Piezoelectric Effect Piezo Techlology Tutorial PI Ceramic
Piezoelectric Effect Piezo Techlology Tutorial PI Ceramic
Piezoelectric Effect Piezo Techlology Tutorial PI Ceramic
l
o
n
g
L
P E
V
GND
P E
P E
P E
P E
V GND
P E
P E
P E
P E
2,5 1,5 2,0 0,5 1,0 0,0
1500
1000
500
2000
0
E
PP
[kV/mm]
d
(
G
S
)
[
p
m
/
V
]
d
15
PIC155 bipolar
d
15
PIC255 bipolar
d
33
PIC153 unipolar
d
33
PIC151 unipolar
d
33
PIC255 unipolar
d
33
PIC252 unipolar
-d
31
PIC252 unipolar
(1)
(2)
O
2
Pb
Ti, Zr
4( %0)%:/ %, %#42)#%&&%#4
P I E z O t E C h n O l O g y
34
w w w. P I C E R A MI C . C O M
Piezo Technology
COnt Ent s
Basic Principles of Piezoelectricity 35
Piezoelectric Effect, Ferroelectric Polarization, Expansion of the Polarized
Piezo Ceramic
Piezoelectric Actuator Materials 36
Piezoceramic Materials and Properties
Displacement Modes of Piezoelectric Actuators 37
Longitudinal Stack Actuators 37 Shear Actuators, Picoactuator
38
PT-Tube Tube Actuators 39 Contracting Actuators 40 Bending Actuators 41
Manufacturing of Piezo Actuators 42
Multilayer Tape Technology 42 Pressing Technology 43
PT-Tube Tube Actuators, DuraAct 44
Properties of Piezoelectric Actuators 45
Displacement Behavior 45
Nonlinearity 45 Hysteresis, Creep 46 Position Control 47
Temperature-Dependent Behavior 48
Forces and Stiffnesses 50
Preload, Load Capacity, Stiffness 50 Force Generation and Displacement,
Typical Load Cases 51 Actuator Dimensioning and Energy Consideration 53
Dynamic Operation 54
Resonant Frequency, How Fast Can a Piezo Actuator Expand?, Dynamic Forces
Electrical Operation 55
Electrical Behavior, Electrical Capacitance, Positioning Operation 55 Power
Consumption of the Piezo Actuator, Heat Generation in the Piezo Element, Continuous
Dynamic Operation 56 Switching Applications, Pulse-Mode Operation 57
Ambient Conditions 58
Vacuum Environment, Inert Gases, Magnetic Fields, Gamma Radiation,
Environments with High Humidity, Liquids
Reliability of PICMA
Multilayer Actuators 59
Lifetime when Exposed to DC-Voltage 59 Lifetime in Dynamic Continuous
Operation 60
Amplifer Technology: Piezo Electronics for Operating Piezo Actuators 61
Characteristic Behavior of Piezo Amplifers 61
Power Requirements for Piezo Operation, Amplifer Frequency Response Curve,
Setting the Control Input Voltage
Solutions for High-Dynamics 24/7 Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Switched Amplifers with Energy Recovery, Piezo Overtemperature Protection,
Valid Patents 62 Linearized Amplifers for Piezo Displacement Without Hysteresis,
Charge Control, Charge and Displacement 63
Handling of Piezo Actuators 64
Mechanical Installation 64 Electrical Connection, Safe Operation 65
35
P I E z O t E C h n O l O g y
The Piezoelectric Effect
Pressure generates charges on the surface
of piezoelectric materials This so-called
direct piezoelectric effect, also called the
generator or sensor effect, converts mecha-
nical energy to electrical energy The in-
verse piezoelectric effect in contrast causes
this type of materials to change in length
when an electrical voltage is applied This
effect converts electrical energy into me-
chanical energy and is thus employed in
actuator technology
The piezoelectric effect occurs in mono-
crystalline materials as well as in poly-
crystalline ferroelectric ceramics In single
crystals, an asymmetry in the structure of
the unit cells of the crystal lattice, ie, a
polar axis that forms below the Curie
temperature T
c
, is a suffcient prerequisite
for the effect to occur
Piezoelectric ceramics also have a spon-
