To provide an actuator that makes it possible to reduce power consumption and size more easily than the conventional one by applying an electrowetting phenomenon.
The actuator 11 includes: multiple drive electrodes 20 disposed on the insulating face of the bottom plate 12 of a pump; an insulating layer 21 covering the drive electrodes 20; a drive plate 22 opposed to the bottom plate 12 with a predetermined space in-between and partly fixed on the bottom plate 12; conductive droplets 23 disposed between the bottom plate 12 and the drive plate 22 in contact with both of them; and a driver IC 24 that applies electric potential to the drive electrodes 20. The driver IC 24 varies the electric potential of the drive electrodes 20, and the wetting angle of the droplets 23 to the insulating layer 21 is thereby varied to fluctuate the height of the droplets 23. The drive plate 22 is deformed according to this fluctuation in the height of the droplets 23.
Makoto Suhara
Toru Kimura
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