Mechano-responsive lateral buckling of miniaturized beams standing on flexible substrates

Abstract

We fabricate an elastomeric beam standing on a flexible substrate using 3D printing and soft lithography and investigate lateral buckling generated in the part of the wall when this beam is under pure bending. We also observe changes in the morphology of wrinkling along the applied strain and geometry of the wall, and then analyze it with scaling concepts. Furthermore, the degree of lateral buckling is controlled through the tip design in the ratchet structure and it is verified with finite element simulation. Based on this, a millimeter scale device with a visual difference according to the curvature is manufactured.