taneous polarization, ie, the positive and
negative charge concentration of the
unit cells are separate from each other
At the same time, the axis of the unit cell
extends in the direction of the spontaneous
polarization, and a spontaneous strain occurs
(fg 1)
Ferroelectric Polarization
To minimize the internal energy of the
material, ferroelectric domains form in the
crystallites of the ceramic (fg 2) Within
these volume areas, the orientations of the
spontaneous polarization are the same The
different orientations of bordering domains
are separated by domain walls A ferro-
electric polarization process is required to
make the ceramic macroscopically piezo-
electric as well
For this purpose, a strong electric feld
of several kV/mm is applied to create an
asymmetry in the previously unorganized
ceramic compound The electric feld
causes a reorientation of the spontaneous
polarization At the same time, domains
with a favorable orientation to the polarity
feld direction grow and those with an
unfavorable orientation shrink The domain
walls are shifted in the crystal lattice After
polarization, most of the reorientations are
preserved even without the application of
an electric feld (fg 3) However, a small
number of the domain walls are shifted back
to their original position, eg, due to inter-
nal mechanical stresses
Expansion of the Polarized Piezo Ceramic
The ceramic expands, whenever an electric
feld is applied, which is less strong than the
original polarization feld Part of this effect
is due to the piezoelectric shift of the ions in
the crystal lattice and is called the intrinsic
effect
The extrinsic effect is based on a reversible
ferroelectric reorientation of the unit cells
It increases along with the strength of the
driving feld and is responsible for most of
the nonlinear hysteresis and drift characte-
ristics of ferroelectric piezoceramics
L + o
L
Polarisation
axis
C
1
L
1 C
0
I
m
p
e
n
d
a
n
z
Z
Frequenz f
f
m
f
n
L
V 0
(2)
+
(3)
+
(1)
+
U
+
P C/m
2
E kV/cm
Ps
Ec
-Ec
Pr
-Pr
-Ps
+
+
+
3
1(r)
3
3(r)
Radialschwingung
Dickenschwingung
Radialschwingung
Dickenschwingung
Lngsschwingung
Radialschwingung
Dickenschwingung
OD
ID
TH
P
(1)
(2)
O
2
Pb
Ti, Zr
Lngsschwingung
Dickenschwingung
3
1(r)
1
3
2
TH
5
6
3
1
2
3
2
TH
5
6
1
P TH
W
L
P
TH
L
W
P
L
W
TH
P
TH
W
L
L
L
P
D
P TH
OD
P
L
OD
ID
OD
TH TH
OD
(Z)
3
2(Y)
(X)
1
6
5
4
P
(Z)
3
2(Y)
(X)
1
6
5
4
P
P
W
TH L
R
1
P
W
L + o
L
Polarisation
axis
C
1
L
1 C
0
I
m
p
e
n
d
a
n
z
Z
Frequenz f
f
m
f
n
L
V 0
(2)
+
(3)
+
(1)
+
U
+
P C/m
2
E kV/cm
Ps
Ec
-Ec
Pr
-Pr
-Ps
+
3
1(r)
3
3(r)
Radialschwingung
Dickenschwingung
Radialschwingung
Dickenschwingung
Lngsschwingung
Radialschwingung
Dickenschwingung
OD
ID
TH
P
(1)
(2)
O
2
Pb
Ti, Zr
Lngsschwingung
Dickenschwingung
3
1(r)
1
3
2
TH
5
6
3
1
2
3
2
TH
5
6
1
P TH
W
L
P
TH
L
W
P
L
W
TH
P
TH
W
L
L
L
P
D
P TH
OD
P
L
OD
ID
OD
TH TH
OD
(Z)
3
2(Y)
(X)
1
6
5
4
P
(Z)
3
2(Y)
(X)
1
6
5
4
P
P
W
TH L
R
1
P
W
L + o
L
Polarisation
axis
C
1
L
1 C
0
I
m
p
e
n
d
a
n
z
Z
Frequenz f
f
m
f
n
L
V 0
(2)
+
(3)
+
(1)
+
U
+
P C/m
2
E kV/cm
Ps
Ec
-Ec
Pr
-Pr
-Ps
+
3
1(r)
3
3(r)
Radialschwingung
Dickenschwingung
Radialschwingung
Dickenschwingung
Lngsschwingung
Radialschwingung
Dickenschwingung
OD
ID
TH
P
(1)
(2)
O
2
Pb
Ti, Zr
Lngsschwingung
Dickenschwingung
3
1(r)
1
3
2
TH
5
6
3
1
2
3
2
TH
5
6
1
P TH
W
L
P
TH
L
W
P
L
W
TH
P
TH
W
L
L
L
P
D
P TH
OD
P
L
OD
ID
OD
TH TH
OD
(Z)
3
2(Y)
(X)
1
6
5
4
P
(Z)
3
2(Y)
(X)
1
6
5
4
P
P
W
TH L
R
1
P
W
L + o
L
Polarisation
axis
C
1
L
1 C
0
I
m
p
e
n
d
a
n
z
Z
Frequenz f
f
m
f
n
