In particular, thin layers are desired to keep operating voltages as low as possible. Piezoelectric Actuators at TRS TRS produces multilayer actuators made from all of its current materials, including piezoelectric single crystals , electrostrictive ceramics , and fine grain piezoceramics . Fine grain ceramics excel in these devices due to the small layer thicknesses that can be realized and due to the fact that the fine grain ceramics can be safely driven to higher fields than conventional ceramics. TRS produces fine grain actuators with both 0.5 and 0.25 mm layer thicknesses that operate at 1000 V and 500 V, respectively. Single crystal stacked actuators can currently be fabricated with layer thicknesses as low as 0.25 mm to produce strain levels comparable with bulk crystals.
Low profile stacked actuators are also available.
Higher strains are possible in this way. Cofired multilayer actuators are produced using standard cofired multilayer capacitor technology and are, thus, an inexpensive alternative to bonded stacks. Layer thicknesses of 0.05 to 0.1 mm are possible. The electrostrictive actuators exhibit very low hysteresis and extremely accurate displacement reproducibility. Individual cofired multilayer actuators are currently 7 x 7 x 10 mm in size.