Piezoelektrische
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Piezoelectric Actuators
technologie
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Contents

PI Ceramic – Leaders in Piezo Technology.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 3Piezo Actuators
P-882 – P-888 PICMA® Stack Multilayer Piezo Actuators .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 6Custom Designs. .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 8P-885 • P-888 Encapsulated PICMA® Stack Piezo Actuators. .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 9P-088 Round PICMA® Stack Multilayer Piezo Actuator. .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 10
P-080 PICMA® Stack Multilayer Ring Actuator .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 12
PD0xx Round PICMA® Chip Actuators .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 14
PL0xx PICMA® Chip Actuators .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 15
PL112 – PL140 • PD410 PICMA® Bender Piezo Actuators.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 16
P-876 DuraAct Patch Transducer .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 18
P-878 DuraAct Power Patch Transducer .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 20
PT120 – PT140 Piezo Tube Actuators.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 22
P-007 – P-056 PICA Stack Piezo Actuators.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 24
P-010.xxP – P-056.xxP PICA Power Piezo Actuators.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 26
P-00.xxH – P-025.xxH PICA Thru Ring Actuators .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 28
P-111 – P-151 PICA Shear Actuators .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 30
P-405 Picoactuator®.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 32
Integrated Components .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 33
Amplifiers / Drivers for Piezo Actuators .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 34
Piezo Technology
Table of Contents.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
Basic Principles of Piezoelectricity.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
Properties of Piezoelectric Actuators.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
Amplifier Technology: Piezo Electronics for Operating Piezo Actuators .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
Handling of Piezo Actuators.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .

38
39
49
65
68

PI (Physik Instrumente)
The PI Group Milestones. .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 70
Product Portfolio .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 72
Imprint
PI Ceramic GmbH, Lindenstrasse, 07589 Lederhose, Germany
Registration: HRB 203.582, Jena local court
VAT no.: DE 155932487
Executive board: Albrecht Otto, Dr. Peter Schittenhelm, Dr. Karl SpannerPhone +49 36604 / 882-0, Fax +49-36604 882-4109
info@piceramic.com, www.piceramic.com
Although the information in this document has been compiled with the greatest care, errors cannot be ruledout completely. Therefore, we cannot guarantee for the information being complete, correct and up to date.
Illustrations may differ from the original and are not binding. PI reserves the right to supplement or change
the information provided without prior notice.
©
Physik Instrumente (PI) GmbH & Co. KG
All contents, including texts, graphics, data etc., as well as their layout, are subject to copyright and other protective laws. Any copying, modification or redistribution in whole or in parts is subject to a written permission of PI.

The following company names and brands are registered trademarks of Physik Instrumente (PI)GmbH & Co. KG :PI®, PIC®, NanoCube®, PICMA®, PIFOC®, PILine®, NEXLINE®, PiezoWalk®, PicoCube®, PiezoMove®,
PIMikroMove®, NEXACT®, Picoactuator®, PInano®, NEXSHIFT®, PITouch®, PIMag®, PIHera®, Q-Motion®

2

The following company names or brands are the registered trademarks of their owners:µManager, LabVIEW, Leica, Linux, MATLAB, MetaMorph, Microsoft, National Instruments, Nikon, Olympus,
Windows, Zeissw w w.p i c e r a mi c.c o m

PI Ceramic
L e a d e r s i n P IE Z O T E C H N O L O G Y

PI Ceramic is one of the world’s market leaders for piezoelectric actuators and sensors.
PI Ceramic provides everything from piezoceramic components to system solutions
for research and industry in all high-techmarkets including medical engineering,­mechanical engineering and automobile
manufacture, or semiconductor technology.
PI Ceramic is a subsidiary of Physik Instrumente (PI) and develops and produces all
piezo actuators for PI’s nanopositioning systems. The drives for PILine® ultrasonic piezomotors and NEXLINE® high-load stepping
drives also originate from PI Ceramic.
Custom Designs
The very nature of PI Ceramic makes it
possible to react to customer wishes in the
shortest possible time.
PI Ceramic has specialized in quantities of afew 100 to several 100,000. Our development and consulting engineers have anenormous wealth of experience concerning
the application of piezo actuators and­sensors and already work very closely withthe developers of our customers in the­run-up to a project. This allows you to put
successful products on the market faster.
Materials Research and Development
PI Ceramic develops all its piezoceramic­materials itself. To this end PI Ceramic main-

Core Competences of
PI Ceramic

tains its own laboratories, prototype manufacture as well as measurement and testing
equipment. Moreover, PI Ceramic works
with leading universities and research institutions at home and abroad in the field ofpiezoelectricity.
Flexible Production
In addition to the broad spectrum of
standard products, a top priority is
the fastest possible implementation ofcustom-engineered solutions. Our pressing
and multilayer technology enables us toshape products with a short lead time.
We are able to manufacture individual
prototypes as well as high-volume production runs. All processing steps are undertaken in-house and are subject to continuous controls, a process which ensuresquality and adherence to deadlines.

 Standard piezo components for actuator,
ultrasonic and sensor
application
 System solutions
 Manufacturing of piezoelectric components of
up to several 1,000,000
pieces per year Development of customized solutions High degree of flexibility
in the engineering process, short lead times,
manufacture of individual units and very small
quantities All key technologies
and state-of-the-art
equipment for ceramic
production in-house Certified in accordancewith ISO 9001, ISO 14001
and OHSAS 18001

Company building of PI Ceramic in Lederhose, Thuringia, Germany.

3

piezo technology

Reliability and Close Contact with our Customers
O u r Mi s s ion

PI Ceramic provides

4

 Piezoceramic materials(PZT) Piezoceramiccomponents
C ustomer- andapplication-specifictransducers
 PICMA® monolithic multilayer piezo actuators Miniature piezo
actuators
 PICMA® multilayer
bending actuators
 PICA high-load piezo
actuators Piezo tube actuators Preloaded actuatorswith casing Piezocomposites –DuraAct patch
transducers

Our aim is to maintain high, tested quality for both our standard products and forcustom-engineered components. We wantyou, our customers, to be satisfied withthe performance of our products. At
PI Ceramic, customer service starts with an
initial informative discussion and extends
far beyond the shipping of the products.
Advice from Piezo Specialists
You want to solve complex problems – wewon’t leave you to your own devices. We
use our years of experience in planning,developing, designing and the productionof individual solutions to accompany you
from the initial idea to the finished product.
We take the time necessary for a detailed
understanding of the issues and work out acomprehensive and optimum solution at an
early stage with either existing or new technologies.

After-Sales Service
Even after the sale has been completed, our
specialists are available to you and can advise you on system upgrades or technicalissues.
This is how we at PI Ceramic achieve our objective: Long-lasting business relations anda trusting communication with customers
and suppliers, both of which are more important than any short-term success.
PI Ceramic supplies piezo-ceramic solutions
to all important high-tech markets: Industrial automation Semiconductor technology Medical technology Mechanical and precision engineering Aviation and aerospace Automotive industry Telecommunications

w w w.p i c e r a mi c.c o mExperience and Know-How
S T A T E - O F - T H E - AR T M a n u f a ct u r i n g T e ch n ology

Developing and manufacturing piezoceramic components are very complex
processes. PI Ceramic has many years ofexperience in this field and has developed
sophisticated manufacturing methods. Its
machines and equipment are state of theart.
Rapid Prototyping
The requirements are realized quickly andflexibly in close liaison with the customer.
Prototypes and small production runs ofcustom-engineered piezo components areavailable after very short processing times.
The manufacturing conditions, i.e. the composition of the material or the sintering
temperature, for example, are individually
adjusted to the ceramic material in order toachieve optimum material parameters.
Precision Machining Technology
PI Ceramic uses machining techniques fromthe semiconductor industry to machine
the sensitive piezoceramic elements with aparticularly high degree of precision.
Specialmilling
machines
accurately
shape the components when they are still in
the “green state”, i.e. before they are
sintered. Sintered ceracmic blocks are machined with precision saws like the ones
used to separate individual wafers. Very fineholes, structured ceramic surfaces, evencomplex, three-dimensional contours canbe produced.
Automated Series Production –Advantage for OEM Customers
An industrial application often requires
large quantities of custom-engineered
components. At PI Ceramic, the transition
to large production runs can be achievedin a reliable and low-cost way while
maintaining the high quality of the products.
PI Ceramic has the capacity to produce andprocess medium-sized and large production
runs in linked automated lines. Automatic
screen printers and the latest PVD units areused to metallize the ceramic parts.

Automated processes optimize throughput

5

piezo technology

PICMA® Stack Multilayer Piezo Actuators
C e r a M i C - i n s u L aT e d H i G H - P O W e r a C T u aT O r s

P-882 – P-888
 Superior lifetime
 High stiffness
 UHV-compatible to 10-9 hPa

 Sub-nanometer resolution
 Large choice of designs

Patented PICMA® Stack Multilayer Piezo Actuators withHigh Reliability
Operating voltage -20 to 120 V. Ceramic insulation, polymer-free. Humidity resistance. UHV-compatible to 10-9 hPa,no outgassing, high bakeout temperature. Encapsulated
versions for operation in splash water or oil
Custom Designs with Modified Specifications
 For high operating temperature up to 200°C
 Special electrodes for currents of up to 20 A
 Variable geometry: Inner hole, round, rectangular Ceramic or metal end pieces in many versions
 Applied SGS sensors for positional stability

6

Fields of Application
Research and industry. Cryogenic environment with
reduced displacement. For high-speed switching, precision
positioning, active and adaptive systems

Suitable Drivers
E-610 Piezo Amplifier / Controller
E-617 High-Power Piezo Amplifier
E-831 OEM Piezo Amplifier Module
Valid Patents
German Patent No . 10021919C2
German Patent No . 10234787C1
German Patent No . 10348836B3
German Patent No . 102005015405B3
German Patent No . 102007011652B4US Patent No . 7,449,077
Japan Patent No. 4667863
China Patent No. ZL03813218.4

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Physik Instrumente (PI) GmbH & Co. KG 2012. Subject to change without notice. Latest releases available at www.pi.ws. 12/04/24.0

 Microsecond response

Order number*

Dimensions
A x B x L [mm]NominaldisplacementMax.
displacement[µm] (0 – 100 V)[µm] (0 – 120 V)

P-882 .11

3×2×9

6 .5 ±20%

8 ±20%

Blocking force[N] (0 – 120 V)

Stiffness[N/µm]

Electrical
capacitanceResonant
frequency[µF] ±20%[kHz] ±20%

190

24

0 .15

135

P-882 .31

3 × 2 × 13 .5

11 ±20%13 ±20%

210

16

0 .22

90

P-882 .51

3 × 2 × 18

15 ±10%18 ±10%

210

12

0 .31

70

P-883 .11

3×3×9

6 .5 ±20%

8 ±20%

290

36

0 .21

135

P-883 .31

3 × 3 × 13 .5

11 ±20%13 ±20%

310

24

0 .35

90

P-883 .51

3 × 3 × 18

15 ±10%18 ±10%

310

18

0 .48

70

P-885 .11

5×5×9

6 .5 ±20%

8 ±20%

800

100

0 .6

135

P-885 .31

5 × 5 × 13 .5

11 ±20%13 ±20%

870

67

1 .1

90

P-885 .51

5 × 5 × 18

15 ±10%18 ±10%

900

50

1 .5

70

P-885 .91

5 × 5 × 36

32 ±10%38 ±10%

950

25

3 .1

40

P-887 .31

7 × 7 × 13 .5

11 ±20%13 ±20%

1700

130

2 .2

90

P-887 .51

7 × 7 × 18

15 ±10%18 ±10%

1750

100

3 .1

70

P-887 .91

7 × 7 × 36

32 ±10%38 ±10%

1850

50

6 .4

40

10 × 10 × 13 .5

11 ±20%13 ±20%

3500

267

4 .3

90

10 × 10 × 18

15 ±10%18 ±10%

3600

200

6 .0

70

P-888 .91

10 × 10 × 36

32 ±10%38 ±10%

3800

100

13 .0

40

L 0.05

P-888 .31
P-888 .51

AWG 32 (Ø 0 .49 mm); P-885, P-887,
P-888: AWG 30 (Ø 0.61 mm).
Recommended preload for dynamic
operation: 15 MPa.
Maximum preload for constant force:
30 MPa .

Resonant frequency at 1 Vpp,
unloaded, free on both sides.
The value is halved for unilateral clamping.
Capacitance at 1 Vpp, 1 kHz, RT .
Operating voltage: -20 to 120 V.

Operating temperature
range: -40 to 150°C.
Custom designs or different
specifications on request.

< A+2.0

A 0.3

L 0.05* For optional solderable contacts,change order number extension to .x0(e . g . P-882 .10) .
Piezo ceramic type: PIC252.
Standard electrical interfaces: PTFE-insulated wire leads, 100 mm, P-882, P-883:

B 0.2<B+0.6

A 0.3< A+2.0

PICMA® Stack actuators, L, A, B see table

B 0.2<B+0.6

7

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Custom Designs
P i C M a ® s Ta C K P i e Z O a C T u aT O r s

Variety of Tips
Spherical tips. PI Ceramic has suitable tips with standard
dimensions in stock and mounts them prior to delivery.
Application-specific tips can be manufactured on request.

PICMA® Actuators for Maximum Dynamics
For high-dynamics applications, the multilayer actuators
are equipped with electrodes for especially high currents
of up to 20 A. Together with a high-performance switching driver such as the E-618, high operating frequencies in the kHz range can be attained. The rise times forthe nominal displacement are a few tens of microseconds.

PICMA® Multilayer Actuators with Ceramic-Insulated
Inner HoleA new technology allows multilayer piezo actuators
to be manufactured with an inner hole. Using special
manufacturing methods the holes are already made in
the unsintered actuator. As with the PICMA® standard
actuators, the co-firing process of the ceramics and theinternal electrodes is used to create the ceramic encapsulation which protects the piezo actuator against humidity
and considerably increases its lifetime compared toconventional polymer-insulated piezo actuators. PICMA®
stack actuators with an inner hole are ideally suited for
applications such as fiber stretching.
PICMA® actuators with holes are manufactured on request.

8

High Operating Temperature of up to 200°C
For especially high-dynamics applications or high ambient temperatures, there are PICMA® multilayer actuator
versions that can reliably function at temperatures of
up to 200°C.

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Encapsulated PICMA® Stack Piezo Actuators
FOr TOuGH indusTriaL envirOnMenTs

P-885 • P-888
 Splash-resistant full encapsulation
 Superior lifetime
 High stiffness
 UHV-compatible to 10-9 hPa
 Microsecond response Sub-nanometer resolution
 Large choice of designs

Encapsulated PICMA® Stack Multilayer Piezo
Actuators with Inert Gas Filling
Operating voltage -20 to 120 V. UHV-compatible
to 10-9 hPa. Version for operation in environments where exposure to splash water, highhumidity or oil occurs

Ordernumber*Dimensions Nominal
Max.
Blocking Stiff- Electrical Resonant
OD x L
displacedisplace- force
ness capacitfrequency[mm]
ment [µm] ment [µm] [N] (0 – [N/ance[kHz] ±20%
(0 – 100 V)(0 – 120 V) 120 V)µm][µF] ±20%

P-885 .55 11 .2 × 22 .5

14 ±10%17 ±10%

850

50

1 .5

P-885 .95 11 .2 × 40 .5

30 ±10%36 ±10%

900

25

3 .1

35

P-888 .55 18 .6 × 22 .5

14 ±10%17 ±10%

3400

200

6 .0

60

Piezo ceramic type: PIC252.
Standard electrical interfaces: PTFE-insulated
wire leads, 100 mm, AWG 30 (Ø 0.61 mm).
Resonant frequency at 1 Vpp, unloaded, free onboth sides. The value is halved for unilateral

Encapsulated PICMA® actuators, dimensions in mm

60

clamping. Capacitance at 1 Vpp, 1 kHz, RT .
Operating voltage: -20 to 120 V.Operating
temperature range: -40 to 150°C.
Ask about custom designs!

Encapsulated PICMA® Stack actuators can also be used when the application environment ischaracterized by oil, splash water or continuously high humidity. The piezo actuators are surrounded
by inert gas

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9

®
Round
Round PICMAPICMA® Stack
Stack Multilayer
Multilayer Piezo
Piezo Actuator
Actuator

P-088
P-088

 Superior lifetime
 Superior lifetime
 Ideal for dynamic operation
 Ideal for dynamic operation
 Flexible, adaptable overall height Flexible, adaptable overall height OEM versions available without
 stranded
OEM versions
wiresavailable without
stranded wires

10

Multilayer stack actuators
Multilayer stack actuators
The actuators are easily scaled, thanks to the stackedThe
actuatorsflare
easilyscaled, thanks
the range
stackedconstruction,
exibleadaptationof the totravelisconstruction,
exible adaptationof thetraveleasy
range
ispossible. The flannularcross section
ensures
intepossible.
The
annularcross
sectionensureseasy
integration. Versions with solderable contacts are also UHVgration.
Versions
contacts
areoutgas
also UHVcompatible
to 10-9withhPa.solderable
The actuators
do not-9
compatible
to
10
hPa.
The
actuators
donotoutgasand can be baked out at high temperatures.
and can be baked out at high temperatures.

Possible modifications
Possible modifications
Different heights, easy to mount on customer request.
Different
to mount on customer
Variety ofheights,
shapes. easy
Precision-groundend platesrequest.
for reVarietyof shapes.Spherical
Precision-groundend plates for reduced tolerances
end pieces
duced tolerances Spherical end pieces

PICMA® piezo linear actuators
PICMA® piezo linear actuators
Low operating voltage -20 to 100 V. Ceramic insulation.
Low
to 100 V. Ceramic insulation.
High operating
reliability voltage
and long-20
lifetime
High reliability and long lifetime

Fields of application
Fields of application
Industry and research. For laser tuning, microdispensIndustry
and research. For laser tuning, microdispensing, life sciencesing, life sciencesw w w.P I .w s
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©Physik©Physik
Instrumente
Instrumente(PI)(PI)
GmbH
GmbH
& Co.
& Co.
KGKG
2016.
2016.
Subject
Subjectto tochangechangewithout
without
notice.
notice.
LatestLatestreleasesreleasesavailable
availableat www.pi.ws.
at www.pi.ws.
16/09/01 .0
16/09/01 .0

HiGH BLOCKinG FOrCe
HiGH BLOCKinG FOrCeDimensions OD × L
Dimensions OD × L
Nominal travel range
Nominal travel range
Blocking force
Blocking force
Stiffness
Stiffness
Electrical capacitanceElectrical capacitanceResonant frequency
Resonant frequency

P-088.721
P-088.721
16 x 16
16 x 16
14
14
7500
7500
535
535
13
13
68
68

P-088.741
P-088.741
16 x 36
16 x 36
32
32
7500
7500
235
235
30
30
35
35

P-088.781
P-088.781
16 x 77
16 x 77
70
70
7500
7500
105
105
68
68
17
17

Unit
Unit
mm
mm
µm
µm
N
N
N/µm
N/µm
µF
µF
kHz
kHz

Tolerance
Tolerance-10 % / + 20 %-10 % / + 20 %

±20 %
±20 %
±20 %
±20 %

©Physik©Physik
Instrumente
Instrumente(PI)(PI)
GmbH
GmbH
& Co.
& Co.
KGKG
2016.
2016.
Subject
Subjectto tochangechangewithout
without
notice.
notice.
LatestLatestreleasesreleasesavailable
availableat www.pi.ws.
at www.pi.ws.
16/09/01 .0
16/09/01 .0

Nominal travel range, blocking force and stiffness at 0 to 100 V.
Nominal travel
range, blocking
stiffness
at 0 to 100
V. AWG 28 (Ø 0.69 mm).Optional: For solderable contacts without stranded wires,Standard
connections:
100 mm force
PTFE-andinsulatedstrandedwires,
Standard
connections:
mm PTFEinsulatedchangethelast digit of 100
the order
number
to 0. stranded wires, AWG 28 (Ø 0.69 mm).Optional: For solderable contacts without stranded wires,changethe lasttype:
digitPIC252.
of the ordernumber
to 0. made of Al2O3.
Piezo
ceramic
ceramic
end platesPiezo ceramic type: PIC252. ceramic end plates made of Al2O3.
Recommended preload for dynamic operation: 15 MPa.
Recommended
preloadfor dynamic
Maximum
preloadfor constantforce:operation:
30 MPa. 15 MPa.
Maximum
preloadfor constantforce:at301 MPa.
Axial
resonant
frequency:
measuredVpp, unloaded, unclamped. The value is halved for unilateral clamping.
Axial resonant frequency: measured at 1 Vpp, unloaded, unclamped. The value is halved for unilateral clamping.
Electrical capacitance: measured at 1 Vpp, 1 kHz, RTElectrical capacitance: measured at 1 Vpp, 1 kHz, RT
Operating voltage: -20 to 100 V.
voltage: -20 to
100 V.-40 to 150 °C.
Operating temperature
range:
Operating temperature range: -40 to 150 °C.
Ask about custom designs!
Ask about custom designs!