L
V 0
(2)
+
(3)
+
(1)
+
U
+
P C/m
2
E kV/cm
Ps
Ec
-Ec
Pr
-Pr
-Ps
+
3
1(r)
3
3(r)
Radialschwingung
Dickenschwingung
Radialschwingung
Dickenschwingung
Lngsschwingung
Radialschwingung
Dickenschwingung
OD
ID
TH
P
(1)
(2)
O
2
Pb
Ti, Zr
Lngsschwingung
Dickenschwingung
3
1(r)
1
3
2
TH
5
6
3
1
2
3
2
TH
5
6
1
P TH
W
L
P
TH
L
W
P
L
W
TH
P
TH
W
L
L
L
P
D
P TH
OD
P
L
OD
ID
OD
TH TH
OD
(Z)
3
2(Y)
(X)
1
6
5
4
P
(Z)
3
2(Y)
(X)
1
6
5
4
P
P
W
TH L
R
1
P
W
Fig 1
(1) Unit cell with symmetrical,
cubic structure above the
Curie temperature T
C
(2) Tetragonally distorted unit
cell below the Curie tempe-
rature T
C
with spontaneous
polarization and spontaneous
strain
Fig 3
Orientation of the spontaneous
polarization within a piezo ferro-
electric ceramic
(1) Unpolarized ceramic, (2)
ceramic during polarization and
(3) ceramic after polarization
Fig 2: A cross-sectional view of a ferroelectric
ceramic clearly shows the differently polarized
domains within the individual crystallites
(Source: Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technolo-
gies and Systems IKTS, Dresden, Germany)
Piezoelectricity
bAsI C PRI nCI Pl Es
L + o
L
Polarisation
axis
C
1
L
1 C
0
I
m
p
e
n
d
a
n
z
Z
Frequenz f
f
m
f
n
L
V 0
(2)
+
(3)
+
(1)
+
U
+
P C/m
2
E kV/cm
Ps
Ec
-Ec
Pr
-Pr
-Ps
+
+
+
3
1(r)
3
3(r)
Radialschwingung
Dickenschwingung
Radialschwingung
Dickenschwingung
Lngsschwingung
Radialschwingung
Dickenschwingung
OD
ID
TH
P
(1)
(2)
O
2
Pb
Ti, Zr
Lngsschwingung
Dickenschwingung
3
1(r)
1
3
2
TH
5
6
3
1
2
3
2
TH
5
6
1
P TH
W
L
P
TH
L
W
P
L
W
TH
P
TH
W
L
L
L
P
D
P TH
OD
P
L
OD
ID
OD
TH TH
OD
(Z)
3
2(Y)
(X)
1
6
5
4
P
(Z)
3
2(Y)
(X)
1
6
5
4
P
P
W
TH L
R
1
P
W
36
w w w. P I C E R A MI C . C O M
Commercially available piezoceramic mate-
rials are mostly based on the lead-zirconate-
lead-titanate material system (PZT) By
adding other materials the properties of the
PZT compositions can be infuenced
Ferroelectrically soft piezoceramics with
low polarity reversal feld strengths are used
for actuator applications since the extrinsic
domain contributions lead to high overall
piezo moduli This includes the piezo-
ceramics PIC151, PIC153, PIC255, PIC252
and PIC251
Ferroelectrically hard PZT materials, such as
PIC181 and PIC300, are primarily used in high-
power ultrasound applications They have
a higher polarity reversal resistance, high
mechanical quality factors, as well as low
hysteresis values at reduced piezoelec-
tric deformation coeffcients The Pico-
actuator
Stack, PICMA
Bender product lines as well as
some DuraAct products
PIC050 Crystalline material for linear, hys-
teresis-free positioning with small
displacements in an open servo
loop
Excellent stability, high Curie tem-
perature
Standard material for the Picoactu-
ator
product line
PIC151 PIC153 PIC255/252 PIC050
Physical and Dielectric Properties
Density [g/cm
3
] 780 760 780 470
Curie temperature T
c
[C] 250 185 350 >500
Relative permittivity in the polarization direction
33
/
0
2400 4200 1750 60
Perpendicular to the 1980 1650 85
polarization
11
/
0
Dielectric loss factor tan [10
-3
] 20 30 20 <1
Electro-Mechanical Properties
Piezoelectric deformation coefficient, piezo modulus*
d
31
[pm/V] -210 -180
d
33
[pm/V] 500 600 400 40
d
15
[pm/V] 550 80
Acousto-Mechanical Properties
Elastic compliance coefficient
s
11
E
[10
-12
m
2
/N] 150 161
s
33
E
[10
-12
m
2
/N] 190 207
Mechanical quality factor Q
m
100 50 80
For explanations and further data, see the catalog "Piezoceramic Materials and Components"
* The deformation coeffcient corresponds to the charge coeffcient used with piezo components The value
