A Low-Frequency Structure-Control-Type Inertial Actuator Using Miniaturized Bimorph Piezoelectric Vibrators

A low-frequency structure-control-type inertial actuator using miniaturized bimorph piezoelectric vibrators is proposed in this paper to achieve high resolution and high stability with a large linear stroke. These vibrators are fabricated by bonding, thinning, and patterning fabrication processes, which are beneficial to realize miniaturization and increase output performance for the system. A theoretical model based on work-energy analysis is established to predict the output displacement characteristics. An experimental system is built to evaluate the performance of the proposed actuator. Experimental results indicate that the stable minimum step displacement is 0.03 μm under a square wave signal of 5 V, 50 Hz, and a clamping difference of 3.5 mm. Under the condition of 7 V and 50 Hz, the sample standard deviation is 0.0337 μm in repeatability test. The proposed actuator achieves a stable and accurate linear bidirectional motion with high resolution, high stability, low power consumption, and a large working stroke.