Importance

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Abstract

A touch mode electrostatic actuator and method of making the same, having first and second electrode driven surfaces positioned to move between a spaced apart relationship and a contact relationship when dielectric layer on each of the first and second electrode surfaces is subjected to a source of electrical potential to selectively actuate and discharge the dielectric layers to cause the movement between the relationships. The electrostatic actuators of this invention includes a hydrophobic layer for preventing absorption of water thereon, the hydrophobic layers being adapted to cause condensed water to form drops and prevent formation of a continuous water layer. The hydrophobic layer may be a coating on a hydrophilic actuator or, alternatively, may be made entirely from a hydrophobic material. The preferred hydrophobic material is selected from a group consisting of organic materials such as octadecyltrichlorosilane, perfluoro-decyltrichlorosilane, tetrafluoroethylene, and inorganic materials such as a diamond type carbon layer. The hydrophobic layer is electrically isolating and chemically stable in its intended environment. In the preferred embodiments, the hydrophobic material is applied to the hydrophilic dielectric layer by a method selected from dipping, plasma deposition, Langmuir-Blodgett technique, sputtering and CVD deposition.

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First Claim