Research on a PLZT ceramic-based slanted-lower-electrode photovoltaic electrostatic hybrid actuator

Lead-lanthanum zirconate-titanate (PLZT) ceramic has obtained widespread applications in the engineering fields. Especially, it has broad application prospects in the driving field. In this article, aiming at the proposed opto-electrostatic hybrid driving torsion actuator with a slant lower electrode, the influence of different factors on driving voltage and output deformation is analyzed and verified by a mathematical model and a variety of experiments. This study investigates the performance of a micro-actuator with slant lower electrode PLZT-based under different load configurations, with a focus on the influence of the copper foil as load. The actuator’s displacements are evaluated through experimental measurements and finite element analysis (FEA). The results consistently demonstrate that the full-size electrode configuration, utilizing copper foil exhibits higher driving voltage and displacements compared to the half-load configurations. The findings highlight the significant impact of the copper foil size on the actuator’s performance, emphasizing the importance of optimizing the load configuration for enhanced actuation capabilities. The results contribute to the understanding of load influences on the photovoltaic electrostatic actuator with slanted lower electrode and provide valuable insights for the design and optimization of the actuator.