What this work demonstrates is that it is possible to supply power to devices fabricated on silicon that are moved out of the plane of the wafer using polymer actuators. (Of course, this technology is not limited to silicon, but can be used with glass, quartz, or other substrates.) The possible applications are exciting, because so many different kinds of electronic, optical, and micromechanical devices can be produced on silicon. One can envision moving light-emitting diodes or semiconductor lasers, for example, or a comb-drive microgripper being moved into position to grasp a small object.
A particular application we are pursuing is a chip for the study of living cells or single-celled organisms. A cavity etched in silicon with a sealable lid could be used to capture a cell, and both the cavity floor and the lid could carry devices for measuring a property of interest. For example, there could be electrodes on them so that the resistance could be measured or a potential applied. Alternatively, a light source on the lid could be coupled with a light detector on the floor for optical measurements. Chemical sensors could monitor the response of the cell. A wafer could be covered with thousands of these devices so that information could be gathered from a great many cells. The devices presented in this paper are one step on the way to such goals.