depends on the strength of the driving feld (fg 22, p 45) The information in the table refers to very small
feld strengths (small signal)
L + o
L
Polarisation
axis
C
1
L
1 C
0
I
m
p
e
n
d
a
n
z
Z
Frequenz f
f
m
f
n
L
V 0
(2)
+
(3)
+
(1)
+
U
+
P C/m
2
E kV/cm
P
s
E
c
-E
c
P
r
-P
r
-P
s
+
3
1(r)
3
3(r)
Radialschwingung
Dickenschwingung
Radialschwingung
Dickenschwingung
Lngsschwingung
Radialschwingung
Dickenschwingung
OD
ID
TH
P
(1)
(2)
O
2
Pb
Ti, Zr
Lngsschwingung
Dickenschwingung
3
1(r)
1
3
2
TH
5
6
3
1
2
3
2
TH
5
6
1
P TH
W
L
P
TH
L
W
P
L
W
TH
P
TH
W
L
L
L
P
D
P TH
OD
P
L
OD
ID
OD
TH TH
OD
(Z)
3
2(Y)
(X)
1
6
5
4
P
(Z)
3
2(Y)
(X)
1
6
5
4
P
P
W
TH L
R
1
P
W
Fig 4
Orthogonal system to descri-
be the properties of a pola-
rized piezo ceramic Axis 3 is
the direction of polarization
PI Ceramic offers a wide range of further materials, including lead-free
piezoceramics that are currently mainly used as ultrasonic transducers
For application-specifc properties, actuators can be manufactured
from special materials, although the technical implementation has to
be individually checked wwwpiceramicde
MAt ERI Al s And PROPERt I Es
Piezoelectric Actuator Materials
37
P I E z O t E C h n O l O g y
Longitudinal Stack Actuators
In longitudinal piezo actuators, the electric
feld in the ceramic layer is applied parallel
to the direction of polarization This induces
an expansion or displacement in the di-
rection of polarization Individual layers pro-
vide relatively low displacements In order
to achieve technically useful displacement
values, stack actuators are constructed,
where many individual layers are mecha-
nically connected in series and electrically
connected in parallel (fg 5)
Longitudinal stack actuators are highly
effcient in converting electrical to mechani-
cal energy They achieve nominal displace-
ments of around 01 to 015% of the actua-
tor length The nominal blocking forces are
on the order of 30 N/mm
2
in relation to the
cross-sectional area of the actuator Values
of up to several 10,000 newton can thus be
achieved in the actuator
Longitudinal stack actuators are excellently
suited for highly dynamic operation due to
their high resonant frequencies A mecha-
nical preloading of the actuator suppresses
dynamically induced tensile forces in
brittle ceramic material, allowing response
times in the microsecond range and a high
mechanical performance
In addition to the expansion in the di-
rection of polarization, which is utilized
with longitudinal actuators, a contraction
always occurs in the piezo actuator that
is orthogonal to its polarization when it
is operated with an electric feld parallel
to the direction of polarization
This so-called transversal piezoelectric
effect is used by contracting actuators,
tube actuators, or bending actuators
Examples of longitudinal
stack actuators are the
multilayer piezo actuators
PICMA
Stack, Encapsu-
lated PICMA
, PICMA
Chip, as well as the stack
actuators PICA Stack,
PICA Power, PICA Thru
that are glued together
from individual plates,
and the crystalline Pico-
actuator
L
long
Longitudinal dis-
placement [m]
d
33(GS)
Longitudinal
piezoelectric
large-signal defor-
mation coeffcient
[m/V]
n Number of
stacked ceramic
layers
V Piezo operating
voltage [V]
L
lateral
L
radial
lo
n
g
L
P E
V
GND
P E
P E
P E
P E
V GND
P E
P E
P E
P E
L
a
x
ia
l
L
trans
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
V
F+
V
F-
V
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
GND V
E
E
P
P