P-088 PICMA® Stack Multilayer Piezo Actuator, dimensions in mm
P-088 PICMA® Stack Multilayer Piezo Actuator, dimensions in mm

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11

®
PICMA
PICMA® Stack
Stack Multilayer
Multilayer Ring
Ring Actuator
Actuator
WiTH inner HOLe
WiTH inner HOLe

PICMA® Stack Multilayer Ring Actuator

P-080
P-080

■ Inner
Innerhole
holeforforpreload
preloadororasas aperture
Inner
hole
for
preloador asaperturefor
opticalapplicafor
opticalapplicaaperturetions for optical applications
tions■ SuperiorSuperiorlifetime
lifetime Superior lifetime■ IdealIdealforfordynamic
dynamicoperation
operation Ideal for dynamic operation■ Microsecond
Microsecondresponse
response Microsecond response■ Subnanometer resolutionSub-nanometer resolution
 Sub-nanometer resolution

12

Multilayer Stack Actuators
Multilayer Stack Actuators
Flexible travel range up to 30 µm. Annular cross-section
Flexible
range up to 30 µm. Annular cross-section
for easy travel
integration.
foreasy
integration.
UHV-compatible to 10-9 hPa, high bakeout temperature
UHV-compatible to 10-9 hPa, high bakeout temperature
PICMA® Piezo Linear Actuators
PICMA® Piezo Linear Actuators
Low operating voltage -20 to 100 V. Ceramic insulation.
Low
to 100 V. Ceramic insulation.
High operating
reliability voltage
and long-20
lifetime
High reliability and long lifetime

Available Options
Available Options
Different heights, easy to mount on customer request.
Different
to mount on customer
Variety ofheights,
shapes. easy
Precision-groundend platesrequest.
forVarietyofshapes.
Precision-groundend plates for
reduced tolerances
reduced tolerances
Fields of Application
Fields of Application
Research and industry. For laser tuning, microResearchandindustry.
dispensing,life
sciencesFor laser tuning, microdispensing, life sciences

Available Options
Multilayer Stack Actuators
Different heights, easy to mount on customer request.
Flexible travel range up to 30 µm. Annular cross-section
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Variety
shapes. Precision-ground end plates forfor easy integration.
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-9©Physik
Instrumente
Instrumente
GmbH
GmbH
& Co.
& Co.
KG
KG
2015.
2015.
Subject
Subjectto tochangechangewithout
without
notice.
LatestLatestreleasesreleasesavailable
availableat www.pi.ws.
at www.pi.ws.
R2R2
15/06/01 .0
15/06/01 .0
ente (PI) GmbH & ©PhysikCo.
KG 2013.
Subject (PI)to (PI)changewithout
notice.
Latestreleasesavailable
at notice.
www.pi.ws.
R1
13/10/02 .0

With inner holePreliminary data

P-080.311

P-080.341

P-080.391

Unit

Dimensions OD × ID × L

8 × 4.5 × 8.5

8 × 4.5 × 16

8 × 4.5 × 36

mm × mm × mm

Nominal travel range

5.5 ±20 %11 ±20 %25 ±10 %µm

Blocking force
Preliminary
data

800
P-080.311

825
P-080.341

850
P-080.391

N
Unit

Dimensions
OD × ID × L
Stiffness

8
× 4.5 × 8.5
145

8
75× 4.5 × 16

8
34× 4.5 × 36mm
× mm × mm
N/µm

Nominalrange
Electricaltravel
capacitance

5.5
0.86± 20 %111.7± 20 %25
4.0±10 %µmµF

Blocking
Resonantforce
frequency

800
135 ±20 %825
85 ±20 %850
40 ±20 %

N
kHz

34

N/µm

4.0

µF

40

kHz

L ±0,5+max. 9+0,5

8 - 0,30max. 10,5

4,4 - 0,3+

P-080, dimensions in mm
max. 9+0,5

8 - 0,30max. 10,5

4,4 - 0,3

P-080.390, dimensions in mm

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piezo technology©Physik
Instrumente(PI)KGGmbH
Co. KGto
2015.
Subject
to change
notice. Latest
releasesavailable at©Physik Instrumente(PI)
GmbH & Co.
2013.&Subjectchangewithout
notice.without
Latest releases
availableat www.pi.ws.
R1www.pi.ws.
13/10/02 .0 R2 15/06/01 .0

L ±0,5

Alldata at 0 to 100 V.
Stiffness
145
75
Standard connections: PTFE-insulated stranded wires, 100 mm, AWG 30 (Ø 0.61 mm).
Electrical capacitance
0.86
1.7
For optional solderable contacts without stranded wires, change order number extension to 0.
Resonant
frequency
85
Piezo
ceramic
type PIC252. Ceramic end plates made of Al2O160.
3Recommended preload for dynamic operation: 15 MPa.
Maximumfor constant force: 30 MPa.
Alldata at 0preload
to 100 V.
Axial resonant
frequency:
measured atstranded
1 Vpp, unloaded,unclamped.
Standard
connections:
PTFE-insulated
wires, 100
mm, AWG 30 (Ø 0.61 mm).
Theoptional
value is solderable
halved for unilateralclamping.
For
contacts without
stranded wires, change order number extension to 0.
Electrical
capacitance:
Tolerance±20%,
measured
at
1
V
,
1
RT.
Piezo ceramic type PIC252. Ceramic end plates made ofppAl2OkHz,
3.
Operating voltage:-20 tofor
100
V.
Recommended
preloaddynamic
operation: 15 MPa.
Operating temperature
range: -40
to 150°C.
Maximum
preload for constantforce:
30 MPa.
Ask aboutcustomdesigns!measured at 1 Vpp, unloaded, unclamped.
Axial
resonant
frequency:
The value is halved for unilateral clamping.
Electrical capacitance: Tolerance ±20%, measured at 1 Vpp, 1 kHz, RT.
Operating voltage: -20 to 100 V.
Operating temperature range: -40 to 150°C.
Ask about custom designs!

13

11

Round PICMA® Chip Actuators
M i n i aT u r e M u LT i L aY e r P i e Z O a C T u aT O r W i T H a n d W i T H O u T i n n e r H O L e

Pd0xx
 Superior lifetime
 Ultra-compact: From 5 mm Ø Ideal for dynamic operation
 Microsecond response

Piezo linear actuator with PICMA® multilayer technology
Operating voltage -20 to 100 V. Ceramic insulation, polymer-free. Humidity resistance. UHV-compatible to 10-9hPa, no outgassing, high bakeout temperature.

Possible modifications
PTFE-insulated wire leads. Various geometric shapes, innerhole. Precision-ground ceramic end plates

Flexible thanks to numerous designs. Versions with rectangular, round or annular cross section

ID

Fields of application
Industry and research. For laser tuning, microdispensing,life sciences

PD050.3x

PD080.3x

PD120.3xPD150.3x

PD160.3x

PD161.3xUnit

5 ±0 .2

8 ±0 .3

12 ±0 .4

15 ±0 .3

16 ±0 .5

16 ±0 .5

mm

OD

2 .5 ±0 .15

4 .5 ±0 .15

6 ±0 .2

9 ±0 .15

8 ±0 .25

–

mm

TH

2 .5 ±0 .05

2 .5 ±0 .05

2 .5 ±0 .05

2 ±0 .05

2 .5 ±0 .05

2 .5 ±0 .05

mm

Travelrange*

2

2

2

1 .8

2

2 .3

µm

Blocking force

>400

>1000

>2500

>3300

>4400

>6000

N

Electrical
capacitance**

110

300

900

1000

1700

2400

nF

Axial resonant
frequency***

>500

>500

>500

>500

>500

>500

kHz

Standard connections: PDxxx.31: PTFE-insulated wire leads, 100 mm, AWG 32, Ø 0.49 mm; PDxxx.30: Solderable contacts
Blocking force: At 0 to 100 V*** At 0 to 100 V. The values refer to the unattached component and can be lower when glued on.
*** measured at 1 Vpp, 1 kHz, RT*** measure at 1 Vpp, unloaded, open on both sides. The value is halved for unilateral clamping. Lateral resonant frequencies can be lower than
the axial ones, depending on the installation situation.

14

Ask about custom designs!

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Tolerance

±20 %

±20 %

©Physik Instrumente (PI) GmbH & Co. KG 2015. Subject to change without notice. Latest releases available at www.pi.ws. 16/08/30.0

 Subnanometer resolution

PICMA® Chip Actuators
M i n i aT u r e M u LT i L aY e r P i e Z O a C T u aT O r s

PL0xx
 Superior lifetime
 Ultra-compact: From
2 mm × 2 mm × 2 mm Ideal for dynamic operation
 Microsecond response

Piezo linear actuator with PICMA® multilayer technology
Operating voltage -20 to 100 V. Ceramic insulation, polymer-free. Humidity resistance. UHV-compatible to 10-9hPa, no outgassing, high bakeout temperature.
Large choice of designs. Versions with rectangular or
annular cross-section

Available Options
PTFE-insulated wire leads. Various geometric shapes, innerhole. Precision-ground ceramic end plates
Fields of Application
Research and industry. For laser tuning, micro-dispensing,life sciences

PL022.30

PL033.30

PL055.30

PL088.30

Unit

Dimensions A × B × TH

2×2×2

3×3×2

5×5×2

10 × 10 × 2

mm x mm x mm

Displacement

2 .2

2 .2

2 .2

2 .2

µm

Blocking force

>120

>300

>500

>2000

N

Electrical capacitance

25

75

250

1100

nF

Resonant frequency

>600

>600

>600

>600

kHz

Travel range: at 0 to 100 V, tolerance ±20 %. The values refer to the free component and can be lower when glued on.
Blocking force: at 0 to 100 V.
Electrical capacitance: Tolerance ±20 %, measured at 1 Vpp, 1 kHz, RT.
Axial resonant frequency: measured at 1 Vpp, unloaded, unclamped. The value is halved for unilateral clamping. Lateral resonant frequencies canbe lower than the axial ones, depending on the installation situation.
Piezo ceramic type: PIC252.
Standard connections: PLxxx.31: PTFE-insulated wire leads, 100 mm, AWG 32, Ø 0.49 mm; PLxxx.30: Solderable contacts
Operating voltage: -20 to 100 V.
Operating temperature range: -40 to 150 °C.
Recommended preload for dynamic operation: 15 MPa.
Maximum preload for constant force: 30 MPa.
Ask about custom designs!

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 Subnanometer resolution

15

PICMA® Bender Piezo Actuatora L L - C e r a M i C B e n d e r a C T u aT O r s W i T H H i G H d i s P L a C e M e n T

 Displacement to 2 mm
3

3

W 0.2

 Fast response in the ms range22 Nanometer
resolution
1

1

LF

 Low operating voltage

TH 0.1PICMA® Multilayer Bender Elements with High Reliability
Operating voltage 0 to 60 V. Bidirectional displacement.
Ceramic insulation, polymer-free. UHV-compatible to10-9 hPa, no outgassing, high bakeout temperature.
Reliable even under extreme conditions

Displacement of the PICMA® bender actuator

Fields of Application
Research and industry, vacuum. For medical technology,
laser technology, sensor systems, automation tasks,
pneumatic valves+60 V (+30 V)
3
Vout

Vin

0 ... +60 V(-30 ... +30 V)

21
GND (-30 V)
16

Suitable Drivers
E-650 Piezo Amplifier for Multilayer Bender Actuators

ID 0.2

L 0.5

PICMA® Bender actuators require full differential-voltage control

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TH 0.1 at www.pi.ws. R2 OD
0.5©Physik Instrumente (PI) GmbH & Co. KG 2012. Subject to change without notice. Latest releases available
16/08/26.0

PL112 – PL140 •Pd410

Rectangular bender actuators
Order
numberOperatingvoltage [V]Displacement[µm] ±20%Free length
Lf [mm]Dimensions
L × W × TH [mm]Blocking force[N] ±20%

Electrical
capacitance [µF] ±20%

Resonant
frequency Hz] ±20%

PL112 .10*

0 - 60 (±30)

±80

12

18 .0 × 9 .6 × 0 .65±2 .0

2 * 1 .1

2000

PL122 .10

0 - 60 (±30)

±250

22

25 .0 × 9 .6 × 0 .65±1 .1

2 * 2 .4

660

PL127 .10

0 - 60 (±30)

±450

27

31 .0 × 9 .6 × 0 .65±1 .0

2 * 3 .4

380

PL128 .10*

0 - 60 (±30)

±450

28

36 .0 × 6 .3 × 0 .75±0 .5

2 * 1 .2360

PL140 .10

0 - 60 (±30)

±1000

40

45 .0 × 11 .0 × 0 .6

±0 .5

2 * 4 .0160

Round bender actuators
Order
numberOperatingvoltage [V]Displacement[µm] ±20%Free length
Lf [mm]Dimensions
OD × ID × TH [mm]Blocking force[N] ±20%

Electrical
capacitance [µF] ±20%

Resonant
frequency Hz] ±20%

PD410 .10*

0 - 60 (±30)

±240

–

44 × 7 × 0 .65±16

2 * 10 .5

1000

For optional 100 mm PTFE-insulated wire leads, AWG 32 (Ø 0.49 mm), change order number extension to 1 (e. g. PL112.11).
Piezo ceramic type: PIC251, *PIC252.
Standard connections: Solderable contacts.
Resonant frequency at 1 Vpp
pp, clamped on one side with free length Lff, without mass load. For PD410.10: Restraint with rotatable mounting on the outercircumference .
Capacitance at 1 Vpp
pp, 1 kHz, RT .
Operating temperature range: -20 to 85°C; * -20 to 150°C.
Recommended mounting: Epoxy resin adhesive. All specifications depend on the real clamping conditions and on the applied mechanical load.
Custom designs or different specifications on request.

3
2
1 LF

LF
F
F

3
2
1

OD
OD 0.5
0.5

W
W 0.2
0.2

LF

TH
TH 0.10.1

TH
TH 0.10.1

1TH
TH 0.1
0.1

2

W
W 0.2
0.2

L 0.5
3

ID
ID 0.20.2

L 0.5

PL112 – PL140.10, dimensions in mm.
L, LFF, W, TH see data table

PD410 round PICMA®® Bender Piezo Actuator, dimensionsin mm. ID, OD, TH see data table

Multilayer contracting plates can be manufactured in avariety of shapes, e. g. rectangular or disk-shaped, andare available on request. These plates can be appliede. g. to metal or silicon substrates, in order to realize
bender or pump elements with low control voltages.

Multilayer bender actuators can be manufactured inalmost any shape. The manufacturing process allows,
among other things, inner holes with an all-ceramic
insulation. The height of the active layers can be varied
from a minimum height of 15 µm so that control voltages of only 10 V can be used.

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Benders with unidirectional displacement consist of asingle active piezoceramic layer that is glued together witha substrate of AI22O33 ceramics or stainless steel. In comparison with the bimorph structure, these actuators achievea higher stiffness and a greater displacement, which only
takes place in one direction, however.

17DuraAct Patch Transducer
BendaBLe and rOBusT

P-876
 Use as actuator, sensor orenergy generator

 Min. bending radii of down to
12 mm

Patch Transducer
Functionality as actuator and sensor component. Nominal
operating voltage from 100 up to 1000 V, depending on
the active layer height. Power generation for self-sufficientsystems possible up to the milliwatt range. Can also be
applied to curved surfaces
Robust, Cost-Effective Design
Laminated structure consisting of a piezoceramic plate,electrodes and polymer materials. Manufactured withbubble-free injection method. The polymer coating simultaneously serves as a mechanical preload as well as anelectrical insulation, which makes the DuraAct bendable
Design principle of the transducer

Custom DuraAct Patch Transducers
 Flexible choice of size
 Flexible choice of thickness and thus bending ability
 Flexible choice of piezoceramic material
 Variable design of the electrical connections
 Combined actuator/sensor applications, even withseveral piezoceramic layers
 Multilayer piezo elements
 Arrays

18

Fields of Application
Research and industry. Can also be applied to curved
surfaces or used for integration in structures. For adaptive
systems, energy harvesting, structural health monitoring

Valid Patents
German Patent No . 10051784C1
US Patent No . 6,930,439
Suitable Drivers
E-413 DuraAct and PICA Shear Piezo Amplifier
E-835 DuraAct Piezo Driver

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Physik Instrumente (PI) GmbH & Co. KG 2012. Subject to change without notice. Latest releases available at www.pi.ws. 12/04/030

 Cost-effectiveOrderNumberOperatingvoltage [V]Min. lateralcontraction[µm/m]

Rel. lateralcontraction[µm/m/V]

Blocking
force [N]Dimensions[mm]

P-876 .A11

-50 to +200

400

1 .6

90

61 × 35 × 0 .4

P-876 .A12-100 to +400

650

1 .3

265

61 × 35 × 0 .5

P-876 .A15

-250 to +1000

800

0 .64

775

61 × 35 × 0 .8

P-876 .SP1-100 to +400

650

1 .3

n .a .

16 × 13 × 0 .5

Min.
bendingradius [mm]Piezo
ceramic
height [µm]Electrical
capacitance[nF] ±20%

12

100

150

20

200

90

70

500

45

-

200

8

Piezo ceramic type: PIC255
Standard connections: Solder pads
Operating temperature range: -20 to 150°C
Custom designs or different specifications on request.

When a voltage is applied, the DuraAct patch transducer contracts laterally.
P-876 DuraAct patch transducers use the so-called d31 effect, where the appliedfield is orthogonal with respect to the polarization of the piezo element.

P-876.A (left), P-876.SP1 (right), dimensions in mm

Electronic modules for sensor data processing,
controlling the DuraAct actuator or harvesting energy
can be connected close to the transducer

When arranged in an array, DuraAct patch transducers allow, for example,
the reliable monitoring of larger areas

DuraAct patch transducers can be manufactured in various shapes

19

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DuraAct Power Patch transducer
HIGH EFFICIENCY aND rOBusT

P-878

 Low voltages to 120 V
 Compact design
 Individual solutions

20

Patch Transducer
Functionality as actuator and sensor component. Nominal operating voltages of -20 to 120 V. Power generation
for self-sufficient systems possible up to the milliwatt
range. Can also be applied to curved surfaces.

Custom DuraAct Patch Transducers
 Flexible choice of size

In longitudinal direction, the DuraAct Power uses thehigh-efficiency d33 effect Arrays

Robust, Cost-Effective Design
Laminated structure consisting of PICMA® multilayer piezo
element, electrodes and polymer materials. Manufactured
with bubble-free injection method. The polymer coating
simultaneously serves as electrical insulation and as
mechanical preload, which makes the DuraAct bendable

 Variable design of the electrical connections
 Combined actuator/sensor applications, even withseveral active piezoceramic layers

Fields of Application
Research and industry. Can also be applied to curved
surfaces or used for integration in structures.
For adaptive systems, energy harvesting, structural
health monitoring

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e .rPaI .m©Physik Instrumente (PI) GmbH & Co. KG 2013. Subject to change without notice. Latest releases available at www.pi.ws. 13/08/29 .0

 Useable as actuator, sensor orenergy generator

Preliminary data

P-878.A1

Unit

Min . axial strain

1200

µm/m

Rel . axial strain

10

µm/V

Min . lateral contraction

250

µm/m

Rel . lateral contraction

1 .2

µm/V

Blocking force

44

N

Dimensions

27 mm × 9 .5 mm × 0 .5 mm

Min. bending radius

24

Active element

15 mm × 5.4 mm

Electrical capacitance

150

mm
nF

Electrical capacitance: Tolerance ±20 %, measured at 1 Vpp, 1 kHz, RT .
Piezo ceramic type: PIC 252.
Standard connections: Solderable contacts.
Operating voltage: -20 to 120 V.
Operating temperature range: -20 to 150°C.

P-878.A1, dimensions in mm

DuraAct Power Multilayer Patch Transducers use thelongitudinal or d33 effect, which describes an elongation
parallel to the electric field E and the polarization direction P of the piezo actuator. The d33 piezoelectric chargecoefficients for longitudinal displacement are considerably higher than the d31 coefficients for transversal
displacement, used by all-ceramic patch transducers.
(Source: Wierach, DLR)w w w.P I .w s
piezo technology©Physik Instrumente (PI) GmbH & Co. KG 2013. Subject to change without notice. Latest releases available at www.pi.ws. 13/08/29 .0

Custom designs or different specifications on request.

