Monolithic pzt actuator, stage, and method for making

Abstract

A monolithic, bulk piezoelectric actuator includes a bulk piezoelectric substrate having a starting top surface and an opposing starting bottom surface and a at least two electrodes operatively disposed on the bulk piezoelectric substrate consisting of at least two discrete electrodes disposed on either/both of the starting top surface and the starting bottom surface and at least one electrode disposed on the respective other starting bottom surface or starting top surface. A stage includes a base, at least two of the monolithic, bulk piezoelectric actuators disposed on the base, a movable platform disposed on the base, and a respective number of deformable connectors each having a first connection to a respective one of the piezoelectric actuators and a second connection to a respective portion of the movable platform. A method for monolithically making a monolithic, bulk piezoelectric actuator involves a direct write micropatterning technique.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A monolithic piezo actuator, comprising:
 a bulk piezoelectric substrate having a starting top surface and an opposing starting bottom surface; and   a plurality of electrodes operatively disposed on the bulk piezoelectric substrate, consisting of:   a plurality of discrete electrodes disposed on at least one of the starting top surface and the starting bottom surface and at least one electrode disposed on the at least one of the respective starting bottom surface and the starting top surface.   
     
     
         2 . The piezoelectric actuator of  claim 1 , wherein the bulk piezoelectric substrate has at least one intermediate surface. 
     
     
         3 . The piezoelectric actuator of  claim 1 , characterized by an operative condition comprising an out-of-plane twisting motion. 
     
     
         4 . A method for monolithically making a piezoelectric actuator, comprising:
 providing a bulk piezoelectric (PZT) material that includes an electrode disposed on a starting top surface thereof and on an opposing starting bottom surface thereof; and   using a direct write micropatterning technique to remove at least a portion of the electrode on at least one of the starting top surface and the starting bottom surface, such that the monolithic, bulk PZT material comprises a plurality of electrodes consisting of a plurality of discrete electrodes on the at least one of the starting top surface and the starting bottom surface and at least one electrode on the at least one of the respective starting bottom surface and the starting top surface.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the direct write (maskless) micropatterning technique includes at least one of laser micromachining, water-jet drilling, ultrasonic drilling, electrical discharge machining, laser-assisted etching, and micro-CNC machining. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising removing at least a portion of at least one of the non-electrode containing starting top surface and the non-electrode containing starting bottom surface to form at least one non-electrode containing intermediate surface. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , comprising forming asymmetric intermediate surfaces in the respective non-electrode containing regions of the starting top surface and the starting bottom surface. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4 , comprising forming the monolithic piezoelectric actuator into a beam shape in a length, L, direction characterized by a width, W and a height, H, where W is less than or about equal to H and W, H<<L. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 4 , comprising forming the monolithic piezoelectric actuator into a plurality of monolithic, contiguous segments, each next adjoining segment of which has an in-plane orientation along the length, L, that is different than that of its respective prior segment by between greater than zero degrees to +90 degrees. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 4 , comprising forming the monolithic piezoelectric actuator into a curvilinear shape along the length, L, direction. 
     
     
         11 . A method for making a stage, comprising:
 providing a plurality of the actuators according to  claim 4 ;   providing a moveable PZT platform;   providing a respective plurality of deformable connectors each having a first connection to a respective one of the plurality of piezoelectric actuators and a second connection to a respective portion of the movable platform.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising forming a monolithic, bulk PZT device in the moveable PZT platform.