V
GND
V
F+
V
F-
V
E
E
P
P
L
b
e
n
d
V
F+
V
F-
V
E
E
P
P
E P
V
GND
E P
E P
V
F+
V
V
F-
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
GND
V
GND
V GND
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
V GND
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
L
shear
V
GND
E P
V GND
E
P
V GND
E
P
V GND
Fig 5
L
long
= n d
33(GS)
V (Equation 1)
Piezoelectric Actuators
dI sPl ACEMEnt MOdEs
L
lateral
L
radial
L
lo
n
g
L
a
x
ia
l
L
trans
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
V
F+
V
F-
V
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
GND V
E
E
P
P
V
GND
V
F+
V
F-
V
E
E
P
P
L
b
e
n
d
V
F+
V
F-
V
E
E
P
P
E P
V
GND
E P
E P
V
F+
V
V
F-
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
GND
V
GND
V
GND
V GND
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
L
shear
V
GND
E P
V GND
E
P
V GND
E
P
V GND
E P
38
w w w. P I C E R A MI C . C O M
Shear Actuators
In piezoelectric shear actuators, the electric
feld in the ceramic layer is applied orthogo-
nally to the direction of polarization and the
displacement in the direction of polarization
is utilized The displacements of the indivi-
dual layers add up in stacked actuators here
as well (fg 6)
The shear deformation coeffcients d
15
are
normally the largest piezoelectric coeffci-
ents When controlled with nominal volta-
ges, PIC ceramics achieve d
15(GS)
values of up
to 2000 pm/V The permissible controlling
feld strength is limited in order to prevent
a reversal of the vertically oriented polari-
zation
When lateral forces act on the actuator, the
shear motion is additionally superimposed
by a bending The same effect occurs in
dynamic operation near the resonant fre-
quency
Furthermore, shear stresses cannot be com-
pensated by a mechanical preload Both,
limit the practical stacking height of shear
stacks
Shear actuators combined with longitudinal
actuators yield very compact XYZ stacks
with high resonant frequencies
Picoactuator
Technology
Picoactuator
L
lo
n
g
L
a
x
ia
l
L
trans
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
V
F+
V
F-
V
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
GND V
E
E
P
P
V
GND
V
F+
V
F-
V
E
E
P
P
L
b
e
n
d
V
F+
V
F-
V
E
E
P
P
E P
V
GND
E P
E P
V
F+
V
V
F-
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
GND
V
GND
V GND
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
V
GND
V GND
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
L
shear
V
GND
E P
V GND
E
P
V GND
E
P
V GND
E P
A typical application for
shear actuators are drive
elements for so-called
stick-slip motors
Shear actuators from PI
Ceramic are offered as
product lines PICA Shear
and Picoactuator
Fig 7:
Measured Nonlinearity of a Picoactuator
L
lo
n
g
L
a
x
ia
l
L
trans
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
V
F+
V
F-
V
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
GND V
E
E
P
P
V
GND
V
F+
V
F-
V
E
E
P
P
L
b
e
n
d
V
F+
V
F-
V
E
E
P
P
E P
V
GND
E P
E P
V
F+
V
V
F-
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
GND
V
GND
V GND
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
V
GND
V GND
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
L
shear
V
GND
E P
V GND
E
P
V GND
E
P
V GND
E P
39
P I E z O t E C h n O l O g y
Tube Actuators
Tube actuators are radially polarized The
electrodes are applied on the outer surfaces,
so that the feld parallel to the polarization
also runs in a radial direction Tube actua-
tors use the transversal piezoelectric effect
to generate displacements Axial displace-
ments or changes in length (fg 8), lateral
