Analysis and Prediction of the In-Plane Deformation in Laser Thermal Adjustment

Laser thermal adjustment as an application of laser forming in microsystems has received considerable attentions in recent years. This process is a noncontact and high precision forming method. The traditional mechanical microforming technologies for the adjustment step used in microsystem assembly are often limited in their accuracy and are also time consuming. This paper presents an analytical model for describing the in-plane deformation of actuators during laser thermal adjustment. A formula for calculating the in-plane bending angle of the actuator generated by the laser processing is derived. The proposed analytical model is demonstrated by the comparison of the predicted bending angles with the numerical and experimental results. Finally, a formula to predict the possible buckling of the actuator during the laser processing is also developed, from which one can design the opening of the actuator in order to avoid the buckling of the actuator during a heating stage of the process.