21

Pt Piezo tube Actuators
H i G H - d Y n a M i C s O P e r aT i O n W i T H L O W L O a d s

PT120 – PT140

 Sub-nanometer resolution
 Ideal for OEM applications
 Large choice of designs

Piezo Actuator / Scanner Tube
Operating voltage of up to 1000 V or bipolar up to ±250 V.
Monolithic piezoceramic actuator with minimal geometrictolerances. Radial and axial contraction, low load capacity.
UHV-compatible versions with multi-segmented electrodes
Custom Designs with Modified Specifications
 Materials
 Operating voltage range, displacement
 Tolerances Applied sensors
 Special high / low temperature versions
 Geometric shapes: Rectangular, inner hole
 Segmentation of the electrodes, wrap-around electrodes,
circumferential insulating borders Non-magnetic

22

Possible Dimensions
 Length L max . 70 mm
 Outer diameter OD 2 to 80 mm
 Inner diameter ID 0.8 to 74 mm
 Min . wall thickness 0 .30 mm

Special versions of the PT Piezo Scanner Tubes with multi-segmented outer electrodes and wrap-around electrodes

Fields of Application
Research and industry, UHV environment up to 10-9 hPa .
For microdosing, micromanipulation, scanning microscopy(AFM, STM, etc.), fiber stretching

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©Physik Instrumente (PI) GmbH & Co. KG 2012. Subject to change without notice. Latest releases available at www.pi.ws. R1 13/08/23.0

 Radial, lateral and axial displacement

Order Number

Dimensions[mm] L × OD × ID

Max. operating
voltage [V]Electrical capacitance[nF] ±20%

Max. change incontraction [µm]Max. diameter
contraction [µm]PT120 .00

20 × 2 .2 × 1 .0

500

3

5

0 .7

PT130 .90

30 × 3 .2 × 2 .2

500

12

9

0 .9

PT130 .10

30 × 6 .35 × 5 .35

500

18

9

1 .8

PT130 .20

30 × 10 .0 × 9 .0

500

36

9

3

PT130 .40

30 × 20 .0 × 18 .0

1000

35

9

6

PT140 .70

40 × 40 .0 × 38 .0

1000

70

15

12

Max. displacement data refers to respective max. operating voltage.
Piezo ceramic type: PIC151
Capacitance at 1 Vpp, 1 kHz, RT .
Inner electrode on positive potential, fired-silver electrodes inside and outside as standard. Option: Outer electrode thin film (CuNi, Au).

Scanner Tubes
Quartered electrodes for XY deflection, UHV-compatible to 10-9 hPa
Order Number

Dimensions[mm] L × OD × ID

Max. operating
voltage [V]Electrical capacitance[nF] ±20%

Max. change
in length [µm]Max. XY displacement[µm]

PT230 .94

30 × 3 .2 × 2 .2

±250

4 × 2 .1

±4 .5

±35

PT230 .14

30 × 6 .35 × 5 .35±250

4 × 4 .5

±4 .5

±16

PT230 .24

30 × 10 .0 × 9 .0

±250

4 × 6 .9

±4 .5

±10

L 0.2

Max. displacement data refers to respective max. operating voltage. Max. XY displacement for simultaneous control with +250 / -250 V at opposite electrodes.
Piezo ceramic type: PIC255. Operating temperature range: -20 to 85°. Bakeout temperature up to 150°C.
Capacitance at 1 Vpp, 1 kHz, RT .
Quartered electrodes for XY deflection. Outer electrode thin film (CuNi, Au), inner electrodes fired-silver.

ID 0.05

OD 0.05

0.1 A

A
PT Piezo Tube actuators, dimensions in mm. L, OD, ID see data table

23

pPi ieezZoO TteeCcHhn
nOoLlOoGgYy

PICA Stack Piezo Actuators
H i G H F O r C e s , H i G H d i s P L a C e M e n T, F L e X i B L e P r O d u C T i O n

P-007 – P-056
 Travel ranges to 300 µm
 High load capacity

 Extreme reliability: >109 cycles
 Microsecond response Sub-nanometer resolution
 Large choice of designs

Stacked Piezo Linear Actuator
Operating voltage 0 to 1000 V. Long lifetime without
derating. High specific displacement. High forces.
Operating temperature range -20 to 85°C
Available Options
 SGS sensors for positional stability
 PZT ceramic material
 Operating voltage range, displacement, layer thickness
 Load capacity, force generation
 Geometric shapes: Round, rectangular Mechanical interfaces: Flat, spherical, metal, ceramic,
glass, sapphire, etc.
 Integrated piezoelectric detector layers
 Special high / low temperature versions, temperature
sensor Non-magnetic versions
 Extra-tight length tolerances

24

Fields of Application
Research and industry. For high-load positioning, precision
mechanics / -machining, switches

Custom actuator with special end piece and applied SGS sensors. The protective
polymer layer can be dyed in different colors. Standard versions are delivered withstranded wires and are covered in black

Suitable Drivers
E-464 PICA Piezo DriverE-481 PICA High-performance Piezo Driver / Controller
E-470 • E-472 • E-421 PICA Controller

wW
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wW
w.P
piC
ceraM
miC
c.C
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© Physik Instrumente (PI) GmbH & Co. KG 2012. Subject to change without notice. Latest releases available at www.pi.ws. R1 12/08/23.0

 Force generation up to 80 kN

Order number

Displacement (0–1000 V)[µm] -10/+20%

Diameter OD[mm]Length L[mm] ±0,5

Blocking force(0–1000 V) [N]

Stiffness[N/µm]

Capacitance[nF] ±20%

Resonant
frequency [kHz]P-007 .00

5

7

8

650

130

11

126

P-007 .10

15

7

17

850

59

33

59

P-007 .20

30

7

29

1000

35

64

36

P-007 .40

60

7

54

1150

19

130

20

P-010 .00

5

10

8

1400

270

21

126

P-010 .10

15

10

17

1800

120

64

59

P-010 .20

30

10

30

2100

71

130

35

P-010 .40

60

10

56

2200

38

260

20

P-010 .80

120

10

107

2400

20

510

10

P-016 .10

15

16

17

4600

320

180

59

P-016 .20

30

16

29

5500

190

340

36

P-016 .40

60

16

54

6000

100

680

20

P-016 .80

120

16

101

6500

54

1300

11

P-016 .90

180

16

150

6500

36

2000

7

P-025 .10

15

25

18

11000

740

400

56

P-025 .20

30

25

30

13000

440

820

35

P-025 .40

60

25

53

15000

250

1700

21

P-025 .80

120

25

101

16000

130

3400

11

P-025 .90

180

25

149

16000

89

5100

7

P-025 .150

250

25

204

16000

65

7100

5

P-025 .200

300

25

244

16000

54

8500

5

P-035 .10

15

35

20

20000

1300

700

51

P-035 .20

30

35

32

24000

810

1600

33

P-035 .40

60

35

57

28000

460

3300

19

P-035 .80

120

35

104

30000

250

6700

11

P-035 .90

180

35

153

31000

170

10000

7

P-045 .20

30

45

33

39000

1300

2800

32

P-045 .40

60

45

58

44000

740

5700

19

P-045 .80

120

45

105

49000

410

11000

10

P-045 .90

180

45

154

50000

280

17000

7

P-050 .20

30

50

33

48000

1600

3400

32

P-050 .40

60

50

58

55000

910

7000

19

P-050 .80

120

50

105

60000

500

14000

10

P-050 .90

180

50

154

61000

340

22000

7

P-056 .20

30

56

33

60000

2000

4300

32

P-056 .40

60

56

58

66000

1100

8900

19

P-056 .80

120

56

105

76000

630

18000

10

P-056 .90

180

56

154

78000

430

27000

7

Maximum preload for constant force:
30 MPa .
Resonant frequency at 1 Vpp, unloaded,
free on both sides. The value is halved
for unilateral clamping.
Capacitance at 1 Vpp, 1 kHz, RT .

Piezo ceramic type: PIC151
Standard electrical interfaces:
FEP-insulated wire leads, 100 mm,
AWG 24 (Ø 1 .15 mm) .
Recommended preload for
dynamic operation: 15 MPa.

Operating voltage: 0 to 1000 V.
Operating temperature range: -20
to 85°C.
Standard mechanical interfaces: Steelor titanium plates, 0.5 to 1.0 mm thick(depends on model).

Outer surfaces: Polyolefin shrink
sleeving, black. Custom designs
or different specifications onrequest.

< OD+0.4< OD+1< OD+3

D2.1 0.05

0.3

< 12

< OD+5

L 0.5

25

PICA Stack, dimensions in mm. L, OD see data table

pPi ieezZoO TteeCcHhn
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PICA Power Piezo Actuators
F O r H i G H - d Y n a M i C s a P P L i C aT i O n s

P-010.xxP –P-056.xxP
 Operating temperature up to150°C
 High operating frequencies
 High load capacity
 Microsecond response Sub-nanometer resolution
 Large choice of designs

Stacked Piezo Linear Actuator
Operating voltage 0 to 1000 V. Long lifetime without performance loss. Large displacement, low electrical capacitance.
Integrated temperature sensor to prevent damage fromoverheating. Extreme reliability: >109 cycles
Available Options

26

 Bipolar control
 SGS sensors for positional stability
 PZT ceramic material
 Operating voltage range, displacement, layer thickness
 Load capacity, force generation
 Geometric shapes: Rectangular, inner hole
 Mechanical interfaces: Flat, metal, ceramic, glass,sapphire, etc.
 Integrated piezoelectric detector layers
 Operating temperature of up to 200°C
 UHV-compatible to 10-9 hPa
 Non-magnetic versions
 Extra-tight length tolerances

Fields of Application
Research and industry. For active damping of oscillations,precision mechanics / -machining, active structures(adaptive systems technology)
Suitable Drivers
E-481 PICA High-performance Piezo Driver / Controller
E-470 • E-472 • E-421 PICA Controller
E-464 PICA Piezo Driver

wW
W
wW
w.P
piC
ceraM
miC
c.C
cO
oM
m

©Physik Instrumente (PI) GmbH & Co. KG 2012. Subject to change without notice. Latest releases available at www.pi.ws. R2 13/08/23.0

 Force generation up to 70 kN

Order number

Displacement [µm](0–1000 V) -10/+20%

Diameter OD[mm]Length L[mm] ±0.5

Blocking force(0–1000 V) [N]

Stiffness[N/µm]

Capacitance[nF] ±20%

Resonant
frequency [kHz]P-010 .00P

5

10

9

1200

240

17

129

P-010 .10P

15

10

18

1800

120

46

64

P-010 .20P

30

10

31

2100

68

90

37

P-010 .40P

60

10

58

2200

37

180

20

P-010 .80P

120

10

111

2300

19

370

10

P-016 .10P

15

16

18

4500

300

130

64

P-016 .20P

30

16

31

5400

180

250

37

P-016 .40P

60

16

58

5600

94

510

20

P-016 .80P

120

16

111

5900

49

1000

10

P-016 .90P

180

16

163

6000

33

1600

7

P-025 .10P

15

25

20

9900

660

320

58

P-025 .20P

30

25

33

12000

400

630

35

P-025 .40P

60

25

60

13000

220

1300

19

P-025 .80P

120

25

113

14000

120

2600

10

P-025 .90P

180

25

165

14000

80

4000

7

P-035 .10P

15

35

21

18000

1200

530

55

P-035 .20P

30

35

34

23000

760

1200

34

P-035 .40P

60

35

61

26000

430

2500

19

P-035 .80P

120

35

114

28000

230

5200

10

P-035 .90P

180

35

166

29000

160

7800

7

P-045 .20P

30

45

36

36000

1200

2100

32

P-045 .40P

60

45

63

41000

680

4300

18

P-045 .80P

120

45

116

44000

370

8800

10

P-045 .90P

180

45

169

45000

250

13000

7

P-056 .20P

30

56

36

54000

1800

3300

32

P-056 .40P

60

56

63

66000

1100

6700

18

P-056 .80P

120

56

116

68000

570

14000

10

P-056 .90P

180

56

169

70000

390

21000

7

Piezo ceramic type: PIC255.
Standard electrical interfaces: FEPinsulated wire leads, 100 mm, AWG 24(Ø 1.15 mm). PT1000 temperature sensor.
Recommended preload for dynamic
operation: 15 MPa.

Maximum preload for constant force:
30 MPa .
Resonant frequency at 1 Vpp, unloaded.
The value is halved for unilateralclamping.
Capacitance at 1 Vpp, 1 kHz, RT .

Operating voltage: 0 to 1000 V.
Operating temperature range: -20
to 150°C. Standard mechanical interfaces: Steel or titanium plates, 0.5 to
1.0 mm thick (depends on model).
Outer surfaces: FEP, transparent shrink

sleeving (outside); epoxy resin(inside).
Custom designs or different
specifications on request.

< OD+0.4< OD+1< OD+3

D2.1 0.05

0.3

< 12

< OD+5

L 0.5

PICA Power, dimensions in mm. L, OD see data table

27

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PICA thru Ring Actuators
H i G H - L O a d P i e Z O a C T u aT O r s W i T H i n n e r H O L e

P-010.xxH –P-025.xxH
 High load capacity

 Microsecond response Sub-nanometer resolution
 Large choice of designs

Stacked Piezo Linear Actuator
Operating voltage 0 to 1000 V. Long lifetime without performance loss. High specific displacement. A mechanicalpreload can be attached via inner holes
Available Options
 SGS sensors for positional stability
 PZT ceramic material
 Operating voltage range, displacement, layer thickness
 Load capacity, force generation
 Geometric shapes: Round, rectangular, various crosssections
 Mechanical interfaces: Flat, spherical, metal, ceramic,
glass, sapphire, etc.
 Integrated piezoelectric detector layers
 Special high / low temperature versions
 UHV-compatible to 10-9 hPa
 Non-magnetic versions
 Extra-tight length tolerances28

Fields of Application
Research and industry. For optics, precision mechanics/
machining, laser tuning

PICA Thru are manufactured in various sizes. Standard versions aredelivered with stranded wires and are covered in black. Custom designs
are available on request

Suitable Drivers
E-464 PICA Piezo DriverE-481 PICA High-performance Piezo Driver / Controller
E-462 PICA Piezo Driver

wW
W
wW
w.P
piC
ceraM
miC
c.C
cO
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©Physik Instrumente (PI) GmbH & Co. KG 2012. Subject to change without notice. Latest releases available at www.pi.ws. R1 13/08/23.0

 Extreme reliability: >109 cycles

Order Numbers Displacement [µm](0–1000 V) -10/+20%

Diameter OD[mm]Diameter ID[mm]

Length L[mm] ±0.5

Blocking force[N] (0–1000 V)

Stiffness[N/µm]

Capacitance[nF] ±20%

Resonant
frequency [kHz]P-010 .00H

5

10

5

7

1200

230

15

144

P-010 .10H

15

10

5

15

1700

110

40

67

P-010 .20H

30

10

5

27

1800

59

82

39

P-010 .40H

60

10

5

54

1800

29

180

21

P-016 .00H

5

16

8

7

2900

580

42

144

P-016 .10H

15

16

8

15

4100

270

120

67

P-016 .20H

30

16

8

27

4500

150

230

39

P-016 .40H

60

16

8

52

4700

78

490

21

P-025 .10H

15

25

16

16

7400

490

220

63

P-025 .20H

30

25

16

27

8700

290

430

39

P-025 .40H

60

25

16

51

9000

150

920

22

P-025 .50H

80

25

16

66

9600

120

1200

Maximum preload for constant force:
30 MPa .
Resonant frequency at 1 Vpp, unloaded,
free on both sides. The value is halved
for unilateral clamping.
Capacitance at 1 Vpp, 1 kHz, RT .

Piezo ceramic type: PIC151
Standard electrical interfaces: FEPinsulated wire leads, 100 mm, AWG 24(Ø 1 .15 mm) .
Recommended preload for dynamic
operation: 15 MPa.

Operating voltage: 0 to 1000 V.
Operating temperature range:-20 to 85°C.
Standard mechanical interfaces: Ceramic rings (passive PZT).

17

Outer surfaces: Polyolefin shrink
sleeving, black (outside); epoxy
resin (inside).
Custom designs or different
specifications on request.

< 12

L 0.5

< OD+0.4< OD+1>ID-1< OD+5< OD+3

PICA Thru, dimensions in mm

29

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PICA Shear ActuatorsC O M P a C T M u LT i - a X i s a C T u a T O r s

P-111 – P-151
 X, XY, XZ and XYZ versions
 Displacement to 10 µm

 Picometer resolution
 Microsecond response Large choice of designs

Piezo Shear Actuators
Operating voltage -250 to 250 V. Lateral motion is basedon the piezoelectric shear effect. Excellent dynamics withminimum electric power requirement. Versions with innerholes or for use in cryogenic and UHV environments up to
10-9 hPa
Available Options
 PZT ceramic material
 Non-magnetic versions
 Operating voltage range, displacement, layer thickness,cross-sectional dimension
 Load capacity, force generation
 Mechanical interfaces: Flat, spherical, metal, ceramic,
glass, sapphire, etc.
 Extra-tight length tolerances

Axis and lead assignmnet for PICA Shear actuators. GND: 0 V, +: ±250 V

ΔL

Fields of Application
Research and industry, low-temperature/vacuum versions
to 10-9 hPa. For scanning applications, microscopy, precision mechanics, switches

30

Suitable Drivers
E-413 DuraAct and PICA Shear Piezo Amplifier
E-508 PICA Piezo Driver Module

X, Y

Principle of shear motion. ∆L refers to the displacement

wW
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©Physik Instrumente (PI) GmbH & Co. KG 2012. Subject to change without notice. Latest releases available at www.pi.ws. R1 16/08/26.0

 Extreme reliability: >109 cycles

OrdernumberActiveaxes

Displacement [µm] (-250 to+250 V) -10/+20%

Cross section
A × B / ID [mm]Length L[mm] ±0.3

Max. shear
load [N]Axial stiffness [N/µm]

Capacitance[nF] ±20%

Axial resonant
frequency [kHz]P-111.01

X

1*

3×3

3.5

20

70

0.5

330

P-111.03

X

3*

3×3

5.5

20

45

1.5

210

P-111.05

X

5

3×3

7.5

20

30

2.5

155

P-121.01

X

1*

5×5

3.5

50

190

1.4

330

P-121.03

X

3*

5×5

5.5

50

120

4.2

210

P-121.05

X

5

5×5

7.5

40

90

7

155

P-141.03

X

3*

10 × 10

5.5

200

490

17

210

P-141.05

X

5

10 × 10

7.5

200

360

28

155

P-141.10

X

10

10 × 10

12

200

230

50

100

P-151.03

X

3*

16 × 16

5.5

300

1300

43

210

P-151.05

X

5

16 × 16

7.5

300

920

71

155

P-151.10

X

10

16 × 16

12

300

580

130

100

P-112.01

XY

1 × 1*

3×3

5

20

50

0.5 / 0.5

230

P-112.03

XY

3 × 3*

3×3

9.5

10

25

1.5 / 1.5

120

P-122.01

XY

1 × 1*

5×5

5

50

140

1.4 / 1.4

230

P-122.03

XY

3 × 3*

5×5

9.5

40

70

4.2 / 4.2

120

P-122.05

XY

5×5

5×5

14

30

50

7/7

85

P-142.03

XY

3 × 3*

10 × 10

9.5

200

280

17 / 17120
85

P-142.05

XY

5×5

10 × 10

14

100

190

28 / 28

P-142.10

XY

10 × 10

10 × 10

23

50

120

50 / 5050

P-152.03

XY

3 × 3*

16 × 16

9.5

300

730

43 / 43120

P-152.05

XY

5×5

16 × 16

14

300

490

71 / 7185

P-152.10

XY

10 × 1016 × 16

23

100

300

130 / 13050

P-123.01

XYZ

1 × 1 x 1*

5×5

7.5

40

90

1.4 / 1.4 / 2.9

155

P-123.03

XYZ

3 ×3 × 3*

5×5

15.5

10

45

4.2 / 4.2 / 7.3

75

P-143.01

XYZ

1 × 1 × 1*

10 × 10

7.5

200

360

5.6 / 5.6 / 11155

P-143.03

XYZ

3 × 3 × 3*

10 × 10

15.5

100

170

17 / 17 / 2975

P-143.05

XYZ

5×5×5

10 × 10

23

50

120

28 / 28 / 47

50

P-153.03

XYZ

3 × 3 × 3*

16 × 16

15.5

300

450

43 / 43 / 7375
50

P-153.05

XYZ

5×5×5

16 × 16

23

100

300

71 / 71 / 120

P-153.10

XYZ

10 × 10 × 10

16 × 16

40

60

170

130 / 130 / 230 30

Versions with inner holeP-153.10H

XYZ

10 × 10 × 10

16 × 16 / 10

40

20

120

89 / 89 / 160

P-151.03HX

3*

16 ×16 / 10

5.5

200

870

30

30
210

P-151.05HX

5

16 × 16 / 10

7.5

200

640

49

155

P-151.10H

X

10

16 × 16 / 10

12

200

400

89

100

Versions for use in cryogenic and UHV environments
P-111.01T

X

1*

3×3

2.2

20

110

2 × 0.25

530

P-111.03T

X

3*

3×3

4.4

20

55

6 × 0.25

260

P-121.01T

X

1*

5×5

2.2

50

310

2 × 0.70

530

P-121.03T

X

3*

5×5

4.4

50

150

6 × 0.70

260

/ 

/ 

/ 

unilateral clamping.
Capacitance at 1 Vpp, 1 kHz, RT .
Operating voltage: -250 to 250 V.
Operating temperature range: -20 to 85°C.
Standard mechanical interfaces:
Ceramics (passive PZT).
Outer surface: Epoxy resin.

