Characterization of a piezoelectric MEMS actuator surface toward motion-enabled reconfigurable RF circuits

Tellers, Mary; Pulskamp, Jeffrey S.; Bedair, Sarah S.; Rudy, Ryan Q.; Kierzewski, Iain; Polcawich, Ronald G.; Bergbreiter, Sarah

doi:10.1088/1361-6439/aaa218

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…The speed at the maximum applied voltage was 0.65 mm/s, for a slider weighting 12 times the conveyor mass. Similar-sized MEMS conveyors reported in the literature demonstrated a speed as high as 1 mm/s while carrying a factor of 11 lighter slider [28], despite being actuated by PZT, with a piezoelectric coefficient about two orders of magnitude larger than that of AlN. Finally, the minimum displacements were tested and the positioning resolution of the slider was studied in open loop, without any control strategy apart from the driving signal.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…Other monolithic devices for conveyance at this scale, but not relying on TW actuation, can be found in the literature. Tellers et al [28] proposed a different approach, where an array of PZT-actuated micro-hammers worked as a linear conveyor, capable of transporting 2 mg masses at 1 mm/s with 5 V excitation and positional errors as low as 2%, without speed control. Towards the goal of miniaturization, recent research [29] proved the feasibility of linear TW generation in AlN-actuated devices in the mili-to-micro scale.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Bidirectional Linear Motion by Travelling Waves on Legged Piezoelectric Microfabricated Plates

et al. 2020

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This paper reports the design, fabrication and performance of MEMS-based piezoelectric bidirectional conveyors featuring 3D printed legs, driven by linear travelling waves (TW). The structures consisted of an aluminium–nitride (AlN) piezoelectric film on top of millimetre-sized rectangular thin silicon bridges and two electrode patches. The position and size of the patches were analytically optimised for TW generation in three frequency ranges: 19, 112 and 420 kHz, by the proper combination of two contiguous flexural modes. After fabrication, the generated TW were characterized by means of Laser–Doppler vibrometry to obtain the relevant tables of merit, such as the standing wave ratio and the average amplitude. The experimental results agreed with the simulation, showing the generation of a TW with an amplitude as high as 6 nm/V and a standing wave ratio as low as 1.46 for a device working at 19.3 kHz. The applicability of the fabricated linear actuator device as a conveyor was investigated. Its kinetic performance was studied with sliders of different mass, being able to carry a 35 mg silicon slider, 18 times its weight, with 6 V of continuous sinusoidal excitation and a speed of 0.65 mm/s. A lighter slider, weighting only 3 mg, reached a mean speed of 1.7 mm/s at 6 V. In addition, by applying a burst sinusoidal excitation comprising 10 cycles, the TW generated in the bridge surface was able to move a 23 mg slider in discrete steps of 70 nm, in both directions, which is a promising result for a TW piezoelectric actuator of this size.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bidirectional Linear Motion by Travelling Waves on Legged Piezoelectric Microfabricated Plates

et al. 2020

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“…Piezoelectric stick-slip systems can achieve long-range motions with sub-micrometer accuracy and high speeds. Tellers et al [17] proposed a linear conveyor based on an array of PZT-actuated micro-hammers, capable of transporting 2 mg masses at 1 mm/s with 5 V excitation and positional errors as low as 80 µm, without speed control. In a more recent work [18], a hybrid piezoelectric micromotor, featuring 10 × 2 mm 2 bridge resonators with attached 3D-printed legs, demonstrated linear conveyance of 21 mg sliders at a maximum speed of 35 mm/s and positional resolution below 100 nm.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design and Characterization of a Planar Micro-Conveyor Device Based on Cooperative Legged Piezoelectric MEMS Resonators

et al. 2022

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This paper reports the design, fabrication, and performance of a hybrid piezoelectric planar micro-conveyor based on Micro-Electromechanical Systems (MEMS) bridge resonators and featuring 3D-printed vertical legs. The device includes two cooperating silicon plate resonators with an area of 5 × 1 mm2, actuated by an integrated aluminum-nitride (AlN) piezoelectric thin film. An optimally designed array of 3D-printed projection legs was attached to the plates, to convert the standing-wave (SW) vertical vibrations into horizontal rotations or translations of the supported slider. An open-loop control strategy based on burst-type driving signals, with different numbers of sinusoidal cycles applied on each of the resonators, allowed the cooperation of the two bridges to set up prescribed trajectories of small flat objects, up to 100 mg, with positional accuracy below 100 nm and speeds up to 20 mm/s, by differential drive actuation. The effect of the leg tip and sliders’ surface finish on the conveyor performance was investigated, suggesting that further optimizations may be possible by modifying the tribological properties. Finally, the application of the micro-conveyor as a reconfigurable electronic system, driven by a preprogrammed sequence of signals, was demonstrated by delivering some surface-mount technology (SMD) parts lying on a 65 mg glass slider.

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“…However, attaining high linear speeds and high payloads, together with accurate and precise positioning is a challenge of recent interest in piezoelectrically actuated microrobots [14]. Tellers et al [15] proposed a linear conveyor based on an array of PZT-actuated microhammers, capable of transporting 2 mg masses at 1 mm/s with 5 V excitation and positional errors as low as 80 µm, without speed control.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Piezoelectric MEMS Linear Motor for Nanopositioning Applications

et al. 2021

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This paper reports the design, fabrication, and performance of piezoelectric bidirectional conveyors based on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and featuring 3D-printed legs in bridge resonators. The structures consisted of aluminum-nitride (AlN) piezoelectric film on top of millimeter-sized rectangular thin silicon bridges and two electrode patches. The position and size of the patches were analytically optimized for travelling or standing wave generation, while the addition of 3D-printed legs allowed for a controlled contact and amplified displacement, a further step into the manufacturing of efficient linear motors. Such hybrid devices have recently demonstrated the conveyance of sliders of several times the motor weight, with speeds of 1.7 mm/s by travelling waves generated at 6 V and 19.3 kHz. In this paper both travelling and standing wave motors are compared. By the optimization of various aspects of the device such as the vibrational modes, leg collocation and excitation signals, speeds as high as 35 mm/s, and payloads above 10 times the motor weight were demonstrated. The devices exhibited a promising positional resolution while actuated with only a few sinusoidal cycles in an open-loop configuration. Discrete steps as low as 70 nm were measured in the conveyance of 2-mg sliders.

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Characterization of a piezoelectric MEMS actuator surface toward motion-enabled reconfigurable RF circuits

Cited by 6 publications

References 14 publications

Bidirectional Linear Motion by Travelling Waves on Legged Piezoelectric Microfabricated Plates

Bidirectional Linear Motion by Travelling Waves on Legged Piezoelectric Microfabricated Plates

Design and Characterization of a Planar Micro-Conveyor Device Based on Cooperative Legged Piezoelectric MEMS Resonators

Piezoelectric MEMS Linear Motor for Nanopositioning Applications

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