3D Printed Miniaturized Magnetic Actuator for Micro‐Area Temperature Sensing.

Actuators containing sensors are developed for various applications. However, it is still challenging to equip miniaturized high‐precision sensors with actuators at the micrometer scale to achieve micro‐environment detection. Here, a two‐in‐one processing strategy to construct a sensor‐equipped magnetic actuator (SEMA) is proposed. The design of magnetic actuators is continuously optimized to achieve less resistance and faster acceleration. Besides, the temperature‐dependent properties of semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) are used to fabricate the temperature‐sensitive unit (TSU), with a sensitivity of up to 111 pm °C−1. Finally, as a proof of concept, the real‐time temperature detection of arbitrary micro‐area in microchannels is achieved. This method of equipping sensors with microactuators will bring many potential applications in microenvironment sensing, micro‐mechanical manipulating, and microcargo transporting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]