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Versions for cryogenic and UHV environments
Operating temperature range: -269 to 85°C.
Temporary short-term bakeout to 150°C
only when short-circuited.
Standard electrical interfaces: Ta. contacting possible with conductive adhesive
or welding. Displacement measured at$

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PICA Shear Actuators, A, B, L see table, dimensions in mm. The number of axes and wires depends on the type.
Left: P-1xx.xx and P-1xx.xxH (with inner hole), right: P-1xx.xxT, * <A+2.5 with a cross section of 3 × 3

$

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$EHL4XHUVFKQLWW[$
$EHL4XHUVFKQLWW[room temperature. Reduced values at low
temperatures.
Standard mechanical interfaces: Ceramic(Al2O3, 96% purity).
Outer surface: Epoxy resin.
Custom designs or different specifications
on request.

/ %

%

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/ 

%

!,'/ !,'/ $
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/ * Tolerances ±30% .
Piezo ceramic type: PIC255
Standard electrical interfaces: PTFEinsulated wire leads, 100 mm, AWG 32(Ø 0 .49 mm) .
Axial resonant frequency at 1 Vpp, unloaded, unclamped. The value is halved for

pPi ieezZoO TteeCcHhn
nOoLlOoGgYy

31

Picoactuator®
M u LT i - a X i s a C T u a T O r s W i T H H i G H LY L i n e a r d i s P L a C e M e n T

P-405
 Lead-free, crystalline actuatormaterial
 High dynamics

 Low electrical power
consumption
 Minimal length tolerances

Stack Actuator
Bipolar operating voltage up to ±500 V. Nearly hysteresisfree motion (<0.2%). No creep. Picoactuators®, as longitudinal and shear actuators, are configurable up to heights of
20 mm and maximum travel of ±3 µm
Available Options
 UHV-compatible to 10-9 hPa
 Inner hole
 End pieces

P-405, dimensions in mm. A, B, L see table

Active Dimenaxes sions
A×B×L
[mm]

Max.
Axial Max.
displace- stiffshear
ment *
ness
load(-500 to [N/µm] [N]+500 V)[µm]

Electri- Axial
calresonant
capaci- frequentance cy
[nF]
[kHz]
±10%

Longitudinal actuators
P-405.05 Z

5 × 5 × 12.5

1

140

10

0.95

160

P-405.08 Z

10 × 10 × 12 .5 1

550

100

3 .75

160

Shear actuators

Fields of Application
Research and industry. Vacuum. For high-dynamics, openloop scanning applications, compensation of undesiredtransverse motions with nanopositioning systems(„out-of-plane“ and „out-of-line“)

32

Order
number

P-405.15

X

5 × 5 × 7.5

1

230

20

0.7

–

P-405.18

X

10 × 10 × 7 .5 1

900

150

2 .75

–

10 × 10 × 19

350

50

2 .75 /3 .75

105

XZ actuators
P-405.28 XZ

1/1* Tolerances ±20% .
Piezo material PIC 050 .
Standard electrical interfaces: PTFE-insulated wire leads, 100 mm, AWG 32 (Ø 0.76 mm).
Axial resonant frequency measured at 1 Vpp, unloaded, unclamped. The value is halved
for unilateral clamping.
Capacitance at 1 Vpp, 1 kHz, RT .
Operating voltage: -500 to 500 V.
Operating temperature range: -20 to 85°C.
Standard mechanical interfaces: Ceramics.
Outer surfaces: Epoxy resin.
Ask about custom designs!

Picoactuators® can be produced in different configurations

wW
W
wW
w.P
piC
ceraM
miC
c.C
cO
oM
m

©Physik Instrumente (PI) GmbH & Co. KG 2012. Subject to change without notice. Latest releases available at www.pi.ws. 12/06/08.0

 Ideal for operation without
position control

Integrated Components
F r o m the C e r a m ic to the C o m plete Sol u tion

Ceramics in Different Levels of Integration
PIC integrates piezo ceramics into thecustomer’s product. This includes boththe electrical contacting of the elements
according to customer requirements andthe mounting of components provided by
the customer, and the gluing or the castingof the piezo ceramics. For the customer,
this means an accelerated manufacturing
process and shorter lead times.
Sensor Components – Transducers
PI Ceramic supplies complete sound transducers in large batches for a wide variety
of application fields. These include OEM
assemblies for ultrasonic flow measurement technology, level, force and acceleration measurement.
Assembled Piezo Actuators
Piezo actuators can be equipped withsensors to measure the displacement andare then suitable for repeatable positioning
with nanometer accuracy. Piezo actuators
are often integrated into a mechanicalsystem where lever amplification increases
the travel. Flexure guiding systems thenprovide high stiffness and minimize thelateral offset.

What they all have in common is motion
resolution in the nanometer range, long
lifetimes and outstanding reliability. The
combination of PICMA® actuators, flexure
guiding and precision measurement systems produces nanopositioning devices in
the highest performance class.
Piezomotors

PICMA® piezo bending actuatorswith applied SGS sensors formeasuring the displacement

Piezo ceramics are the drive element for
piezomotors from Physik Instrumente (PI),which make it possible to use the special
characteristics of the piezo actuators
over longer travel ranges as well. PILine®
piezo ultrasonic motors allow very dynamic
placement motions and can be manufactured with such a compact form thatthey are already being used in many new
applications. Piezo stepping drives provide
the high forces which piezo actuators
generate over several millimeters. The
patented NEXLINE® and NEXACT® drives
from PI with their complex construction
from longitudinal, shear and benderelements and the necessary contacting are
manufactured completely at PI Ceramic.
Lever amplified system

Preloaded Actuators – Levers –Nanopositioning
PICMA® piezo actuators from PI Ceramic
are the key component for nanopositioning
systems from Physik Instrumente (PI). They
are supplied in different levels of integration: As simple actuators with position
sensor as an optional extra, encasedwith or without preload, with lever amplification for increased travel, right through tohigh-performance nanopositioning systems
where piezo actuators drive up to six axes
by means of zero-wear and frictionless
flexure guides.

Actuator modules for NEXLINE® and NEXACT® piezo stepping motors

33

piezo technology

Piezo Drivers, Amplifiers & Controllers

Piezo Electronics for Stability and Dynamics of Piezo Actuators
The drive electronics plays a key role in
the performance of piezoelectric actuators.
Piezo electronics are offered in flexible
designs: as OEM board for integration,
as "Plug&Play" bench-top device or inmodular design for controlling almost any
number of motion axes.

Piezo amplifiers and controllers as
miniature OEM modules and bench-top
deviceHigh-Power Amplifiers for High-Speed
Switching Operations
For fields of application that require highdynamics, users can choose from a seriesof suitable solutions. For high-speed, lowfrequency switching operations, amplifierswith high charge current are available. This
results in fast displacement of the piezo actuator and fast step-and-settle at the target
position. Overtemperature protection forelectronics and piezo is available.
Dynamic Piezo Amplifiers for Scanners andShutters
Switching amplifiers, designed for con­tinuous operation and exhibiting much
lower power consumption than linear
amplifiers, allow high-frequency operation. Linear amplifiers are used for dynamic
scanning operations. If linear displacement
behavior is crucial, charge-controlled
amplifiers are available, which compensate
the deviation from linearity of the piezo
actuators.

This is why for stable displacement particularly low-noise amplifiers are required.
Piezo controllers offer repeatable positioning in a closed servo loop: Since thedisplacement of piezo actuators is subject
to drift and is non-linear, an additional position sensor and suitable control are required for reaching a position repeatably andstably holding it. Piezo controllers equipped with a closed servo loop are available
as an OEM module, as a bench-top device
or as a modular device.
Applications Outside Piezo Actuator
Technology: Sensor Electronics and Energy
HarvestingIn addition to amplifiers for actuator
control, electronics for energy harvesting
are also available. Sensor applications arehighly specialized, making it necessary toadapt the electronics to each individualcase. Thus, for example, OEM customers
requesting solutions for applications in"Structural Health Monitoring" (SHM) or
excitation of ultrasonic transducers benefit
from optimized solutions.

Low-Noise Voltage Amplifiers for Stable
Displacement
Due to their high resolution of motion anddynamics, piezo actuators are capable ofadjusting to minimal changes in voltage.

The Energy Harvesting Evaluation Kit contains DuraAct piezotransducers plus the required transducer and storage electronics and cabling

34

w w w.p i c e r a mi c.c o mModel Overview
D r i v e r s fo r piezo s t a c k a ct u a to r s :cl a s s ific a tion s , m odel e x a m ple s a nd C US T O M I Z A T I O N O P T I O N S

Linear amplifier,voltage-control,high current,
continuous operation

Linear amplifier,voltage-control,high current

High-power piezo
amplifier with energy
recovery, class D(switching amp)

Linear amplifier,voltage-control

Linear amplifier,charge-control

Model examples
For PICMA® Stacks

E-618

E-505.10

E-617
E-504

E-506.10

For PICA Stacks–

E-421, E-470
E-508

E-481
E-482

E-505.00
E-503
E-610
E-663
E-831
E-836
E-464
E-462

Amplifier bandwidth, small signal

++

++

+

+

+

Relative rise time

++

+

O

O

O

Ripple / noise,
0 to 100 kHz

O

+

O

++

++

Linearity

+

+

+

+

++

Power consumption

O

+

++

+

+

Precision positioning

O

O

O

++

--

High-dynamics
scanning w/ high linearity

O

O

O

O

++

Fast switching, low cycles, lowcurrents

+

++

++

Dynamic scanning, continuous
operation

+

+

++

+

+

Dynamic scanning, high loads, highcurrents, continuous operation

++

+

+

+

+

Amplifierclassification–

Adequate for …

O+

O average; + good; ++ best

Customization of Drive Electronics
In addition to universal drive electronics
that are highly suitable for most fields of application, PI offers a wide range of piezo amplifiers geared towards particular purposes.
This comprises:

OEM Shaker Electronics for UltrasonicTransducers
The voltage range can be adjusted to therequired stroke.

 The complete product range from elec­
tronic components and complete devices
as an OEM circuit board through to themodular encased system Bandwidth up to 20 kHz

 Production of small batches and large­series Small dimensions:
35 mm x 65 mm x 50 mm
 24/7 Operation
Driving Micropumps
Piezo elements are ideal drives for miniaturized pumping and dosing system.

 Product development according to special
product standards (national or marketspecific standards such as the Medical
Device Act, for example) and the corresponding certification

 Compact OEM electronics

 Adaptation of the systems to special­environmental conditions (vacuum, space,clean room)

Piezo Amplifier with High Bandwidth For low actuator capacitances, typ. up toa few 100 nF
 Max. output voltage range -100 to +350 V Max. continuous output power 15 W
 Bandwidth to 150 kHz

 Copy-exactly agreements Suitable for installation on circuit boards(lab-on-a-chip) Frequency and amplitude control

piezo technology

35

Piezo Drivers for PICMA® Piezo Actuators
O u tp u t Volt a ge R a nge - 3 0 to 1 3 0 V

E-610 Single-Channel Controller Cost-effective single-channel OEM
solution Open-loop versions or closed-loop
versions for SGS & capacitive sensors
 Notch filter for higher bandwidth 180 mA peak current

E-500 Plug-in Modules
The E-500 modular piezo controller system
features low-noise amplifiers in a 9.5- or
19-inch-rack.
 E-505: 2 A peak current E-505.10: 10 A peak current, peak output
power of up to 1000 W
 E-503: 3 channels, peak current
3 × 140 mA
 E-506.10: Highly Linear Amplifier Modulewith Charge Control, 280 W peak output
power

E-831 Miniature Modules Open-loop control Separate power supply for up to threeelectronics with up to -30 / +130V output
voltage Bandwidth up to several kHz

E-836 OEM Module or Bench-Top Device Cost-effective, low-noise, for dynamic
piezo actuator operation Peak current up to 100 mA 24 V operating voltage

 For capacities of up to 20 μF For further miniaturization: extremely
small OEM variants

E-617 Switching Amplifier
with Energy Recovery Peak current of up to 2 A

E-618 High-Power Piezo Amplifier Peak current of up to 20 A High average current up to 1 A Bandwidth of up to 15 kHz Bandwidth of up to 3.5 kHz Low heat/power dissipation

 Continuous current of up to 0.8 A
 Integrated processing for temperature
sensor Optionally with digital interfaces

36

w w w . P I C E RAM I C . C O M

Other Piezo Drivers
F O R P I C A , B ENDIN G AND S H EAR A C T UA T O RS , DURAA C T T RANSDU C ERS

Piezo Amplifier E-650 for Multilayer Bender
Actuators
 Specifically designed to drive multilayer bimorph actuators without position
sensor Output voltage range 0 to 60 V
 Two-channel tabletop* version or OEM
version for soldering on a p.c.b.
 300 mA peak current

Piezo Amplifier E-413 for DuraAct andPica Shear Output voltage range up to -100 up to+400 V or ± 250V

E-835 OEM Module: Bipolar Operation
for Piezoelectric DuraAct Patch
Transducers 120 mA peak current 100 mA peak current Output voltage range -100 to +250 V OEM module / bench-top for PICA shear
actuators Compact: 87 mm x 50 mm x 21 mm

 OEM module for piezoelectrical DuraAct
patch transducers

 Sensor electronics on request High bandwidth of up to 4 kHz and more

High-Power Piezo Amplifier / Controller
 E-481, E-482 Switching amplifier Output voltage to 1100 V or bipolar

 E-421, E-471 Modular design

 Peak current up to 6 A

 E-508 Driver module Bandwidth to 5 kHz E-462 compact, for static applications

 Overtemp protection Optional: position control,
digital interfaces

37

piezotechnology

Fundamentals of Piezo Technology

Basic Principles of Piezoelectricity

Page 39

Piezoelectric Effect – Ferroelectric Polarization – Expansion of the Polarized Piezo Ceramic
Piezoelectric Actuator Materials

Page 40

Displacement Modes of Piezoelectric Actuators

Page 41

Manufacturing of Piezo Actuators

Page 46

Multilayer Tape Technology – Pressing Technology – Piezo Tube Actuators – DuraAct
Properties of Piezoelectric Actuators

Page 49

Displacement Behavior

Page 49

Nonlinearity – Hysteresis – Creep – Position Control
Temperature-Dependent Behavior

Page 52

Forces and Stiffnesses

Page 54

Preload and Load Capacity – Stiffness – Force Generation and Displacement
Page 58

Dynamic Operation
Resonant Frequency – How Fast Can a Piezo Actuator Expand – Dynamic Forces
Electrical Operation

Page 59

Electrical Capacitance – Power Consumption – Continuous Operation – Pulse-Mode Operation
Ambient Conditions

Page 62

Vacuum Environment – Inert Gases – Magnetic Fields – Gamma Radiation – Environments withHigh Humidity – Liquids
Reliability of PICMA® Multilayer Actuators

Page 63

Lifetime when Exposed to DC Voltage – Lifetime in Dynamic Continuous Operation
Amplifiers: Piezo Electronics for Operating Piezo Actuators

Page 65

Characteristic Behavior of Piezo Amplifiers

Page 65

Power Requirements – Amplifier Frequency Response Curve – Setting the Control Input Voltage
Solutions for High-Dynamics 24/7 Operation

Page 66

Switched Amplifiers with Energy Recovery – Overtemperature Protection – Charge Control
Handling of Piezo Actuators

Page 68

Mechanical Installation – Electrical Connection – Safe Operation

38w w w . pice r a m ic . co m∆L ∆L

Polarisation
axis
Polarisation
axis

L

+
o

P

L

+
o

Basic Principles of Piezoelectricity

P
(X)
(X)

1
1

1
1

Ferroelectric Polarization

The Piezoelectric Effect3(Z) the surface ofPressure generates6 charges
on
3
3
5
(Z)
6
TH
piezoelectricmaterials.
This so-called
direct3 62
56
piezoelectriceffect, also Pcalled thegenerator
2or sensor effect, converts
P mechanical5 energy2(Y)5to electrical energy. The inverse
piezoelectric
4
2(Y)
1
(X)
4
effect in contrast causes thistype of materials
1(X)
to change in length when an electrical voltage
is applied. This effect converts electrical energy
into mechanical energy and is thus employedin actuator technology.
TH

(1)
(1)

To minimize the internal energy of the material,
ferroelectric domains form in the crystallites of
the ceramic (fig. 2). Within these volume areas,
the orientations of the spontaneous polariza­tion are the same. The different orientations ofbordering domains are separated by domain
walls. A ferroelectric polarization process isrequired to make the ceramic macroscopicallypiezoelectric as well.

(2)
(2)

∆L
∆L

For this purpose, a strong electric field of sever­L
L
Polarisation
al kV/mm is applied to create an asymmetry
The piezoelectriceffect occurs in monocrys­Polarisation
P
axis
axis
talline materials
as well as in polycrystalline in the previously unorganized ceramic comW
TH
P
CC
O
W
causes a reorientation
ferroelectric ceramics.
In single crystals, an pound. The electric field(Z)(Z)Pb
33
O
At the same
asymmetry in the structure of the unit cells of of the spontaneous polarization.
Ti,
L
Pb Zr
LL
CC
time,
domainswithafavorableorientation
the crystal
lattice,
i.e.
a
polar
axis
that
forms
Ti, ZrTH
L
66
P
to the polarity field
below the Curie
P P direction grow and those
TH temperature Tc, is a sufficientFig. 1
3
W
55
P
with an unfavorable orientation 2(Y)shrink.
The 3 (1) U
prerequisiteW for the effectPolarisation
toaxisoccur.
 nit cell with symmetrical,
2(Y)
1(r)
Radialschwingung
4 4 in the crystal lattice.
domain walls are 1shiftedcubic
structure above
the
C
1
1(r)
(X)(X)
Piezoelectric ceramics also have a sponta- AfterCurie
temperatureRadialschwingungTC(Z)
polarization, most of the reorientations
3
L
neous
polarization, i.e. the positive and nega- aredistortedpreserved even without the application of (2) TetragonallyLC
unit
cell below theDickenschwingungCurie
tive Lcharge
P concentration of the unit cells arean electric
field
(see
fig.
3).
However,asmall
Dickenschwingung
6
spontemper­ature TC withseparate fromeach other. At the same time,PP
number of the domain walls are shifted backtaneous polarization andthe axis of the unit cell extends in the direction to their5 original position, e.g. due to internal2(Y)spontaneous strainof the spontaneous polarization
and a sponta- mechanical4(1)(1)
stresses.
1(X)
3
neous strain occurs (fig. 1).
TH

2

1

1

1

1

2

0

L
L
+
+
o
o

∆L

0

1

1

+
o

Impendanz Z

0

3

3(r)
3(r)

(2)(2)

–

––

––

––

–

+

++

++

++

+

–

––

––

––

–

+

++

++

++

+

–

–

– –

–

–

++
–

+ +
– –

+

–

–
+
–

–

+
–

+

–

+

+
–

+ ++ + +– –– – –

+
–

+
–

+

+ +

+

+ + +
– – –

+

+

+

+

+

+

–

–

–

–

+

+

+

+

–

–

–

–

+

+

+

+

(2)(2)

+

+ +

–

–

–

(3)(3)

–

+
–

+
–

+

+ +
– –

+
–

–

TH
TH

+
–

+
–

22
P C/m
P C/m

+
–

–

+

+

Längsschwingung++ ++Ps P s

Längsschwingung(3)

Dickenschwingung

Pr Pr
Fig. 3
Dickenschwingung
Orientation of the spontaP C/m2
neous-Epolarization
within a
Radialschwingung-E
c cpiezo ferroelectric
ceramic
Radialschwingung(1) Unpolarized ceramic,
Ps(2) Ceramic during polarization and (3) ceramic afterPr
polarization
-P-P
PP
s s
–

–

–

–

+

+

+

–

––

–

–

–

+

+

–

–

+

+

+

–

++ ++

–

– –

–

r

+

+

–

–

++

+

E kV/c
E kV

r

Ec
–

+

+
–

–

3

+

-Ec
Dickenschwingung
Dickenschwingung

–

–

–

–

Ti, Zr

+

+

Pb

EcEc

–

+

+

Radialschwingung
Radialschwingung

+

+

+

+

PbPb

Fig. 2: A cross-sectional view of a ferroelectric
Ti,Ti,
ZrZr ceramicclearly shows the differently polarized domains within
the individual crystallites
3 3 for Ceramic Technologies(Source: Fraunhofer Instituteand Systems IKTS, Dresden, Germany)

–

O2O2

–

1(r)

–

+

+

(1)(1)

+

–

+

–

–

1(r)
1(r)

+

––

++

–

+

–

O2

+

+
–

––

++

–

–

+

–

––

++

–

+

+

–

–
–

The extrinsic effect is based on a reversible
ferroelectric reorientation of the unit cells. It
increases along with the strength of the driving field and is responsible for most of thenonlinear hysteresis and drift characteristics offerroelectric piezoceramics. (1)
(2)

(2)

+

+

–

+

–

–

–

–

(1)

–

–

+

+

The ceramic expands, whenever an electricfield is applied, which is less strong than theoriginal polarization field. Part of this effect isdue to the piezoelectric shift of the ions in the
crystal lattice and is called the intrinsic effect.