motions such as changes in the radius (fg
9), as well as bending (fg 10) are possible
In order to cause a tube to bend, the outer
electrode is segmented into several sec-
tions When the respectively opposite elec-
trodes are controlled, the tube bends in a
lateral direction
Undesirable tilting or axial motions that
occur during this process can be prevented
by more complex electrode arrangements
For example, an eight-electrode arrange-
ment creates a counter bending and over-
all achieves a lateral displacement without
tilting
PI Ceramic offers precision tube actuators in
the PT-Tube product line
L
shear
Shear displace-
ment [m]
d
15(GS)
Piezoelectric
large-signal shear
deformation
coeffcient [m/V]
n Number of
stacked ceramic
layers
V Piezo operating
voltage [V]
L
axial
Axial tube
displacement [m]
L
radial
Radial tube
displacement [m]
L
lateral
Lateral tube
displacement [m]
d
31(GS)
Transversal
piezoelectric
large-signal
deformation
coeffcient [m/V]
l Tube length [m]
ID Internal tube
diameter [m]
t Tube wall thick-
ness (=(OD-ID)/2)
[m]
All tube dimensions, see
data sheet
Tube actuators are often used in
scanning probe microscopes to
provide dynamic scanning motions
in open-loop operation, and as fber
stretchers
Further application examples are
microdosing in the construction of
nanoliter pumps or in inkjet printers
L
lateral
L
radial
L
lo
n
g
L
a
x
ia
l
L
trans
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
V
F+
V
F-
V
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
GND V
E
E
P
P
V
GND
V
F+
V
F-
V
E
E
P
P
L
b
e
n
d
V
F+
V
F-
V
E
E
P
P
E P
V
GND
E P
E P
V
F+
V
V
F-
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
GND
V
GND
V GND
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
V
GND
V GND
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
L
shear
V
GND
E P
V GND
E
P
V GND
E
P
V GND
E P
L
lateral
L
radial
L
lo
n
g
L
a
x
ia
l
L
trans
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
V
F+
V
F-
V
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
GND V
E
E
P
P
V
GND
V
F+
V
F-
V
E
E
P
P
L
b
e
n
d
V
F+
V
F-
V
E
E
P
P
E P
V
GND
E P
E P
V
F+
V
V
F-
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
GND
V
GND
V GND
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
V
GND
V GND
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
L
shear
V
GND
E P
V GND
E
P
V GND
E
P
V GND
E P
L
lateral
L
radial
L
lo
n
g
L
a
x
ia
l
L
trans
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
V
F+
V
F-
V
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
GND V
E
E
P
P
V
GND
V
F+
V
F-
V
E
E
P
P
L
b
e
n
d
V
F+
V
F-
V
E
E
P
P
E P
V
GND
E P
E P
V
F+
V
V
F-
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
GND
V
GND
V GND
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
V
GND
V GND
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
L
shear
V
GND
E P
V GND
E
P
V GND
E
P
V GND
E P
Axial displacement
L
axial
= d
31(GS)
l
V
t
(Equation 3)
Radial Displacement
The following estima-
tion applies for large
radii:
L
radial
d
31(GS)
ID
V
2t
(Equation 4)
Bending Actuators, XY
Scanning Tubes
L
lateral
= 0.9 d
31(GS)
l
2
V
ID
(Equation 5)
Fig 8
Fig 9
Fig 10
40
Contracting Actuators
Typically, piezo contracting actuators are
low-profle components Their displacement
occurs perpendicularly to the polarization
direction and to the electric feld The dis-
placement of contracting actuators is based
on the transversal piezoelectric effect whe-
reby up to approx 20 m is nominally achie-
ved
Multilayer elements offer decisive advan-
tages over single-layer piezo elements in
