Design and Fabrication of a Lorentz Force Driven Micro Indenter

Abstract

A MEMS based micro-actuator driven by electromagnetic force is developed to generate a micro Newton range of force for measuring the mechanical property of living cells or locally stimulating cells. The indenter consists of a probe and a couple of flexible beams with embedded electrodes. The developed device utilizes Lorentz force, which is generated by an applied electric field and a permanent magnet positioned beneath the electrodes, as its actuation power to indent a small object with the probe positioned at the midpoint of the beams. Given the magnetic force and the amount of indentation, the elastic modulus of the object of interest can be obtained. This device is a novel user-friendly micro indenter with a large deformation range, featuring high utilization potential for investigation of cell mechanics.

Keywords

• electromagnetic force
• mechanical property
• mems fabrication
• micro-actuator
• cellular indentation