–

Expansion of the Polarized Piezo Ceramic

+

L

fm

+

E kV/cm

39
Radialschwingung-Ps

Dickenschwingung
3(r)
3(r)

Pr
33

33

piezo technology

Längsschwingung
Längsschwingung
11Piezoelectric Actuator Materials
B a s i c P r i n c i pl e s of P i e zo e l e ct r i c i ty

n
C1

6

P

5
2(Y)

(X)

1

4

Fig. 4
Orthogonal system tode­scribe the properties ofa polarized piezo ceramic.
Axis 3 is the direction ofpolarization

Ferroelectrically soft piezoceramics with low
polarity reversal field strengths are used
for actuator applications since the extrinsic
domain contributions lead to high overall
piezo moduli. This includes the piezoceramics
PIC151, PIC153, PIC255, PIC252 and PIC251.

Actuator Materials from PI Ceramic

PIC151

PIC153––
PIC255/252

–

–

–

+

+

+

+

–

–

–

–

+

+

+

+

–

–

–

–

+

+

+

+

PIC050
–

+

+

7.80

7.60

Curie temperature Tc [°C]

250

185

2 400
1 980

(1)
4 200

20

30

+

4.70

+
–

+

–

+

Dielectric loss factor
tan δ [10-3]

7.80
–

–

Density ρ [g/cm3]

–

–

–
–

Physical and Dielectric Properties

Relative permittivity
in polarization direction ε33Τ/ε0perpendicular to polarization
ε11/ε0

350
+

>500

–

+

(2)

+
–

+

+

1 750
1 650

60
85

P C/m2

20

+

+

+
–

–

–

-Ps

+

–

–
++

15.0
19.0

–

+

Pr

100

50

Ec

–

+

-Ec

40
80

–

600

+

16.1
20.7
80

For explanations and further data, see the catalog "Piezoceramic Materials and Components"* The deformation coefficient corresponds to the charge coefficient used with piezo components.
The value depends on the strength of the driving field (fig. 22, p. 50). The information in the tablerefers to very small field strengths (small signal)

3

PI Ceramic offers a wide range of further materials, including
lead-free
Längsschwingung
piezoceramics that are currently
mainly used as ultrasonic transducers.
1

40

+

U

	High piezoelectric deformation coeffi­
cients, high permittivity, relatively low
Curie temperature.

–

PIC255	Modified PZT ceramic that is especially suited to bipolar operation, in shear
actuators, or with high ambient temperatures.

Pr

- 180
400
–
550 –

+

- 210
500

Mechanical quality factor Qm

ngung

PIC153	Modified PZT ceramic for large displacements.

	Special material for the PICA Stack and
PICA Thru product lines as well as forglued bending actuators.

<1

+

ngung

+

+
–

Ps

Acousto-Mechanical Properties
Elastic
compliance coefficients11E [10-12 m2 /N]
s33E [10-12 m2 /N]

–

+
–

+ +
– –

(3)

PIC151	Modified PZT ceramic with balanced
actuator characteristics. High piezoelectric coupling, average permittivity,
relatively high Curie temperature.
	Standard material for the PICA Stack,
PICA Thru and piezo tube product lines.

+
–

+

–

+
–

Electro-Mechanical Properties
Piezoelectric deformation coefficient, piezo modulus*
d31 [pm/V]
d33 [pm/V]
d15 [pm/V]

Ferroelectrically hard PZTfmmaterials,fn suchas PIC181 and PIC300, are primarily used inhigh-power ultrasound applications. They
have a higher polarity reversal resistance,high mechanical quality factors as well as
low hysteresis values at reduced piezoelectric
defor­­mation coefficients. The Picoactuator®
series is based on the monocrystalline materialf
PIC050, which has a highly linear, Frequenzhysteresisfree characteristic, but with small piezoelectriccoefficients.

Commercially available piezoceramic materials
are mostly based on the lead-zirconate-leadL
C0titanate material
system (PZT). By adding1 othermaterials the properties of the PZT composi­tions can be influenced.

Impendanz Z(Z)
3

Dickenschwingungfrom
For application-specific properties, actuators can be manufactured
2
special materials, although the technical implementation has to be individually checked. www.piceramic.com
1

3

	High polarity reversal field strength(>1 kV/mm), high Curie temperature.
E kV/cm Standard material for the PICAWPower,
PICA Shear, piezo tube and DuraAct
prod­uct lines

L

PIC252	Variant of the PIC255 material with alower sintering temperature for use in
the multilayer tape process.
	Standard material for the PICMA® Stack,
PICMA ® Chip and PICMA ® Benderprod­uct lines as well as some DuraAct
prod­ucts.
PIC050	Crystalline material for linear, hysteresis-free positioning with small displacements
in an open servo loop.
3	Excellent stability, high Curie tempera1(r)ture.
Radialschwingung	Standard material for the Picoactuator®
product line.
Dickenschwingungw w w . pice r a m ic . co m

Displacement Modes of Piezoelectric Actuators
B a s i c P r i n c i pl e s of P i e zo e l e ct r i c i ty

P
P

E
E

+VF
V
-VF

P
P

E
E

bend

VF+
V
VF-

Examples of longitudinal stack actuators
are the multilayer
piezo actuators
PICMA® Stack, En­­
capsulated PICMA®,PICMA® Chip, as
well as the stacked
actuators PICA Stack,
PICA Power, PICA
VThru that are glued
P
E
E
GNDtogetherPfrom
indi­vidual plates, andthe crystalline
Picoactuator®.

V
GND

Longitudinal Stack Actuators
In longitudinal piezo actuators, the electricfield in the ceramic layer is applied parallel tothe direction of polarization. This induces an
expansion or displacement in the direction ofpolarization. Individual layers provide relatively low displacements. In order to achieve technically useful displacement values, stack actuators are constructed, where many individual
layers are mechanically connected in series
and electrically connected in parallel (fig. 5).

30 N/mm2 in relation to the cross-sectional areaof the actuator. Values of up to several 10 000
Newton can thus be achieved in the actuator.

P

E

ΔLlong	Longitudinal

displacement [m]d33(GS)	Longitudinalpiezoelectric largeLongitudinal stack actuators are excellently
signal deformation
suited for highly dynamic operation due to +VFPE
coefficient[m/V]V
their high resonant frequencies. A mechani­n	
NumberofstackedP
E-V
cal preloading of the actuator suppresses F
ceramic layers
dy­namically induced tensile forces in brittle
V	Operating
voltage [V]ceramic material, allowing response times in
the microsecond range and a high mechanicalperformance.

long

Longitudinal stack actuators are highly effi­
cient in converting electrical to mechanicalenergy. They achieve nominal displacements ofaround 0.1 to 0.15% of the actuator length. The
nominal blocking forces are on the order of

In addition to the expansion in the direction of polarization, which is utilized withlongitudinal actuators, a contraction
always occurs in the piezo actuator thatis orthogonal to its polarization when it isoperated with an electric field parallel tothe direction of polarization.

V
GND

P

E
V

P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P

E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E

GND

P
+V

Fig. 5∆Llong = n d33(GS) V(Equation 1)

This so-called transversal piezoelectriceffect is used by contracting actuators,
tube actuators, or bending actuators.

41

piezo technology

P

P
P
P
P

Furthermore, shear stresses cannot be compensated by a mechanical preload. Both, limit
the practical stacking height of shear stacks.

A typical application
for shear actuators
are drive elements
for so-called stickslip motors.

Shear actuators combined with longitudinal
actuators yield very compact XYZ stacks withhigh resonant frequencies.

L trans

Shear actuators
V
P
E
from GNDPI Ceramicareoffered as productlines PICA LShear und
Picoactuator®.

Picoactuator® Technology

trans

Shear Actuators
E

P
P
P
P

V

In piezoelectric shear actuators, the electricfield in theGNDceramic layer is applied orthogonally to the direction of polarization and thedisplacement in the direction of polarization
is utilized. The displacements of the individual
layers add up in stacked actuators here as well
(fig. 6).

E
E
E
E

shear

E
E
E
E

GND

V
GND

P

P

V

E

shear

V

E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E

P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P

Picoactuator® longitudinal and shear actuators are made of the crystalline piezoelectricmaterial PIC 050. The specific displacement is±0.02% (shear actuators) or ±0.01% (longitudinal piezo actuators) of the actuator length andis thus 10 times lower than for classic piezo
actuators made of lead zirconate - lead titanate(PZT). The displacement here is highly linearwith a deviation of only 0.2%.

E

E
ThePP shear
deformation coefficients d 15 are
E
P
E
GND
normally
the largest
piezoelectric coefficients.
P
E
P
E
When
P
E controlled with nominal voltages,
E
PICP ceramics
achieve d15(GS) values of up to2000 pm/V. The permissible controlling fieldstrength is limited in order to prevent a reversal of the vertically oriented polarization.

GND

When lateral forces act on the actuator, theshear motion is additionally superimposed bya bending. The same effect occurs in dynamic
operation near the resonant frequency.
radialFig. 6∆Lshear = n d15(GS) V

axial

ateralFig. 7
Measured nonlinearity of a Picoactuator®

E
P(Equation 2)
radial

axial

GND

V

E
P
P

V

GND

E
GND

V

GND

42

w w w . pice r a m ic . co m

Tube Actuators
Tube actuators are radially polarized. The electrodes are applied on the outer surfaces, sothat the field parallel to the polarization also
runs in a radial direction. Tube actuators use
the transversal piezoelectric effect to gener­
ate displacements. Axial displacements orchanges in length (fig. 8), lateral motions suchas changes in the radius (fig. 9), as well as
bending (fig. 10) are possible.
In order to cause a tube to bend, the outerelectrode is segmented into several sections.
When the respectively opposite electrodes are
driven, the tube bends in a lateral direction.

Axial displacement

ΔLshear	Shear

ΔLaxial = d31(GS) l Vtd15(GS)	Piezoelectric large-

displacement [m]signal shear deformation coefficient[m/V](Equation 3)

Undesirable tilting or axial motions that occur
during this process can be prevented by more
complex electrode arrangements. For exam­
ple, an Veight-electrodearrangement creates a
P
E
V
P
E
counterV bending
and overall achieves a lateraldisplacement without tilting.

stacked ceramicVlayersP

V	Operating

F-

PI Ceramic offers precision tube actuators in
the piezo+V tube product line.
F

V
-VF

P
P

E
E

voltage [V]ΔLaxial	Axial tube dis-placement [m]Fig. 8 V

PP

GND

ΔLradial	Radial tube dis-

E
E

P
P
P

ΔLlateral	Lateral tube displacement [m]d31(GS)	Transversal piezo­

The following estimation
applies for large radii:
V
GND

P

∆Lradial ≈ d31(GS)Further application examples are microdosing in the construction of nanoliter
pumps or in inkjet printers.

E
ID
+t

   2t

V
-VF

V

l
V Tube length [m]P
E
GNDID	Internal tube dia-V

meter [m]

P

E

P

E

ness (=(OD-ID)/2)[m]
For all equations, ID >> t.
All tube dimensions, seedata sheet

Bending actuators,
XY scanning tubes∆Llateral = 0.9 d31(GS)axiallaterall2(ID + t)tV

(Equation 5)
V
GND

P

E
V

P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P

E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E

P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P

t	Tube wall thick-Fig. 9

long

shear

electric largesignal deformation
coefficient [m/V](Equation 4)
+VF

E
E
E
E

placement[m] PVRadial displacement(radius change)

Tube actuators are often used in scanningprobe microscopes to provide dynamic
scanning motions in open-loop operation,
and as fiber stretchers.

E

GND

bend

F+

n	Number of

GND

GND

P
+V

P
GND

-V

P

V

GND

E

Fig. 10

piezo technology

43

E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E

ΔLtrans	Transversal displacement [m]d31(GS)	Transversal

piezoelectric largesignal deformation
coefficient [m/V]l	Length of the piezo
ceramic in the
direction of displacement [m]h	Height of aceramic layer [m]n	Number ofstacked ceramiclayersV	Operating
voltage [V]ΔLbend	Bending
displacement [m]lf	Free bender
length [m]hp	Height piezo­
ceramic element
[m]
lf
P
P

hP

E
E

Rh	Ratio of theheights of the substrate (hs) andpiezoceramic element (hp) in acomposite bender(Rh=hs/hp)
RE	Ratio of the elasti­
city modulus of
the substrate (Es)and the piezo­
ceramic element(Ep) in in a com­posite bender(RE=Es/Ep)VF 	Fixed voltage forV
GNDbender actuator
control [V] (V andE
VF canP be superPE
imposed with anoffset voltage)

Contracting Actuators
Typically, piezo contracting actuators are lowprofile components. Their displacement occurs
perpendicularly to the polarization direction
and to the electric field. The displacement ofcontracting actuators is based on the transversal piezoelectric effect whereby up to approx.
20 µm is nominally achieved.
Multilayer elements offer decisive advantages
over single-layer piezo elements in regard totechnical realization: Due to the larger crosssectional area, they generate higher forces andcan be operated with a lower voltage (fig. 11).

As a result of the contraction, tensile stresses
occur that can cause damage to the brittle
piezo ceramic. A preload is therefore recommended.
For the patch actuators of the DuraAct productgroup, a piezo contractor is laminated into apolymer. This creates a mechanical preloadthat protects the ceramic against breakage.
Multilayer contracting actuators can be re­­quested as special versions of the PICMA ®
Bender product line.
L trans

V
GND

P

E

P
P
P
P

E
E
E
E

Fig. 11

ΔLtrans = d31 (GS) l V (Equation 6)
h
		

V
GND

P

L trans

V

E

GND

shear

V
GND

P

E
V

P
P
P
P

E
E
E
E

GND

V
GND

P

44
shear

+VF
V
-VF

P

E

P

E

w w w . piceP r aEm ic . co m
P

E

E

V

P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P

E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E

GND

/ : ,' 




/ 







/)



2' 

: 








7+ 

7+ 

7+ 

/)change in length into a large bending displacement vertical to the contraction. Depending on
the geometry, translation factors of 30 to 40
are attainable, although at the cost of the conversion efficiency and the force generation.
With piezoelectric bending actuators, displacements of up to several millimeters can beachieved with response times in the millisec­
ond range. The blocking forces, however, arerelatively low. They are typically in the rangeof millinewtons to a few newtons.

Attached to a substrate, contracting actuators
act as bending actuators (fig. 12). For the construction of all-ceramic benders, two active
piezo­ceramic elements are joined and electrically controlled. If a passive substrate made ofmetal or ceramic material, for example, is used,
one speaks of composite benders. The piezo­
ceramic elements can be designed as individual
layers or as multilayer elements.
Piezoelectric bending actuators function
accord­ing to the principle of thermostatic
bimetals. When a flat piezo contracting actuatoris coupled to a substrate, the driving andVF+P
E the ceramic creates a bending
contractionofV
P
E
VFmoment
that converts the small transversal

P
P

E
E

bend

VF+
V
VF-

Fig. 17
By selecting a two-sided
re­straint with a rotatable
mounting (bottom) instead ofa single-sided fixed restraint(top), the ratio of the displacement and the force of thebender can be changed. The
displacement is reduced
by a factor of four while theblocking force is increased
by a factor of four. Especiallyhigh forces can be attained
when using flat bending
plates or disks with a restraint
on two sides instead of stripshaped benders

bend

Bending Actuators

Fig. 12: Displacement of bending actuators

All-ceramic bending actuator for parallel circuiting

+VF
V
-VF

P
P

ΔLbend =

E
E

E
E

trans

lf
3
n d V2 V (Equation 7)
P
E
V
8
hp
P
E
2

GND

Fig. 13

ΔLbend =
V

P
P

GND

V
V
GND
GND

E
E
E
E

Fig. 14

Two-layer composite bender with one-sided
displacement
V
GND

P

V
V
GND
GND

lf 2
3
V (Equation 8)
n d31(GS)
8
hp2

P
E P
E
GND
(Operation against
the polarization
direction
only
P
E
V
P
Estrength, p. 49 ff.)
possible with reduced voltage
or
field
P
E
P
P
P
P
P
P

V
V

P E
E
E
E
E
E

E

+VF
V
-VF

2RhRE (1+Rh)
3
l2
ΔLbend = n d31(GS) f 2
V(1+R)2+0.25(1-Rh2RE)28
hp RhRE
h
shear

+VF

E
E

Fig. 15

P

P
P

E
E

E

P
PP
P
P

E
EE
E
E

V
V
V

E
E

P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P

P
P
PE
E
V
PE
E
PE
E
E
PE
E
PE
E
PE
E
E
E
E

1+Rh
3
l2
V
ΔLbend = n d31(GS) f 2
8
hp 1+1.5Rh+0.75Rh2+0.125RERh3
Fig. 16(Equation 10)

E
E
P
E
P
E
P
E
P
E
E
Fig.
18
E

+VF

V
-VF

E
E
E
E

axial

axial
axial

long

VF+
VF-

45
radialV

E

P

The products of the PICMA®
Bender line are all-ceramicbending actuators with two
piezoceramic elements thateach consist of several
lateral active
layers (multilayer actuators)

radialradialpiezo technology
P
E

E

P

V
GND

GND
GND

Equations according to Pfeifer, G.: Piezoelektrische lineare Stellantriebe. Scientific journal series of Chemnitz
University of Technology 6/1982
laterallaterallateral

P

GND

long

P

E

(Equation 9) V®
Bender
Application DuraAct, PICMA
P
E
-VF
V
(customized versions)
P
E

GND
V
P
V
GND
P
GND
Symmetrical three-layer composite bender for parallel circuiting

+VF
+VF
V +V
VF
-VF V
-VF
-VF

E
E

shear
shear

E
P
P

P
P

E

V

E
E
P
P
P
P

trans
trans

P

GND

V
V
GND
GND

All-ceramic bending actuator for serial circuiting

PI Ceramicoffers allLV
ceramic multilayer
P
E
P
E
GND
bending
actuators
LLwith very low piezo
voltages in the
PICMA® Bender
product line. Composite benders canV
Pas Ebe manufactured
GND
special versions, in
multilayer as wellasGND
in single-layerver­
GND sions or as a
GND
drive element with
DuraAct actuators.
∆Lbend

+VF
V
-VF

P
P

P
P
P
P

E
E
E
E

E
E

E

Manufacturing of Piezo Actuators
B a s i c P r i n c i pl e s of P i e zo e l e ct r i c i ty

Multilayer Tape Technology
Processing of thepiezo ceramic powder
Slurry preparation
Tape casting
Screen printing of the innerelectrodes
Stacking, laminating
Isostatic pressing
Cutting andgreen shaping
Debindering andsintering (cofiring)
Grinding, lapping
Application of thetermination electrodes

Multilayer Tape Technology
The technologies for manufacturing piezo
actuators decisively contribute to their function, quality and efficiency. PI Ceramic is proficient in a wide range of technologies, frommultilayer tape technology for PICMA® stackand bending actuators, through glued stackactuators for longitudinal and shear displacements, up to the construction of crystalline
Picoactuator ® actuators, the DuraAct patch
transducers and piezoceramic tubes.
PI Ceramic multilayer actuators, PICMA® forshort, are manufactured in large batches withtape technology. First, the inner electrode pattern is printed on thin PZT tapes while stillunsintered and these are then laminated intoa multilayer compound. In the subsequent
cofiring process, the ceramic and the innerelectrodes are sintered together. The finishedmonolithic multilayer piezo element has nopolymer content anymore.

