidation state is changed electrochemically by the application of voltages between 0 and -1 V (versus Ag/AgCl). This volume change is due to ion movements in or out of the polymer film. Bilayers of polypyrrole and gold undergo a large bending and can deliver high force. They can thus function as hinges to lift rigid components. In this work, we demonstrate that silicon plates produced by reactive ion etching can be lifted by such PPy/Au hinges. The strength and efficiency of these bilayers are also determined.