Fabrication of a magnetic thin-film actuator using roll-to-roll gravure printing

Magnetic actuators are attractive for their fast response, large deformation capability, and low power requirement compared with other types of actuators. Roll-to-roll printing is a continuous process and offers high productivity. We fabricated the cantilever-structured magnetic actuators using the roll-to-roll gravure printing process. By applying a partial magnetic field while carrying out the roll-to-roll printing process, the vector of the magnetic layer was programmed instantaneously during printing. This technique improved productivity and reduced materials waste. The fabrication process for the actuator includes printing the sacrificial layer, printing and magnetizing the magnetic layer, and coating the structural layer. An air gap between the substrate and cantilever beam of the actuator was made by removing the sacrificial layer. The actuator samples were examined in terms of displacement, hysteresis, and durability. Our actuators can rotate up to 90 degrees and can be actuated at 20 Hz under a magnetic field of 80 mT.