The inner electrodes of all PICMA® actuators
are ceramically insulated (fig. 19). PICMA® Stackactuators use a patented structure for this purpose, in which a thin ceramic insulation tapecovers the electrodes without significantly limit­
ing the displacement.
The more fine-grained the ceramic material
used, the thinner the multiple layers that canbe produced. In PICMA® Stack actuators, theheight of the active layers is 60 µm and in
PICMA® Bender actuators around 20 to 30 µm,
so that the benders can be operated with avery low nominal voltage of only 60 V.

Hermetically encapsulated PICMA® were developed for
applications in extremely high humidity and in roughindustrial environments. They are equipped with corrosion-resistant stainless-steel bellows, inert gas filling,
glass feedthroughs and laser welding

Polarization
In the past years, the technologies for processing
actuators in an unsintered state have been continuous­
ly developed. For this reason, round geometries or
PICMA® actuators with an inner hole can also be
manufactured

Assembly
Final inspection

Ceramic
insulation
layer

E
0

46

100µm

Fig. 19
In PICMA® stack actuators,
a ceramic insulation tapecovers the inner electrodes

PICMA® multilayer actuators are produced in different shapes. Depending on the application, they can also be
assembled with adapted ceramic or metal end pieces, additional coating, temperature sensors, etc.

w w w . pice r a m ic . co m

Pressing Technology
PICA stack actuators such as PICA Stack,Thru or Shear consist of thin piezoceramic
plates with a standard layer thickness of
0.5 mm. For manufacturing, piezoceramiccylinders or blocks are shaped with press­
ing technology, sintered and then separated into plates with diamond wafer saws.
Metal electrodes are attached with thin or thickfilm methods depending on the material, andthe ceramic is then polarized.
Stack actuators are created by gluing theplates together whereby a thin metal contact
plate is placed between each two ceramic
plates in order to contact the attached electrodes. The contact plates are connected witheach other in a soldering step, and the finishedstack is then covered with a protective polymer
layer and possibly an additional shrink tubing.

Picoactuator® piezo actuators consist of crys­talline layers with a thickness of 0.38 mm.
In contrast to ceramic, the orientation of the
spontaneous polarization is not determined bya ferroelectric polarization but by the cutt­ing
direction in the monocrystal. All other process­ing and mounting steps are similar to those forstacked PICA actuators.

Pressing Technology
Processing of thepiezo ceramic powder
Mixing the raw materials
Calcination, presintering
Milling

Completely assembled stackactuators with a metal endpieceand SGS expansion sensor (left),with stranded wires, temperature
sensor and transparent FEP shrink
tubing (right)

Spray drying
Pressing and shaping
Debindering and sintering
Lapping, grinding,
diamond slicing
Application of electrodes byscreen printing or sputtering
Polarization
Mounting andassembling technology:
Gluing, poss. ultrasonicdrilling for inner hole,soldering, coating
Final inspection

The final processing of the piezoceramic plates manufactured with pressing technology is adapted to their futureuse. The figure shows different piezo actuator modules

piezo technology

47

DuraAct Patch Actuators and Transducers
DuraAct patch actuators use piezoceramic contracting plates as their base product. Depend­ing on the piezoceramic thickness, these plates
are manufactured with pressing technology(>0.2 mm) or tape technology (0.05 to 0.2 mm).
The plates are connected to form a compo­siteusing conductive fabric layers, positioning
tapes, and polyimide cover tapes.
The lamination process is done in an autoclave
in a vacuum, using an injection method. This
results in completely bubble-free laminates of
the highest quality.

Structured electrodes allow specific driving of tube actuators

Piezo Tube Actuators
Piezo tube actuators are manufactured frompiezoceramic cylinders that were previously
produced with the pressing technology. The
outer diameter and the parallelism of the endsurface are precisely set through centerless circular grinding and surface grinding. The innerhole is drilled with an ultrasonic method.

The curing temperature profile of the autoclave
is selected so that a defined internal preload of
the piezoceramic plates will result due to thedifferent thermal expansion coefficients of thematerials involved.
The result of this patented technology arerobust, bendable transducer elements that canbe manufactured in large batches.

The metalization then is done with thin- or
thick-layer electrodes, possibly accompaniedby structuring of the electrodes with a laser
ablation method.
In addition to the described procedure for
manufacturing precision tubes with very
narrow geometric tolerances, the more costefficient extrusion method is also available forsmall diameters.

Different shapes of DuraAct actuators with ceramic
plates in pressing and multilayer technology

Laminated ceramic layers in a DuraActtransducer arrangement (array)48

w w w . pice r a m ic . co m

Properties of Piezoelectric Actuators
D i s pl a c e m e n t B e h a v i o rPSIn the PI andPI Ceramic data
sheets, the free­displacements of
the actuators are
given at nominal
voltage.

Prem

unipolarsemi-bipolar
unipolarbipolarsemi-bipolar
bipolar

Srem

-Ec

Ec

E

Piezoelectric Deformation Coefficient(Piezo Modulus)
Ec

E

a)

b)

Fig. 20: Displacement of ferroelectric piezo ceramics with different control amplitudes parallel to thedirection of polarization direction. Large-signal curves as a function of the electrical field strength Ea) electromechanical behavior of the longitudinal strain S, b) dielectric behavior of the polarization P

Nonlinearity
The voltage-dependent displacement curvesof piezo actuators have a strongly nonlinear
course that is subject to hysteresis due to the
extrinsic domain contributions. It is therefore
S

ΔS

E
ΔE

d(GS) = ∆S
∆E

(Equation 11)

Fig. 21: Unipolar and semi-bipolar electromechanicalcurves of ferroelectric piezo ceramics and definition of
the piezoelectric large-signal deformation coefficientd(GS) as the slope between the switchover points of apartial hysteresis curve

not possible to interpolate linearly from thenominal displacement to intermediate positions with a particular driving voltage. The
electromechanical and dielectric large-signal
curves of piezo ceramics illustrate the characteristics (fig. 20). The origin of each graph isdefined by the respective thermally depola­
rized condition.

The gradient ΔS/ΔE
between the two
switchover pointsof the nonlinear
hysteresis curves isdefined as thepiezoelectric largesignal deformation
coefficients d(GS) (fig.
21). As the progressive course of thecurves shows, thesecoefficients normallyincrease along withthe field amplitude(fig. 22).

The shape of both bipolar large-signal curves
is determined by the ferroelectric polar­
ity reversal process when the coercive fieldstrength EC is achieved in the opposing field.
The dielectric curve shows the very large
polari­z ation changes at these switchover
points. At the same time, the contractionof the ceramic after reversing the polarity turns into an expansion again, since thepolarization and the field strength have thesame orientation once more. This prop­
erty gives the electromechanical curve its
characteristic butterfly shape. Without theelectric field, the remnant polarizations
Prem /-Prem and the remnant strain Srem remain.
Piezo actuators are usually driven unipolarly.
A semi-bipolar operation increases the strain
amplitude while causing a stronger nonlinea­
rity and hysteresis which result from theincreasing extrinsic domain portions of thedisplacement signal (fig. 21).
49

piezo technology

If the values from fig. 22 are entered into
the equations 3 to 10 (p. 43 – 45), theattainable displacement at a particularpiezo voltage can be estimated. The fieldstrength can be calculated from the layer heights of the specific component andthe drive voltage VPP. The layer thickness of
the PI Ceramic standard products can befound starting on p. 46.

d15 PIC155 bipolar
d15 PIC255 bipolar
d33 PIC153 unipolar
d33 PIC151 unipolar

1500

d33 PIC255 unipolar
d33 PIC252 unipolar-d31 PIC252 unipolar
1000

500

0
0,0

0,5

1,0

1,5

2,0

2,5

EPP [kV/mm]

Fig. 22: Piezoelectric large-signal deformation coeffi­
cients d(GS) for different materials and control modes
at room temperature and with quasistatic control.
With very small field amplitudes, the values of thecoefficients match the material constants on p. 40

Hdisp

The free displacement of the componentsthat can actually be attained depends onfurther factors such as the mechanicalpreload, the temperature, the control frequency, the dimensions, and the amountof passive material.

d(GS) [pm/V]

Estimation of the Expected Displacement

2000

40%

d15 PIC155 bipolar
35%

ΔL

d15 PIC255 bipolar
d33 PIC151 unipolar30%

d33 PIC252/255 unipolar
d33 PIC153 unipolar

25%
20%
15%

Max Diff ΔL

ΔLmax
10%
5%
0%

U

0,0

0,5

1,0

1,5

2,0

2,5

EPP [kV/mm]

50

Fig. 23: The hysteresis value Hdisp is defined as the ratio
between the maximum opening of the curve and the
maximum displacement

Fig. 24: Displacement hysteresis Hdisp of various actuator materials in open-loop, voltage-controlled operation
for different drive modes at room temperature and withquasistatic control

Hysteresis

Especially high values result for shear actuators or with bipolar control. The reason forthese values is the increasing involvementof extrinsic polarity reversal processes in theoverall signal.

In open-loop, voltage-controlled operation, thedisplacement curves of piezo actuators show
a strong hysteresis (fig. 24) that usually rises
with an increasing voltage or field strength.

w w w . pice r a m ic . co m

Fig. 25: Displacement of a piezo actuator when driven
with a sudden voltage change (step function). The creep
causes approx. 1% of the displacement change perlogarithmic decadeFig. 26: Elimination of hysteresis and creep in a piezo
actuator through position control

Creep

Position Control

Creep describes the change in the displacement over time with an unchanged drive volt­
age. The creep speed decreases logarithmicallyover time. The same material properties thatare responsible for the hysteresis also cause
the creep behavior:

Hysteresis and creep of piezo actuators can beeliminated the most effectively through position control in a closed servo loop. To build
position-controlled systems, the PI Ceramicpiezo actuators of the PICA Stack and PICA
Power product line can be optionally offeredwith applied strain gauges.

ΔL(t) ≈ ΔLt = 0.1s 1 + γ lg ( t
)
			
0.1s
		

In applications with a purely dynamic control,
the hysteresis can be effectively reduced tovalues of 1 to 2% even with open-loop control
by using a charge-control amplifier (p. 67).

(Equation 12)tTime [s]ΔL(t)	Displacement as a function of time [m]ΔLt=0.1s 	Displacement at 0.1 seconds after theend of the voltage change [m]γ	Creep factor, depends on the material
prop­erties (approx. 0.01 to 0.02, corres­
ponds to 1% to 2% per decade)51

piezo technology

Temperature-Dependent Behavior
P r op e r t i e s of P i e zo e l e ct r i c Act u a to r s

S

S

Srem

S

Srem

Srem
Ec

E

Ec

E

Ec

E

Fig. 27: Bipolar electromechanical large-signal curve of piezo actuators at different
temperatures. From left: behavior at low temperatures, at room temperature, at hightemperatures

Relative displacement

Below the Curie temperature, the temperaturedependence of the remnant strain andthe coercive field strength is decisive for thetemperature behavior. Both the attainabledisplacement with electric operation andthe dimensions of the piezoceramic elementchange depending on the temperature.

100%
unipolar 0 ... 120 V
80%

60%

The cooler the piezo actuator, the greater theremnant strain S rem and the coercive fieldstrength E rem (fig. 27). The curves become
increas­ingly flatter with decreasing tempera­
tures. This causes the strain induced by aunipolar control to become smaller andsmaller even though the total amplitude of
the bi­polar strain curve hardly changes overwide tem­perature ranges. The lower the temperature, the greater the remnant strain. All inall, the piezo ceramic has a negative thermal
expansion coefficient, i.e., the piezo ceramic
becomes longer when it cools down. In comparison: A technical ceramic contracts with a relatively low thermal expansion coefficient uponcool­ing. This surprising effect is stronger, themore completely the piezo ceramic is polarized.

bipolar -120 ... 120 V

Displacement as a
Function of the Temperature

40%

20%

0%

1

10

100

1000
Temperature [K]Fig. 28: Relative decrease in the displacement using theexample of a PICMA® Stack actuator in the cryogenic
temperature range with different piezo voltages inrelation to nominal displacement at room temperature

How much a key parameter of the piezo actuator changes with the temperature depends
on the distance from the Curie temperature.
PICMA® actuators have a relatively high Curie
temperature of 350°C. At high operating temperatures, their displacement only changes by
the factor of 0.05%/K.

52w w w . pice r a m ic . co m

At cryogenic temperatures, the displacement
decreases. When driven unipolarly in theliquid-helium temperature range, piezo actuators only achieve 10 to 15% of the displacement at room temperature. Considerably higher displacements at lower temperatures can beachieved with a bipolar drive. Since the coercive field strength increases with cooling (fig.
27), it is possible to operate the actuator withhigher voltages, even against its polarization
direction.

Temperature Operating Range
The standard temperature operating range ofglued actuators is -20 to 85°C. Selecting piezo
ceramics with high Curie temperatures andsuitable adhesives can increase this range.
Most PICMA® multilayer products are specified
for the extended range of -40 to 150°C. With
special solders, the temperature range can beincreased so that special models of PICMA®
actuators can be used between ‑271°C and
200°C i.e. over a range of almost 500 K.

The temperature expansion coefficient of an
all-ceramic PICMA® Stack actuator is approximately -2.5 ppm/K. In contrast, the additional
metal contact plates as well as the adhesive
layers in a PICA Stack actuator lead to a nonlinear characteristic with a positive total coefficient (fig. 29).
If a nanopositioning system is operated in aclosed servo loop, this will eliminate temperature drift in addition to the nonlinearity, hysteresis, and creep. The control reserve to be kept
for this purpose, however, reduces the usabledisplacement.
For this reason, the temperature drift is often
passively compensated for by a suitable selection of the involved materials, the actuatortypes, and the system design. For example, allceramic PICMA® Bender actuators show only aminimal temperature drift in the displacement
direction due to their symmetrical structure.

Thermal strain [%]Dimension as a Function of the Temperature

0.08

0.06

0.04

0.02
PICMA® Stack
0
PICA Stack / PICA Power-0.02
E = 1 kV/mm
no preload-0.04
Measuring sequence
-0.06
-100

-80

-60

-40

-20

0

20

40

60

80

100
Temp. [°C]Fig. 29: Temperature expansion behavior of PICMA® andPICA actuators with electric large-signal control

53

piezo technology

Forces and Stiffnesses
P r op e r t i e s of P i e zo e l e ct r i c Act u a to r s

E* 	Effective elasticity
module:Linear increaseof a stress-strain
curve of a sample
body or actuator
made of the corresponding piezoceramic material(fig. 30)
A	Actuator crosssectional arealActuator length
Actuator stiffnesskA
ΔL0
Nominal displacement
Blocking force
Fmax
kL
Load stiffness
Feff
Effective force

Preload and Load Capacity
The tensile strengths of brittle piezoceramicand single-crystal actuators are relatively low,with values in the range of 5 to 10 MPa. It isthere­­­fore recommended to mechanically preload the actuators in the installation. The preload should be selected as low as possible.
According to experience, 15 MPa is sufficient
to compensate for dynamic forces (p. 58); inthe case of a constant load, 30 MPa should not
be exceeded.
Lateral forces primarily cause shearing stress­
es in short actuators. In longer actuators witha larger aspect ratio, bending stresses arealso generated. The sum of both loads yield
the maximum lateral load capacities that are
given for the PICA shear actuators in the data
sheet. However, it is normally recommended
to protect the actuators against lateral forcesby using guidings.

Bending actuators, however, have stiffness­
es of a few Newtons per millimeter, lower by
several orders of magnitude. In addition to thegeometry, the actuator stiffness also depends
on the effective elasticity module E*. Becauseof the mechanical depolarization processes,
the shape of the stress-strain curves (fig. 30)
is similarly nonlinear and subject to hysteresis
as are the electromechanical curves (fig. 21).
In addition, the shape of the curve depends on
the respective electrical control conditions, thedrive frequency, and the mechanical preload
so that values in a range from 25 to 60 GPa canbe measured. As a consequence, it is difficult
to define a generally valid stiffness value.
S

ΔT
T
l

gna
l si

al

na

l

sm

la

rg
e

sig

StiffnessΔS

The actuator stiffness kA is an important param­
eter for calculating force generation, resonant
frequency, and system behavior. Piezoceramic
stack actuators are characterized by very highstiffness values of up to several hundred newtons per micrometer. The following equation isused for calculation:kA Stack = E* A (Equation 13)lFig. 30: Stress-strain curve of a piezoceramic stackactuator when driven with a high field strength, inorder to prevent mechanical depolarizations. The linear
increase ΔT/ΔS defines the effective large-signal
elasticity module E*(GS). Small-signal values of theelasticity modules are always greater than large-signal
valuesLimitations of the Preload
The actuator begins to mechanically depolarize at only a few tens of MPa. A large-signal
control repolarizes the actuator; on the one hand, this causes the induced displacement toincrease but on the other hand, the effective capacity and loss values increase as well, which
is detrimental to the lifetime of the component.

54

A pressure preload also partially generates tensile stress (p. 68). For this reason, when very
high preloads are used, the tensile strength can locally be exceeded, resulting in a possible
reduction of lifetime or damage to the actuator. The amount of the possible preload is notdetermined by the strength of the ceramic material. Piezo actuators attain compressive
strengths of more than 250 MPa.

w w w . pice r a m ic . co m

V
0
10
V

V

If the piezo actuator works against a springforce, its induced displacement decreases
because a counterforce builds up when thespring compresses. In most applications ofpiezo actuators, the effective stiffness of theload kL is considerably lower than the stiffness
kA of the actuator. The resulting displacement
ΔL is thus closer to the nominal displacement
ΔL0:
kA
kA + kL

60
Fmax

Displacement without Preload,
Load with Low Stiffness∆L ≈ ∆L0

V

The nominal displacement ΔL0 is specified in
the technical data of an actuator. To determine
this value, the actuator is operated freely, i.e.
without a spring preload, so that no force has
to be produced during displacement. After thecorresponding voltage has been applied, thedisplacement is measured.

It corresponds to the inverted slope of the curve.
The actuator makes it possible to attain any
displacement/force point on and below thenominal voltage curve, with a corresponding
load and drive.

80

Nominal Displacement(Equation 14)

V

The generation of force or displacement in
the piezo actuator can best be understoodfrom the working graph (fig. 32). Each curveis determined by two values, the nominal displacement and the blocking force.

kA = Fmax
∆L0

ΔL0

V

Force Generation and Displacement

The actuator stiffness kA can be taken from theworking graph (fig. 32):

20

The actuator design has a much stronger influence on the total stiffness, e.g. spherical end
piece with a relatively flexible point contact tothe opposite face.

Δl40

The adhesive layers in the PICA actuators only
reduce the stiffness slightly. By using opti­
mized technologies, the adhesive gaps are only
a few micrometers high so that the large-signal
stiffness is only approx. 10 to 20% lower thanthat of multilayer actuators without adhesive
layers.

Typical Load Cases

012

For specifying piezo actuators, the quasistat­ic large-signal stiffness is determined withsimultaneous control with a high field strength
or voltage and low mechanical preload. As aresult, an unfavorable operating case is considered, i.e. the actual actuator stiffness in an
application is often higher.

Fig. 32: Working graph of a
PICMA® stack actuator withunipolar operation at different
voltage levels(Equation 15)

The displacement/force curve in fig. 31 on theright is called the working curve of the actuator/spring system. The slope of the working
curve Feff /ΔL corresponds to the load stiffnesskL.

ΔlBlocking Force

Δl

ΔL0

The blocking force F max is the maximum
force produced by the actuator. This force isachieved when the displacement of the actuator is completely blocked, i.e. it works against
a load with an infinitely high stiffness.

A
ΔL

V0

ΔL
B
kL

kL

F

V

Since such a stiffness does not exist in reality,
the blocking force is measured as follows: Thelactuator length before operation is recorded.
The actuator is displaced without a load to thenominal displacement and then pushed backto the initial position with an increasing external force. The force required for this purpose
amounts to the blocking force.

