Electrical failure analysis of peristaltic micropumps fabricated with PZT actuators

A detection method based on electrical analysis for valveless peristaltic lead zirconate titanate (PZT) micropump fabrication is proposed. The modified Butterworth-Van Dyke (BVD) model is used to analyze the properties of resistant or capacitive elements related to various failures. The series resistance and parallel capacitance in the BVD model are used to detect faults and classify the failure type. The failure analysis of the micropump assembly process focuses on the three common failures: (a) PZT cracking, (b) uneven silver epoxy distribution, and (c) PZT inversion. The analysis approach combines experimental results with a circuit model to determine PZT micropump fabrication reliability. It can be used to detect defects in peristaltic PZT micropumps and classify failure type.