Meso scale flextensional piezoelectric actuators

We present an ultra-thin meso scale piezoelectric actuator consisting of a piezoceramic beam and a carbon fiber displacement-amplification frame. We show that the actuator can be designed to achieve a wide range of force/displacement characteristics on the mN/mu m scales. The best performing design achieved a free displacement of 106 mu m and a blocked force of 73 mN, yielding a total energy density of 0.51 Jkg(-1) for the 7.6 mg system. We describe a printed circuit MEMS process for fabricating the actuator that incorporates laser micromachining, chemical vapor deposition, and precision carbon fiber lamination. Lastly, we report the incorporation of the actuator into a microgripper and describe other promising application opportunities in micro-optics and micro-laser systems.