Gas-soluble nanovoided polymers

Abstract

An actuator includes a primary electrode, a secondary electrode overlapping at least a portion of the primary electrode, a nanovoided polymer layer disposed between and abutting the primary electrode and the secondary electrode, the nanovoided polymer layer having a plurality of nanovoids dispersed throughout a polymer matrix, and a sealing layer at least partially encapsulating the nanovoided polymer layer, where the nanovoids include a fill gas.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An actuator comprising:
 a primary electrode;   a secondary electrode overlapping at least a portion of the primary electrode; and   a nanovoided polymer layer disposed between and abutting the primary electrode and the secondary electrode, the nanovoided polymer layer comprising a plurality of nanovoids dispersed throughout a polymer matrix, wherein the nanovoids comprise a fill gas.   
     
     
         2 . The actuator of  claim 1 , wherein the polymer matrix comprises an elastomer. 
     
     
         3 . The actuator of  claim 1 , wherein the fill gas comprises at least one of Ar, N 2 , Kr, Xe, O 2 , SF 6 , CHF 3 , CF 4 , C 2 F 6 , C 3 F 8 , and air. 
     
     
         4 . The actuator of  claim 1 , wherein a difference in Hildebrand solubility parameter between the nanovoided polymer and the fill gas is less than 2 MPa ½ . 
     
     
         5 . The actuator of  claim 1 , further comprising a layer of getter material located within a gas reservoir proximate to the nanovoided polymer layer. 
     
     
         6 . The actuator of  claim 5 , wherein at least a portion of the polymer matrix is directly exposed to the gas reservoir. 
     
     
         7 . An actuator comprising:
 a primary electrode;   a secondary electrode overlapping at least a portion of the primary electrode;   a nanovoided polymer layer disposed between and abutting the primary electrode and the secondary electrode;   a fill gas located within nanovoids of the nanovoided polymer layer; and   a hermetic sealing layer at least partially encapsulating the nanovoided polymer layer.   
     
     
         8 . The actuator of  claim 7 , wherein the hermetic sealing layer comprises an elastomer. 
     
     
         9 . The actuator of  claim 7 , wherein the hermetic sealing layer comprises at least one of poly(vinyl acetate), poly(vinyl alcohol), poly(ethylene vinyl alcohol), polyurethane, polyvinylidene fluoride, poly-chloro-trifluoroethylene, polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane, chloro-fluoropolymers, and aliphatic or semi-aromatic polyamides. 
     
     
         10 . The actuator of  claim 7 , wherein the nanovoided polymer layer is fully encapsulated by the hermetic sealing layer. 
     
     
         11 . A method comprising:
 forming an actuator comprising a primary electrode, a secondary electrode overlapping at least a portion of the primary electrode, and a nanovoided polymer layer disposed between and abutting the primary electrode and the secondary electrode; and   introducing a fill gas into nanovoids of the nanovoided polymer layer.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein introducing the fill gas into the nanovoids comprises:
 placing the actuator within a vacuum processing chamber;   evacuating the vacuum processing chamber; and   introducing the fill gas into the vacuum processing chamber.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein a sealing layer is formed around the nanovoided polymer layer within the vacuum processing chamber after introducing the fill gas into the vacuum processing chamber.