High strength, low voltage microfabricated electroadhesives on non-conductive surfaces

Abstract

This work demonstrated microfabricated all-polymer electroadhesive devices, which obtained a maximum shear strength of 78 kPa at 200 V on a glass slide; these shear strengths are higher than previous work when operated at voltages an order of magnitude lower. A mold was microfabricated in silicon with features across multiple length scales, from centimeters to microns. The mold was refilled using conductive and dielectric polymers to decrease device stiffness over traditional metal electrodes, promoting a more conformal contact between the adhesive layer and substrate. Parylene was deposited to create a thin compliant dielectric between the electrodes and substrate, thereby reducing the voltage required to turn on the adhesives. Results show the effect of compliance on adhesive shear strength as well as the effect of gap spacing and number of electrodes.