Fabrication and Characterization of Pzt Thin-Film Vibrators for Micromotors

Abstract For the first time we have characterized a micromotor driven by a piezoelectric PZT (PbZr x Ti 1- x O 3 ) thin film. Sputter and sol-gel techniques have been applied for the deposition of the PZT films onto a silicon stator membrane, which is 20–30 μm thick and has a diameter of 4 mm. The amplitudes of the membrane deflections are measured by means of laser interferometry. They are as large as 800 nm V −1 at the first resonance (26 kHz) and 60 nm V −1 at 1 kHz. This is one order of magnitude larger than previously reported for a ZnO-activated device of similar geometry. The motor operates at 1–3 V r.m.s. , with speeds of up to 200 rpm at 1.1 V r.m.s. and torques of 35 nN m at 2.5 V r.m.s. and 1 mN force between rotor and stator. Compared with the conceptually identical ZnO version published by Racine et al., this is an improvement by a factor of three in speed per volt. Taking into account the linear increase of the torque with the stator vibration frequency, the torque per volt is a factor of two higher. A long-term test of 100 h showed no degradation of the motor performance.