Miniature piezoelectric actuators: design concept, fabrication and performance evaluation

Magnifying mechanisms, which include bimorph configurations, waveguides, resonance, mechanical levers etc, that can convert a large-force, small-displacement piezoelectric material to become a smaller-force, large-displacement actuator are examined in detail. Sputtering processes for zinc oxide and lead-zirconate-titanate films, which are important for fabricating miniature laminated piezoelectric actuators, are presented. A newly developed laser Doppler interferometer that is especially designed for evaluating the performance of miniature piezoelectric actuators is also described. The design concept, optimization process, fabrication techniques and evaluation approach for such things as a piezoelectric impact hammer, a resonant dual-dimensional piezoelectric scanner, a Langevin type ultrasonic motor and a high-precision piezoelectric positioning stage are also discussed.