F

V0

kA

O

A

0V

Feff

Fmax

kA

B

Fig. 31: Load case with low
spring stiffness without preload:
Drawing, displacement/voltage
graph, working graph withworking curve

piezo technology

55

Δl

Force Generation Without Preload, Load withHigh Stiffness

Δl

ΔL0

ΔL0

When large forces are to be generated, theload stiffness kL must be greater than that of
the actuator kA (fig. 33):

A

kL

B

ΔL

V0

kA

A

0V

V

Feff ≈ Fmax

V0

ΔL
kL

Feff

F

Fmax

Fig. 33: The actuator works without a preload against aload with a high stiffness. From left: Drawing, displacement/voltage graph, working graph with working curvekA(Equation 16)

The careful introduction of force is especially
important in this load case, since large me­­chani­cal loads arise in the actuator. In order toachieve long lifetime, it is imperative to avoid
local pull forces (p. 54).
Nonlinear Load Without Preload, Opening
and Closing of a Valve

B

Δl

Δl

ΔL0

ΔL0
A

ΔL

V0

ΔL
B

V0

0V

V

Feff

Fmax

F

If a mass is applied to the actuator, the weightforce FV causes a compression of the actuator.
The zero position at the beginning of the subsequent drive signal shifts along the stiffness
curve of the actuator. No additional force
occurs during the subsequent drive signal
change so that the working curve approximately corresponds to the course without preload.

B
Δl

Δl

ΔL0
A

As an example of a load case in which a nonlinear working curve arises, a valve control issketched in fig. 34. The beginning of the displacement corresponds to operation without
a load. A stronger opposing force acts near
the valve closure as a result of the fluid flow.
When the valve seat is reached, the displacement is almost completely blocked so that only
the force increases.
Large Constant Load

Fig. 34: Nonlinear load without preload: Drawing,
displacement/voltage graph, working graph withworking curveA

kL

kA + kL

V0

An example of such an application is damping
the oscillations of a machine with a great mass.

ΔL’0
B
~ΔL0
m

V0

V

F

Fv
0V
F’max

F’

Fig. 35: Load case with large mass: Drawing, displacement/voltage graph, working graph with working curve
A

56

B

Example: The stiffness considerably increases when the actuator is electrically operated with a high impedance, as is thecase with charge-control amplifiers (p. 67). When a mechanical load is applied, a charge is generated that cannot flow
off due to the high impedance and therefore generates a strong opposing field which increases the stiffness.

w w w . pice r a m ic . co m

Spring PreloadΔl

If the mechanical preload is applied by a relatively soft spring inside a case, the same shift
takes place on the stiffness curve as when amass is applied (fig. 36). With a control volt­
age applied, however, the actuator generates
a small additional force and the displacement decreases somewhat in relation to thecase without load due to the preload spring(Equation 15). The stiffness of the preload
spring should therefore be at least one orderof magnitude lower than that of the actuator.
Actuator Dimensioning and Energy
Consideration
In the case of longitudinal stack actuators, theactuator length is the determining variable forthe displacement ΔL0. In the case of nominal
field strengths of 2 kV/mm, displacements of
0.10 to 0.15% of the length are achievable. The
cross-sectional area determines the blocking
force Fmax. Approximately 30 N/mm² can beachieved here.
The actuator volume is thus the determining
parameter for the attainable mechanical energy Emech=(ΔL0 Fmax)/2.
The energy amount E mech, that is converted
from electrical to mechanical energy whenan actuator is operated, corresponds to thearea underneath the curve in fig. 37. How­ever, only a fraction Eout of this total amount
can be transferred to the mechanical load. The
mechanical system is energetically optimized
when the area reaches its maximum. This caseoccurs when the load stiffness and the actuator

Δl

Δl

ΔL0

ΔL0
A
ΔL’0

KL

Fv
B

V0

V
FV

V0
F

kL

0 V F’eff

F’max

F’

Fig. 36: Load case with spring preload: Drawing,
displacement/voltage graph, working graph withworking curveAB

stiffness are equal. The light blue area in theworking graph corresponds to this amount.
A longitudinal piezo actuator can perform
approx. 2 to 5 mJ/cm³ of mechanical work anda bending actuator achieves around 10 times
lower values.
Efficiency and Energy Balance of a Piezo
Actuator System
The calculation and optimization of the total
efficiency of a piezo actuator system depends
on the efficiency of the amplifier electronics, the electromechanical conversion, themechani­cal energy transfer, and the pos­sibleenergy recovery. The majority of electricaland mechani­cal energies are basically reac­
tive energies that can be recovered minus thelosses, e.g. from heat generation. This makes
it possible to construct very efficient piezo
systems, especially for dynamic applications.

Fig. 37: Mechanical energy amounts
in the working graph of a piezo actuator with spring load: Emech convertedme­chanical energy and Eout output
mechanical energy

ΔLo

ΔL
Eout
Emech

Feff

Fmax

F

57

piezo technology

Dynamic Operation
P r op e r t i e s of P i e zo e l e ct r i c Act u a to r sThis behavior is desired especially in dynamic
applications, such as scanning microscopy,
image stabilization, valve controls, generat­
ing shockwaves, or active vibration damping.
When the control voltage suddenly increases,
a piezo actuator can reach its nominal displacement in approximately one third of the periodof its resonant frequency f0 (fig. 38).
Fig. 38: Displacement of an undamped piezo system after a voltage jump. The nominal
displacement is attained after around one third of the period lengthm	Mass of the piezo
actuator
M
Additional loadφ	Phase angle[degree]f0 	Resonant frequency without load
[Hz]f0' 	Resonant frequency with load [Hz]Fdyn 	Dynamic force [N]meff 	Effective mass ofthe piezo stackactuator [kg]meff' 	Effective mass ofthe piezo stackactuator with load[kg]
ΔL 	Displacement(peak-peak) [m]f 	Control frequency[Hz]

Resonant frequency
The resonant frequencies specified for longitudinal stack actuators apply to operation when
not clamped on both sides. In an arrangementwith unilateral clamping, the value has to be
divided in half.
The reducing influence of an additional load on
the resonant frequency can be estimated withthe following equation:
meff

√m‘

f0‘ = f0

In positioning applications, piezo actuators
are operated considerably below the resonant
frequency in order to keep the phase shift
between the control signal and the displacement low. The phase response of a piezo
system can be approximated by a second
order system:φ ≈ 2 arctan

M

m

m

meff ≈ m/3

meff' ≈ m/3 + M

Fig. 39: Calculation of theeffective masses meff and meff’of a unilaterally clamped
piezo stack actuator without
and with load

pi_120137_2xneue_illus.indd 1

58(Equation 17)

eff

f
f0

(Equation 18)

Tmin ≈

1
3f0(Equation 19)

In this case, a strong overshoot occurs which
can be partially compensated for with corresponding control technology.
Example: A unilaterally clamped piezo actuatorwith a resonant frequency of f0 = 10 kHz canreach its nominal displacement in 30 μs.
Dynamic Forces
With suitable drive electronics, piezo actuators
can generate high accelerations of several ten
thousand m/s². As a result of the inertia of possible coupled masses as well as of the actuators themselves, dynamic pull forces occur thathave to be compensated for with mechanicalpreloads (p. 54 ff).
In sinusoidal operation, the maximum forces
can be estimated as follows:
Fdyn ≈ ±4π2 meff' ΔL f 2 (Equation 20)
2
Example: The dynamic forces at 1 000 Hz,
2 μm displacement (peak-to-peak) and 1 kg
mass are approximately ±40 N.

How Fast Can a Piezo Actuator Expand?
Fast response behavior is a characteristicfeature of piezo actuators. A fast change inthe operating voltage causes a fast positionchange.

30.03.12 13:40

w w w . pice r a m ic . co mElectrical Operation
P r op e r t i e s of P i e zo e l e ct r i c Act u a to r s

At operating frequencies well below the resonant frequency, a piezo actuator behaves likea capacitor. The actuator displacement is proportional to the stored electrical charge, as afirst order estimate.
The capacitance of the actuator depends on
the area and thickness of the ceramic as well as
the material properties. In the case of actuatorsthat are constructed of several ceramic layers
electrically connected in parallel, the capacitance also depends on the number of layers.
In the actuators there are leakage current
losses in the μA range or below due to the highinternal resistance.
Electrical Capacitance Values
The actuator capacitance values indicatedin the technical data tables are small-signal
values, i.e. measured at 1 V, 1 000 Hz, 20°C,
unloaded. The capacitance of piezoceramics
changes with the voltage amplitude, the temperature and the mechanical load, to up to
200% of the unloaded, small-signal, roomtemperature value. For calculations under
1

6

TH

3

(Z)
3

5

6

2
P

5
(X)

1

4

2(Y)

C	Capacitance [F]n	Number of ceram­ic
layers in the actuator
ε33T	Permittivity =ε33 /ε0 (cf. tablep. 40) [As/Vm]
A	Actuator crosssectional area [m²]l	Actuator length [m]hL	Layer thickness in theactuator [m]I
Current [A]Q
Charge [C, As]V	Voltage on the piezo
actuator [V]tTime [s]The small-signal capacitance C of a stackactuator can be estimated as for a capacitor:
C = n ε T33 A (Equation 21)
hLWith a fixed actuator length l the following
holds true with n ≈ l/hL:
T A
C = l ε 33
(Equation 22)
hL2

Accordingly, a PICMA® stack actuator with alayer thickness of 60 µm has an approx. 70
times higher capacitance than a PICA stackactuator with the same volume and a layer
thickness of 500 µm. The electric power consumption P of both types is roughly the same
due to the relationship P ~ C V2 since the oper­
ating voltage changes proportionally to thelayer thickness.
Positioning Operation, Static and with Low
Dynamics
When electrically charged, the amount ofenergy stored in a piezo actuator is aroundE = 12 CV 2. Every change in the charge (andtherefore in displacement) is connected witha charge transport that requires the following
current I:∆L

Electrical Behavior

large-signal conditions, it is often sufficient to add
a safety factor of 70% of the small-signal capaci­tance (fig. 40).

Polarisation
axis

+
o

PI Ceramic offers various types of piezo actuators with different layer thicknesses. This
results in nominal operating voltages from60 V for PICMA ® Bender actuators to up to
1 000 V for actuators of the PICA series.

L

Operating Voltage

I = dQ = C · dV (Equation 23)
dt
dt
Slow position changes only require a low current. To hold the position, it is only necessary
to compensate for the very low leakage currents, even in the case of very high loads. The
power consumption is correspondingly low.
Even when suddenly disconnected from theelectrical source, the charged actuator will notmake a sudden move. The discharge and thus
the return to zero position will happen con­tinuously and very slowly.

(

Fig. 41: Structure and contacting of(1) a stacked piezotranslator

(2)

L
TH

P
W
O2

Fig. 40: Relative change of capacitance of a PICMA®
Stack actuator
L measured at 1 kHz unipolar sine signal.
The electrical capacitance
TH increases along with thePoperatingvoltage and temperature

Pb

59

Ti, Zr3

W

piezo technology

1(r)RadialschwingungOperation with Position Control
In closed-loop operation, the maximum safe
operating frequency is also limited by thephase and amplitude response of the system.
Rule of thumb: The higher the resonant frequency of the mechanical system, the higher
the control bandwidth can be set. The sensor
bandwidth and performance of the servo (digital or analog, filter and controller type, bandwidth) also limit the operating bandwidth ofthe positioning system.
Power Consumption of the Piezo Actuator

cooling measures may be necessary. For
these applications, PI Ceramic also offers piezo
actuators with integrated temperature sensors
to monitor the ceramic temperature.
Continuous Dynamic Operation
To be able to operate a piezo actuator at thedesired dynamics, the piezo amplifier mustmeet certain minimal requirements. To assess
these requirements, the relationship between
amplifier output current, operating voltage ofthe piezo actuator, and operating frequency
has to be considered.

In dynamic applications, the power consumption of the actuator increases linearly withthe frequency and actuator capacitance. A
compact piezo translator with a load capacity of approx. 100 N requires less than 10 Wattof reactive power with 1 000 Hz and 10 μm
stroke, whereas a high-load actuator (>10 kNload) requires several 100 Watt under the same
conditions.

Driving with Sine Functions

Heat Generation in a Piezo Element in
Dynamic Operation

Equation 26 can be used for sinusoidal single
pulses that are delivered for a short time only.
The equation yields the required peak current
for a half-wave. The amplifier must be capableof delivering this peak current at least for halfof a period. For repeated single pulses, thetime average of the peak currents must notexceed the permitted average current.

Since piezo actuators behave like capacitive
loads, their charge and discharge currents
increase with the operating frequency. The
thermal active power P generated in the actuator can be estimated as follows:P ≈ π · tanδ · ƒ · C · V 2 (Equation 24)
pp4
For actuator piezo ceramics under small-signal
conditions, the loss factor is on the order of
0.01 to 0.02. This means that up to 2% of theelectrical power flowing through the actuatoris converted into heat. In the case of largesignal conditions, this can increase to consid­
erably higher values (fig. 42). Therefore, themaximum operating frequency also depends
on the permissible operating temperature.
At high frequencies and voltage amplitudes,

The effective or average current Ia of the amplifier specified in the data sheets is the crucial
parameter for continuous operation with a sine
wave. Under the defined ambient conditions,the average current values are guaranteedwith­out a time limit.
Ia ≈ ƒ · C · Vpp (Equation 25)

Imax ≈ ƒ · π · C · Vpptan δThe average current, peakcurrent and small-signal
bandwidth for each piezo
amplifier from PI can befound in the technicaldata.
P	Power that isconverted into
heat [W]tan δ	Dielectric loss
factor (ratio ofactive power toreactive power)f	Operating
frequency [Hz]C
Actuator
capacitance [F]Vpp	Driving voltage(peak-to-peak) [V](Equation 26)

0,30
PIC255 Scher bipolar
PIC255 longitudinal bipolar

0,25

PIC151 longitudinal unipolar
PIC252/255 longitudinal unipolar

0,20

60

Fig. 42: Dielectric loss factors tan δ for differentma­terials and control modes at room temperature
and with quasistatic control. The conversion between
voltage and field strength for specific actuators is donewith the layer thicknesses that are given starting on
p. 46. The actual loss factor in the component depends
on further factors such as the mechanical preload, thetemperature, the control frequency, and the amount ofpassive material.

w w w . pice r a m ic . co m

0,15

0,10

0,05

0,00

0,0

0,5

1,0

1,5

2,0

2,5

EPP [kV/mm]

Driving with Triangular Waveform
Both the average current and the peak currentof the amplifier are relevant for driving a piezo
actuator with a symmetrical triangular waveform. The maximum operating frequency of anamplifier can be estimated as follows:1
Ia
fmax ≈·(Equation 27)
CVpp
A secondary constraint that applies here is thatthe amplifier must be capable of delivering atleast Imax = 2 Ia for the charging time, i.e. for halfof the period. If this is not feasible, an appropriately lower maximum operating frequency
should be selected. For amplifiers which cannot deliver a higher peak current or not for a
sufficient period of time, the following equa­tion should be used for calculation instead:1
Ia
f max≈·(Equation 28)
2·C
Vpp
Signal Shape and Bandwidth
In addition to estimating the power of thepiezo amplifier, assessing the small-signal
bandwidth is important with all signal shapesthat deviate from the sinusoidal shape.
The less the harmonics of the control signal
are transferred, the more the resulting shape
returns to the shape of the dominant wave, i.e.
the sinusoidal shape. The bandwidth should
therefore be at least ten-fold higher than thebasic frequency in order to prevent signal bias
resulting from the nontransferred harmonics.
In practice, the limit of usable frequency portions to which the mechanical piezo system
can respond is the mechanical resonant frequency. For this reason, the electrical control
signal does not need to include clearly higher
frequency portions.

Switching Applications, Pulse-Mode
Operation
The fastest displacement of a piezo actuator
can occur in 1/3 of the period of its resonant
frequency (p. 58). Response times in the
microsecond range and accelerations of morethan 10 000 g are feasible, but require particularly high peak current from the piezo amplifier.
This makes fast switching applications such as
injection valves, hydraulic valves, switching
relays, optical switches, and adaptive optics
possible.
For charging processes with constant current,
the minimal rise time in pulse-mode operation
can be determined using the following equation:
Vpp
t≈C·(Equation 29)
Imax

Ia	Average currentof the amplifier(source / sink) [A]Imax	Peak current of theamplifier (source /sink) [A]f	Operating frequency[Hz]fmax	Maximum operating
frequency [Hz]C	Actuator capacitance, large signal[Farad (As/V)]
Vpp	Driving voltage(peak-to-peak) [V]t 	Time to charge piezo
actuator to Vpp [s]The small-signal bandwidth, average current
and peak current for eachpiezo amplifier from PI canbe found in the technicaldata.

As before, the small-signal bandwidth of theamplifier is crucial. The rise time of the amplifier must be clearly shorter than the piezo
response time in order not to have the amplifier limit the displacement. In practice, as arule-of-thumb, the bandwidth of the amplifiershould be two- to three-fold larger than theresonant frequency.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Position
Control
A closed-loop controller always operates in thelinear range of voltages and currents. Since thepeak current is limited in time and is therefore
nonlinear, it cannot be used for a stable selection of control parameters. As a result, posi­tion control limits the bandwidth and does notallow for pulse-mode operation as described.
In switching applications, it may not be possible to attain the necessary positional stability
and linearity with position control. Linearization can be attained e.g. by means of chargecontrolled amplifiers (p. 67) or by numericalcorrection methods.

Fig. 43: PICMA® actuatorswith patented, meandershaped external electrodes for
up to 20 A charging current

61

piezo technology

Ambient Conditions
P r op e r t i e s of P i e zo e l e ct r i c Act u a to r s

In case of questions
regarding use in special environments,
please contact
info@pi.ws or
info@piceramic.com

Piezo actuators are suitable for operation invery different, sometimes extreme ambientconditions. Information on use at high tem­
peratures of up to 200°C as well as in cryo­genic environments is found starting on p. 52.
Vacuum Environment
Dielectric Stability
According to Paschen's Law, the breakdown
voltage of a gas depends on the product ofthe pressure p and the electrode gap s. Air hasvery good insulation values at atmosphericpressure and at very low pressures. The minimum breakdown voltage of 300 V corresponds
to a ps product of 1000 Pa mm. PICMA® Stackactuators with nominal voltages of consider­ably less than 300 V can therefore be operated
at any intermediate pressure. In order to prevent breakdowns, PICA piezo actuators withnominal voltages of more than 300 V, how­ever,should not be operated or only be driven atstrongly reduced voltages when air is in thepressure range of 100 to 50 000 Pa.
Outgassing
The outgassing behavior depends on thedesign and construction of the piezo actuators.
PICMA® actuators are excellently suited to use
in ultrahigh vacuums, since they are manu­
factured without polymer components and canbe baked out at up to 150°C. UHV options withminimum outgassing rates are also offered for
different PICA actuators.
Inert Gases
Piezo actuators are suitable for use in inert
gases such as helium, argon, or neon. How­ever, the pressure-dependent flashoverre­sistances of the Paschen curves must also
be observed here as well. The ceramic-insu­
lated PICMA® actuators are recommended forthis use, since their nominal voltage is below
the minimum breakdown voltages of all inert
gases. For PICA actuators with higher nominal voltages, the operating voltage should bedecreased in particular pressure ranges toreduce the flashover risk.

Magnetic Fields
Piezo actuators are excellently suited to be
used in very high magnetic fields, e.g. at cryogenic temperatures as well. PICMA® actuators
are manufactured completely without ferromagnetic materials. PICA stack actuators are
optionally available without ferromagnetic
components. Residual magnetisms in therange of a few nanotesla have been measured
for these products.
Gamma Radiation
PICMA® actuators can also be operated in highenergy, short-wave radiation, which occurs, forexample, with electron accelerators. In longterm tests, problem-free use with total dosesof 2 megagray has been proven.
Environments with High Humidity
When piezo actuators are operated in dry environments, their lifetime is always higher thanin high humidity. When the actuators are oper­
ated with high-frequency alternating voltages,
they self-heat, thus keeping the local moisturevery low.
Continuous operation at high DC voltages in adamp environment can damage piezo actuators (p. 63). This especially holds true for theactuators of the PICA series, since their active
electrodes are only protected by a polymer
coating that can be penetrated by humidity.
The actuators of the PICMA® series have an
all-ceramic insulation, which considerably
improves their lifetime in damp ambient conditions compared to polymer-coated actuators(p. 63).
Liquids
Encapsulated PICMA® or specially encased
PICA actuators are available for use in liquids.
For all other actuator types, direct contact withliquids should be avoided. Highly insulating
liquids can be exceptions to this rule. Normally, however, the compatibility of the actuatorswith these liquids must be checked in lifetime
tests.