regard to technical realization: Due to the
larger cross-sectional area, they generate
higher forces and can be operated with a
lower voltage (fg 11)
As a result of the contraction, tensile stres-
ses occur that can cause damage to the
brittle piezo ceramic A preload is therefore
recommended
For the patch actuators of the DuraAct pro-
duct group, a piezo contractor is laminated
into a polymer This creates a mechanical
preload that protects the ceramic against
breakage (p 14)
Multilayer contracting actuators can be re-
quested as special versions of the PICMA
Bender product line (p 13)
Fig 11
L
trans
=
d
31(GS)
l
V (Equation 6)
h
L
trans
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
GND V
E P
V
GND
pi_120137_illustrationen_variante.indd 1 04.04.12 11:13
Displacement Modes (Continued)
w w w. P I C E R A MI C . C O M
L
trans
Transversal dis-
placement [m]
d
31(GS)
Transversal piezo-
electric large-sig-
nal deformation
coeffcient [m/V]
l Length of the
piezo ceramic in
the direction of
displacement [m]
h Height of a
ceramic layer [m]
n Number of
stacked ceramic
layers
V Piezo operating
voltage [V]
L
bend
Bending displace-
ment [m]
l
f
Free bender
length [m] (p 12)
h
p
Height piezo-
ceramic element
[m]
R
h
Ratio of the
heights of the
substrate (h
s
)
and piezoceramic
element (h
p
) in a
composite bender
(R
h
=h
s
/h
p
)
R
E
Ratio of the elas-
ticity modulus of
the substrate (E
s
)
and the piezocera-
mic element (E
p
)
in a composite
bender (R
E
=E
s
/E
p
)
V
F
Fixed voltage for
bender actuator
control [V] (V and
V
F
can be super-
imposed with an
offset voltage)
E
E
P
P
l
f
h
P
pi_120137_illu_09.indd 1 02.04.12 16:08
41
P I E z O t E C h n O l O g y
Bending Actuators
Attached to a substrate, contracting actu-
ators act as bending actuators (fg 12) For
the construction of all-ceramic benders, two
active piezoceramic elements are joined and
electrically controlled If a passive substra-
te made of metal or ceramic material, for
example, is used, one speaks of composite
benders The piezoceramic elements can be
designed as individual layers or as multilayer
elements
Piezoelectric bending actuators function ac-
cording to the principle of thermostatic bi-
metals When a fat piezo contracting actua-
tor is coupled to a substrate, the driving and
contraction of the ceramic creates a bending
moment that converts the small transversal
change in length into a large bending dis-
placement vertical to the contraction De-
pending on the geometry, translation fac-
tors of 30 to 40 are attainable, although at
the cost of the conversion effciency and the
force generation
With piezoelectric bending actuators, dis-
placements of up to several millimeters can
be achieved with response times in the mil-
lisecond range The blocking forces, howe-
ver, are relatively low They are typically in
the range of millinewtons to a few newtons
L
lateral
L
radial
L
lo
n
g
L
a
x
ia
l
L
trans
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
V
F+
V
F-
V
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
GND V
E
E
P
P
V
GND
b
e
n
d
L
+V
F
V
P E
P E
-V
F
Fig 12: Displacement of bending actuators
E
E
P
P
E
E
P
P
E P
V
GND
E P
E P
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
GND
V
GND
V GND
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
V
GND
V GND
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
L
shear
V
GND
E P
V GND
E
P
V GND
E
P
V GND
E P
+V
F
-V
F
V
+V
F
-V
F
V
+V
F
-V
F
V
L
lateral
L
radial
L
lo
n
g
L
a
x
ia
l
L
trans
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
