Dynamic Electromechanical Field Concentrations Near Electrodes in Piezoelectric Thick Films for the Design of MEMS Mirrors

Abstract

This paper studies the dynamic electromechanical response of piezoelectric mirrors driven by piezoelectric lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thick films both numerically and experimentally. The resonant frequency and the mirror tilt angle of piezoelectric mirrors under ac electric fields were analyzed by three-dimensional finite element method. The dynamic electromechanical field concentrations due to electrodes were also simulated and the results were discussed in detail. The mirrors consisted of four partially poled PZT unimorphs. The resonant frequency was then measured, and a comparison was made between the analysis and the experiment. The finite element method is shown to be capable of estimating the electromechanical field concentrations in the PZT films, making it a useful tool for designing future microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) mirrors.