62w w w . pice r a m ic . co m

Reliability of PICMA® Multilayer Actuators
P r op e r t i e s of P i e zo e l e ct r i c Act u a to r sLifetime when Exposed to DC Voltage
In nanopositioning applications, constantvoltages are usually applied to the piezo
actuator for extended periods of time. In the
DC oper­ating mode, the lifetime is influenced
mainly by atmospheric humidity.
If the humidity and voltage values are very
high, chemical reactions can occur and releasehydrogen molecules which then destroy theceramic composite by embrittling it.
All-Ceramic Protective Layer
The patented PICMA ® design suppresses
these reactions effectively. In contrast to coat­ing made just of polymer, the inorganic ceram­
ic protective layer (p. 46) prevents the internal
electrodes from being exposed to water mol­ecules and thus increases the lifetime by sever­al orders of magnitude (fig. 44).
Quasi-static Conditions: Accelerated Lifetime
Test
Due to their high reliability, it is virtually im­­possible to experimentally determine thelife­time of PICMA ® actuators under realapplica­tion conditions. Therefore, tests under
extreme load conditions are used to estimate
the life­time: Elevated atmospheric humidity
and simultaneously high ambient tempera­
tures and control voltages.
Fig. 44 shows the results of a test that was
conducted at a much increased atmospherichumidity of 90% RH at 100 V DC and 22°C. The
extrapolated mean lifetime (MTTF, mean time
to failure) of PICMA ® actuators amounts tomore than 400000 h (approx. 47 years) while
comparative actuators with polymer coating
have an MTTF of only approx. one monthunder these conditions.

Fig. 44: Results of an accelerated lifetime test with increased humidity (test conditions:
PICMA® Stack and polymer-coated actuators, dimensions: 5 x 5 x 18 mm³, 100 V DC, 22 °C,
90% RH)

Calculation of the Lifetime when Exposed to
DC Voltage
Elaborate investigations have been done todevelop a model for calculation of the life­timeof PICMA® Stack actuators. The following factors need to be taken into account under actual
application conditions: Ambient temperature,
relative atmospheric humidity, and applied
voltage.
The simple formula
MTTF = AU · AT · AF (Equation 30)
allows the quick estimation of the average
lifetime in hours. The factors AU as a functionof the operating voltage, AT for the ambient
temperature and AF for the relative atmos­
pheric humidity can be read from the diagram(fig. 45).

Tests under near-realistic conditions confirm oreven surpass these results.

Important:
Decreasing voltage
values are associatedwith exponential
increases of the lifetime.
The expected lifetime at
80 V DC, for example, is
10 times higher than at
100 V DC.
This calculation can also
be used to optimize a
new application withregard to lifetime as
early as in the designphase. A decrease in thedriving voltage or control of temperature andatmospheric humidity byprotective air or encapsulation of the actuatorcan be very important inthis regard.

63

piezo technology

Fig. 45: Diagram for calculat­
ing the lifetime of PICMA®
stack actuators when exposed
to DC voltage. For continuous
operation at 100 V DC and
75% atmospheric humidity(RH) and an ambient tempera­ture of 45°C, the following
values can be read from thediagram: AF=14 (humidity,
blue curve), AT=100 (tempera­ture, red curve), and AU=75(operating voltage, black
curve). The product results ina mean lifetime of 105 000 h,
more than 11 years

Lifetime in Dynamic Continuous Operation

Fig. 46: The patented PICMA®
actuator design with its
de­fined slots preventing
uncontrolled cracking due
to stretching upon dynamic
control is clearly visible

Cyclic loads with a rapidly alternating electricalfield and high control voltages (typically>50 Hz; >50 V) are common conditions forapplications such as valves or pumps. Piezo
actuators can reach extremely high cycles-tofailure under these conditions.
The most important factors affecting the lifetime of piezo actuators in this context are theelectrical voltage and the shape of the signal.
The impact of the humidity, on the other hand,is negligible because it is reduced locally by
the warming-up of the piezo ceramic.
Ready for Industrial Application:
10 10 Operating Cycles

64

Tests with very high control frequencies
demonstrate the robustness of PICMA® piezo
actuators. Preloaded PICMA® actuators withdimensions of 5 × 5 × 36 mm3 were loaded atroom temperature and compressed air coolingwith a sinusoidal signal of 120 V unipolar volt­
age at 1157 Hz, which corresponds to 108 cycles
daily. Even after more than 1010 cycles, there
was not a single failure and the actuators
showed no significant changes in displace-ment. In recent performance and lifetime tests
carried out by NASA, PICMA® actuators still
produced 96% of their original performanceafter 100 billion (1011) cycles. Therefore, they
were chosen among a number of different
piezo actuators for the science lab in the Marsrover "Curiosity". (Source: Piezoelectric multi­
layer actuator life test. IEEE Trans Ultrason
Ferro­electr Freq Control. 2011 Apr; Sherrit et al.
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Instituteof Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA)
Patented Design Reduces the MechanicalStressPICMA® actuators utilize a special patented
design. Slots on the sides effectively prevent
excessive increases of mechanical tensilestresses in the passive regions of the stackand the formation of un-controlled cracks (fig.
46) that may lead to electrical breakdowns andthus damage to the actuator. Furthermore, thepatented meander-shaped design of the external contact strips (fig. 43) ensures all internal
electrodes have a stable electrical contact evenat extreme dynamic loads.

w w w . pice r a m ic . co m

Piezo Electronics for Operating Piezo Actuators
C h a r a ct e r i s t i c B e h a v i o r of P i e zo Ampl i f i e r s

Fast step-and-settle or slow velocity with highconstancy, high positional stability and resolution as well as high dynamics – the requirements placed on piezo systems vary greatly
and need drivers and controllers with a highdegree of flexibility.
The control electronics play a key role in theperformance of piezoelectric actuators andnanopositioning systems. Ultra-low-noise,high-stability linear amplifiers are essential
for precise positioning, because piezo actuators respond to the smallest changes in thecontrol voltage with a displacement. Noiseor drifting must be avoided as much as possible. The prerequisite for the high-dynamics
displacement of the actuator is for the voltage
source to provide sufficient current to charge
the capacitance.
Power Requirements for Piezo Operation
The operating limit of an amplifier with a given
piezo actuator depends on the amplifier power,
the amplifier design and the capacitance ofthe piezo ceramics (cf. p. 60 – 61). In highdynamics applications, piezo actuators require
high charge and discharge currents. The peakcurrent is of special importance, particularly forsinusoidal operation or pulse operation. Piezo
amplifiers from PI are therefore designed sothat they can output and sink high peak currents. If an amplifier is operated with a capaci­
tive load and frequency at which it can nolonger produce the required current, the output signal will be distorted. As a result, the full
displacement can no longer be attained.
Amplifier Frequency Response Curve
The operating limits of each amplifier model
are measured with different piezo loads
depend­ing on the frequency and output voltage and are graphically displayed as amplifier
response curves to make the selection easier.
The measurements are performed after 15
minutes of continuous operation (piezo andamplifier) at room temperature. In cold condition after power up, more power can be briefly
available.

amplifier does not overheat, which could cause distor­tions of the sine wave. The amplifiercontinuously provides the output voltage evenover a long time. This amplifier response curve
cannot be used for peak values that are only
available for a short period.

Fig. 47: Amplifier frequency
response curve, determinedwith different piezo loads,
capacitance values in µF.
Control signal sine, operation
period >15 min, 20°C

The curves refer to open-loop operation; inclosed-loop operation, other factors limit the
dynamics.
Setting the Operating Voltage
After the operating limit of the amplifier has
been reached, the amplitude of the control
voltage must be reduced by the same proportion as the output voltage falls, if the frequencies continue to increase. This is importantbecause the current requirement continuously
increases along with the frequency. Otherwise,
the output signal will be distorted.
Example: The E-503 (E-663) amplifier can drivea 23 µF piezo capacitance with a voltage
swing of 100 V and a maximum frequency ofapproximately 15 Hz (with sine wave excita­tion). At higher frequencies the operating limit
decreases, e.g. to 80 V at 20 Hz. In order toobtain a distortion-free output signal at thisfrequency, the control input voltage must be
reduced to 8 V (voltage gain = 10).

The power amplifier operates linearly within
its operating limits so that the control signal
is amplified without distortion. In particular, no thermal limitation takes place, i.e. the65

piezo technology

Solutions for High-Dynamics Operation
P i e zo El e ct r o n i c s fo r O p e r a t i n g P i e zo Act u a to r s

Switching Amplifiers with Energy Recovery
Piezo actuators are often used for an especiallyprecise materials processing, for example inmechanical engineering for fine position­ing inmilling and turning machines. These require
high forces as well as dynamics. The piezo
actuators are correspondingly dimension­
ed for high forces; i.e. piezo actuators with ahigh capacity are used here. Particularly highcurrents are required to charge and discharge
them with the necessary dynamics. The controlof valves also requires similar properties.
Energy Recovery Minimizes the Energy Consumption in Continuous Operation
Since these applications frequently run aroundthe clock, seven days a week, the energy consumption of the amplifier is particularly important. For this purpose, PI offers switching
amplifier electronics with which the pulse
width of the control signal is modulated (PWM)
and the piezo voltage is thereby controlled.
This results in an especially high efficiency.
In addition, a patented circuitry for energy
recovery is integrated: this stores part of the
returning energy in a capacitive store when

Unlike conventional class D switching amplifiers, PI switching amplifiers for piezo elements
are current- and voltage-controlled. Productexamples are the E-617 for PICMA® actuatorsand E-481 for the PICA actuator series.
Protection of the Piezo Actuator throughOvertemperature Protection
In continuous operation, the heat developmentin the piezo actuator is not negligible (p. 60).
Corresponding electronics can therefore evaluate the signals of a temperature sensor on thepiezo. This protects the ceramic from overheat­ing and depolarization.
Valid patents
German patent no. 19825210C2International patent no. 1080502B1
US patent no. 6617754B1

25

80

20
Power consumption in W

Efficiency in %Fig. 48: Piezo
actuator in a casewith connections
for temperature
sensor and cool­ing aira piezo is discharged and makes the energy
available again for the next charging operation.
This permits energy savings of up to 80% to berealized. Furthermore, the amplifier does notheat up as much and thus influences the actual
application less.

60

40

20

15

10

5

0

0

20

40
60
Output power, relative to max. in %Switching amplifier

80

0

100

0

500

1000

1500

2000

Frequency in Hz

Linear amplifier

Switching amplifier
Linear amplifierFig. 49: Thanks to their patented energy recovery
system, PI amplifiers only consume approx. 20% of
the power required by a corresponding linear amplifier
with the same output power

66

Fig. 50: Power consumption of a piezo amplifier withlinear and switched-mode amplifier at the piezo output, capacitive load 1 µF. The measured values clearlyshow that the pulse width modulated amplifier allows
significantly higher dynamics than the classic linear
amplifier. The linear amplifier reaches the upper limit of
its power consumption at frequencies of up to approx.
700 Hz, the switching amplifier does not reach the limit
until far beyond 2 kHzw w w . pice r a m ic . co mLinearized Amplifiers for Piezo
Displacement Without Hysteresis
P i e zo El e ct r o n i c s fo r O p e r a t i n g P i e zo Act u a to r s

Charge Control

Charge and Displacement

A typical application for piezo actuators or
nanopositioning systems is dynamic scanning.
This involves two different methods: step-andsettle operation with precise and repeatable
position control on the one hand, and ramp
operation with especially linear piezo displacement on the other. The first method requires aclosed servo loop which ensures that positions
can be approached precisely and repeatedly
with constant step sizes.

Charge control is based on the principle thatthe displacement of piezo actuators is much
more linear when an electrical charge isapplied instead of a voltage. The hysteresis is
only 2% with electrical charges, whereas it isbetween 10 and 15% with open-loop control
voltages (fig. 51). Therefore, charge control canoften be used to reach the required precisioneven without servo loop. This enhances the
dynamics and reduces the costs. Charge control is not only of advantage as regards highly
dynamic applications but also when it comesto operation at very low frequencies. However,charge control is not suitable for applications
where positions need to be maintained for alonger period of time.

Of course, ramp operation with linear piezo
displacement is also possible using position
feedback sensors and a servo loop. However,in this case, the servo loop will determine thedynamics of the entire system which some­times significantly limits the number of cycles
per time unit. This can be avoided by means ofan alternative method of amplification: charge
control.

For dynamic
applications:
Active vibration
dampingAdaptronics
High-speed
mechanicalswitches alve control
V(e.g. pneumatics)
Dispensing

The charge-controlled E-506.10 power
amplifier offers highly linear, dynamic
control for PICMA® piezo actuators

Δl

Δl

ΔV

Q

Fig. 51: Typical expansion of piezo actuators in relation to the applied voltage (left) and the charge (right). Controlling the applied charge significantly reduces the hysteresis

67

piezo technology

E

E

IL

IL

G

G

A

A

FR

FR

Tensile Tensilestressesstresses

TensilestressesTensilestressesTensilestresses

Handling of Piezo Actuators

Piezo actuators are subject to high mechanical and electrical loads. Moreover, the brittle
ceramic or crystalline materials require carefulhandling.

Tensilestresses

Mechanical Installation (fig. 52, 53, 54) void torques and lateral forces whenA
mounting and operating the actuator byusing suitable structures or guides.
 hen the actuator is operated dynamically:W
Install the actuator so that the center ofmass of the moving system coincides withthe actuator axis, and use a guiding forvery large masses.

 void mechanical shocks to the actuator,A
which can occur if you drop the actuator,
for example.
Do not use metal tools during installation.

Fig. 52: Avoiding lateral forces
and torques

 void scratching the ceramic or polymerA
coating and the end surfaces during installation and use.

Unbenannt-2
Unbenannt-2
1
1

 stablish contact over as large an area asEpossible on the end surfaces of a stackactuator.
30.03.12 30.03.12
16:56 16:56

 revent the ceramic or polymer insulationP
TensileTensile with conductive
fromstresses coming into contact
stressesliquids (such as sweat) or metal dust.
 the actuator is operated in a vacuum:
If
Observe the information on the permis­sible
piezo voltages for specific pressure ranges(p. 62).

Fig. 53: Prevention of torques elect opposing surfaces with an evenness
Sof only a few micrometers.
GluingIf the mounting surface is not even, use
epoxy resin glue for gluing the actuators.
Cold-hardening, two-component adhesives
are well suited for reducing thermomechani­cal stresses.

If theactuator could come into contact with
30.03.12 16:56
insulating liquids such as silicone or
hydraulic oils: Contact info@piceramic.com.
If the actuator has accidently become dirty,
carefully clean the actuator with isopropanol or ethanol. Next, completely dry it in adrying cabinet.
Never use acetone
for Tensile
TensileTensilestressesTensileTensilestressesstressesstressesstressescleaning. When cleaning in an ultrasonicbath, reduce the energy input to the necessary minimum.

Fig. 54: Avoiding tensilestress­es by means of amechanical preload ecommendation: Wear gloves and protecRtive glasses during installation and startup.

 aintain the operating temperature range
M
specified for the actuator during hardening
and observe the temperature expansion
coefficients of the involved materials.
TensileUneven mounting
surfaces are found, forstresses
example, with PICMA® Bender and PICMA®
Chip actuators, since these surfaces are notground after sintering (fig. 55).

Applying a Preload (fig. 54)

DuraAct patch actuators and encapsulated
PICMA® piezo actuators have a particularlyrobust construction. They are partially exempt
from this general handling information.
30.03.12 16:56

Fig. 55: Mounting of a onesidedly clamped bending
actuator by gluing

68

Tensile Tensilestressesstresses

30.03.12 16:56

w w w . pice r a m ic . co m reate the preload either externally in theCmechanical structure or internally in a case.
 pply the preload near the axis within theAcore cross-section of the actuator.
If the actuator is dynamically operated andthe preload is created with a spring: Use aspring whose total stiffness is approximately one order of magnitude less thanthat of the actuator.

E

IL

E

E

IL

IL

G

G

A

A

FR

FR

E
IL
A
FR

G

A
FR

G

IL

E

A

G

TensilestressesTensilestresses

Introducing the Load Evenly (fig. 56)

Electricallyinsulate the actuator against the
peripheral mechanics. At the same time,observe the legal regulations for therespective application.

	Connection via a flexure joint

 bserve the polarity of the actuator forO
connection.

If the actuator is coupled in a milling
pocket, make sure that there is full-area
contact on the end surface of the actuator.
For this purpose, select the dimensions of
the milling pocket correspondingly or makefree cuts in the milling pocket (fig. 57).

 hen the actuator is charged: DischargeWthe actuator in a controlled manner with a
10 kΩ resistance. Avoid directly short-circuiting the terminals of the actuator.

Electrical Connection (fig. 59)
From an electrical point of view, piezo actuators are capacitors that can store a greatamount of energy. Their high internal resis­t­
ances lead to very slow discharges with time
constants in the range of hours. Mechanical orthermal loads electrically charge the actuator.
 onnect the case or the surroundingCmechanics to a protective earth conductorin accordance with the standards.

Fig. 57: Full-area contact of
the actuator o not pull out the connecting cable of theDamplifier when voltage is present. The
mechanical impulse triggered by this could
TensilestressesUnbenannt-2the1 actuator.
Unbenannt-2
Unbenannt-2
1
1
damageTensilestresses

Safe Operation
 educe the DC voltage as far as possibleR
during actuator operation (p. 63). You candecrease offset voltages with semi-bipolar
operation.

Fig. 58: Proper dimensioningof the end pieces in the caseof point contact

 lways power off the actuator when it isA
not needed.
 void steep rising edges in the piezo volt­Aage, since they can trigger strong dynamic
forces when the actuator does not have a
preload. Steep rising edges can occur, forexample, when digital wave generators are
switched on.

EIf a point load is applied to the end pieceof the actuator: Dimension the end pieceso that its thickness corresponds to half
Unbenannt-2
the cross-sectional dimension
in1order toprevent tensile stresses on the actuator(fig. 58).

 nly mount the actuator when it is shortO
circuited.

IL	Hardened spherical end piece with ring
contact to a spherical cap

Fig. 56: Avoiding an irregular load applicationG	Hardened spherical end piece with point
contact to even opposing surface

TensilestressesA	Gluing the actuator (cf. gluing section)

TensilestressesFR

The parallelism tolerances of the mechanicalsystem and the actuator result in an irregularload distribution. Here, compressive stress­
es may cause tensile stresses in the actuator. Regarding the even application of a load,
there are diverse design solutions that differ
from each other in axial stiffness, separabilityof the connection and rotatability in operation,e.g. in the case of lever amplification.

30.03.12 16:56

Fig. 59: Mechanical loads
electrically charge the actuator. Mounting only whenshort-circuited69

piezo technology

The PI Group Milestones

70w w w.p i c e r a mi c.c o m

2001

1998

1994

1993

1992

1991

1987

1970

A S u cc e s s Sto r y71

piezo technology

2004

2002

2007

2011

2014

2015

Product Overview

PIEZO ACTUATORS AND COMPONENTS,
PRELOADED PIEZO ACTUATORS
Variable Designs, Optionally with Position Measurement, UHV Versions,High Dynamics, Sub-Millisecond Response Time, Picometer Resolution

PICMA® multilayer piezo actuators

Piezoelectric components

PIEZO SCANNERS AND POSITIONING STAGES
Nanometer Precision and Millisecond Settling Time

Fast tip/tilt mirrors

Technology for up to six axes:
flexure joints, capacitive sensors,
PICMA® piezo actuators

Piezo scanners and lens focusers:
microscope lens and specimen
fast and precise positioning

PRECISION LINEAR ACTUATORSAND DIRECT DRIVES

72 4Linear actuator with piezomotor for high resolution and drift-free long-term positioning

Voice-coil drive for high dynamics, optional
force sensor for force-control operationw w wW. piceW W .rP a
I .mWic
S . co m

High load actuators with axial forces
up to 400 N for industrial automation

PRECISION LINEAR POSITIONING STAGES
From Miniature Positioning Stages to Travel Ranges of 1 m

Miniature stages with piezomotors

Ultraprecision with air bearings

High-precision positioning stages

High velocity and precision
due to magnetic direct drives

HEXAPOD AND SPACEFAB
Parallel Kinematics for Precise Positioning in Six Axes

Compact designfor microassembly

Dynamic hexapod
for motion simulation|
M piezoO T I O N technology
POSITIONING

High-load Hexapods for 1000 kg loads

5 73

Headquarters

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Phone +49 36604 882-0
Fax		 +49 36604 882-4109
info@piceramic.com
www.piceramic.com

PI (Physik Instrumente) L.P.
Auburn, MA 01501
www.pi-usa.us

PI (Physik Instrumente) L.P.
Irvine, CA 92620
www.pi-usa.us

USA (San Francisco Bay Area Office) UK & IRELAND

Physik Instrumente (PI)GmbH & Co. KG
Auf der Roemerstrasse 176228 Karlsruhe
Phone +49 721 4846-0
Fax		 +49 721 4846-1019
info@pi.ws
www.pi.ws
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Fax +49 7634 5057-99
info@pimicos.com
www.pi.ws

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CAT128E R3 Piezoelectric Actuators 09/2016.2; Subject to change without notice. © Physik Instrumente (PI) GmbH & Co. KG 2016

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