Monolithic Bulk-piezoelectric Actuators and Precision Motion Stages
- Detailed Technology Description
- Monolithic actuators that provide both in-plane and out-of-plane motion, unlike traditional unimorph orbimorph piezoelectric actuators which yield only motion along one direction, were fabricated from piezoelectric plates using a low-cost, high-throughput laser process.
- Others
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US patent application 14/785,442
- *Abstract
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Monolithic actuators that provide both in-plane and out-of-plane motion, unlike traditional unimorph orbimorph piezoelectric actuators which yield only motion along one direction, were fabricated from piezoelectric plates using a low-cost, high-throughput laser process. The actuators were made using direct-write micropatterning techniques on commercially available lead zirconate titanate (PZT) plates with electrodes on twosides. This efficient, low-cost method allows precisionremoval of PZT and/or electrode material optionally with double-sided alignment capability. Laser micromachining was used to create cantilever shaped actuators,although other direct-write (i.e. maskless) micromachining techniques such aswater-jet or ultrasonic drilling, electrical discharge machining,laser-assisted etching, and micro-CNC technologies can also be used to createactuators of arbitrary shape. Electrical excitation of electrodespatterned on the PZT plate generates motion, whose direction and amplitude arecontrolled by the polarity and magnitudes of electrical potentials on theelectrodes formed on the device.
A benefit of the invention isits simplicity, since it allows monolithic fabrication of actuators from commerciallyavailable piezoelectric plates without any mask-making, lithography, orelectrode deposition steps, which would increase the manufacturing time and cost.Furthermore, the double sided alignment option can yield almost doubling of theactuator displacements in certain actuation arrangements, and it allows morecomplex displacement vectors at the tip due to an additional electrode formedon the back side. These actuators have been used to realize a precision rotarystage from a PZT plate with a process flow, and can accommodate off-the-shelf circuits integrated on the PZT plate. A 10mm long, 0.45mm wide and 0.5mm thick PZT 4actuator was tested with actuation capabilities of ~ 0.08um/V for single sideand ~ 0.18um/V for double sided electrode patterns.
Potential Applications:
- Connectors, sensors, etc.
- Miniature precision stages for positioning and calibration
- 3D piezoelectrics with arbitrary electrode patterns
Advantages:
- Simple, low-cost fabrication
- Repeatable, high-throughput process
- Provides both in-plane and out-of-plane motion
- Larger displacement than conventional bimorphs
- Can be integrated in microsystems
- *Licensing
- Patrick Govangpjg26@cornell.edu(607) 254-2330
- Country/Region
- USA
