Fabrication of LCE Microactuator Arrays Through Soft Lithography With Surface Alignment

Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) offer potentially programmable actuation through precise molecular alignment, making them ideal for microactuators in soft robotics and optical systems. However, achieving precise microscale alignment for LCE actuator arrays through scalable microfabrication approaches has been challenging. This paper introduces a low-cost surface alignment method to fabricate LCE microactuator arrays, reducing the dependency on expensive equipment, improving accessibility and manufactuarability compared to existing studies using field-assisted alignment methods. Thermal actuation tests demonstrated strong thermal responsiveness and stability. Our method offers a superior approach to integrating LCE microactuator arrays with modern microfabrication processes, promising multitudinous applications in MEMS and beyond.