Technical Design and Simulation of MEMS Scanner Based on Piezoelectric Actuator

Piezoelectric actuator offers compact and tailored solutions in many areas, such as microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), laser-based displays, LIDAR, and tomography. The electromechanical behavior of MEMS structures is critical for the efficiency of the designed systems. This paper considers a scanner with a small volume, high scanning frequency, and high scanning angle moved by Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT) thin film. The piezoelectric actuator-based scanner is operated in resonance mode to obtain large deflection angles. In the paper, the designed system is analyzed using finite element analysis. Displacements, stress distributions, and natural mode oscillations resulting from applied electrical input are examined. With out-of-phase motion, the system is operated at 100V and 91 kHz. The operating frequency of the coherent phase is around 208 Hz. Under these operating conditions, a scanning angle of 12.5 degrees is achieved. Since the designed system operates at high frequency, deformation occurs. With theoretical calculation, deformation is predicted to be %70 of the surface of the existing mirror, which can be used effectively, and the power consumption of the designed system is around 1.5 mW. Additionally, by taking advantage of the stress arising from the movement of the designed scanner, a test to induce voltage with piezoresistive material is conducted. The induced voltage is intended to power the angle sensors. The designed system is intended to be used where speed is crucial for applications such as laser projectors, the medical sector, and LIDAR.