Resonant Asymmetric Micro-Mirror Using Electro Active Polymer Actuators

This paper presents a resonant asymmetric micro-mirror actuated using an Electro Active Polymer piezoelectric material. This element is a key component to develop optical sensor systems such as LIDAR. The working principle and the design of the micro-mirror is first presented. Then the technological realization is summarized. Finally electrical and electromechanical characterizations prove the functionality of the device. In particular, we measured the focused torsion mode at 9.054 kHz, in good agreement with the theoretical frequency. The mirror displacement is about 11 μm under only 30 Vrms, leading to a mechanical angle of ±2.5°. It opens the way of low cost and low temperature process to build Micro Electro Mechanical Systems for optical sensor applications.