Optimization of Electrodes Design for PZT Thin-Film Actuated Membranes

This paper reports on the optimization of electrodes design for sol-gel Pb(Zr0.52, Ti0.48)O3 (PZT) thin-film actuated-membranes. PZT can be used in many actuator applications such as micro mirror, RF MEMS, inkjet or loudspeaker due to its strong piezoelectric properties. We aim to design membrane-based actuators with the optimum electrode dimensions allowing the largest membrane displacement under a given actuation voltage. We present in this paper measurement results, in good agreement with the finite element modeling, proving that an actuator area between 50 and 60% of the membrane area exhibits the highest deflection.