V
F+
V
F-
V
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
GND V
E
E
P
P
V
GND
+V
F
-V
F
V
E
E
P
P
L
b
e
n
d
E
E
P
P
E
E
P
P
E P
V
GND
E P
E P
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
GND
V
GND
V GND
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
V
GND
V GND
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
L
shear
V
GND
E P
V GND
E
P
V GND
E
P
V GND
E P
+V
F
-V
F
V
+V
F
-V
F
V
+V
F
-V
F
V
L
lateral
L
radial
L
lo
n
g
L
a
x
ia
l
L
trans
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
V
F+
V
F-
V
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
GND V
E
E
P
P
V
GND
+V
F
-V
F
V
E
E
P
P
L
b
e
n
d
E
E
P
P
E
E
P
P
E P
V
GND
E P
E P
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
GND
V
GND
V GND
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
V
GND
V GND
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
L
shear
V
GND
E P
V GND
E
P
V GND
E
P
V GND
E P
+V
F
-V
F
V
+V
F
-V
F
V
+V
F
-V
F
V
L
bend
=
3
n d
l
f
2
V
(Equation 7)
8 h
p
2
L
bend
=
3
n d
31(GS)
l
f
2
V
(Equation 8)
8 h
p
2
(Operation against the polarization direction only
possible with reduced voltage or feld strength,
p 45ff)
By selecting a two-sided
restraint with a rotatable
mounting (bottom) instead of
a single-sided fxed res-
traint (top), the ratio of the
displacement and the force of
the bender can be changed
The displacement is reduced
by a factor of four while the
blocking force is increased by
a factor of four Especially high
forces can be attained when
using fat bending plates or
discs with a restraint on two
sides instead of strip-shaped
benders
L 0.5
W
0
.
2
LF
1
2
3
T
H
0
.
1
D
0
.
2
O
D
0
.
5
1
2
3
T
H
0
.
1
L 0.5
W
0
.
2
LF
1
2
3
T
H
0
.
1
D
0
.
2
O
D
0
.
5
1
2
3
T
H
0
.
1
PI Ceramic offers all-ceramic
multilayer bender actuators
with very low piezo voltages
in the PICMA
Bender product
line Composite benders can
be manufactured as special
versions, in multilayer as well
as in single-layer versions or as
a drive element with DuraAct
actuators
Fig 18: The products of the
PICMA
L
lo
n
g
L
a
x
ia
l
L
trans
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
V
F+
V
F-
V
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
GND V
E
E
P
P
V
GND
+V
F
-V
F
V
E
E
P
P
L
b
e
n
d
E
E
P
P
E
E
P
P
E P
V
GND
E P
E P
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
GND
V
GND
V GND
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
V
GND
V GND
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
L
shear
V
GND
E P
V GND
E
P
V GND
E
P
V GND
E P
+V
F
-V
F
V
+V
F
-V
F
V
+V
F
-V
F
V
Fig 13
Fig 14
Fig 15
Fig 16
Fig 17
(Equation 9)
Application DuraAct, PICMA
Stack actua-
tors, the height of the active layers is 60 m
and in PICMA
ac-
tuators, the DuraAct patch transducers and
piezoceramic tubes
PI Ceramic multilayer actuators, PICMA
for
short, are manufactured in large batches
with tape technology First, the inner elec-
trode pattern is printed on thin PZT tapes
while still unsintered and these are then
laminated into a multilayer compound In
the subsequent cofring process, the cera-
mic and the inner electrodes are sintered
together The fnished monolithic multilayer
piezo element has no polymer content any-
more
The inner electrodes of all PICMA
actuators
are ceramically insulated (fg 19) PICMA
stack actuators use a patented structure
for this purpose, in which a thin ceramic in-
sulation tape covers the electrodes without
signifcantly limiting the displacement
Final inspection
Assembly
Polarization
Application of the termination electrodes
Grinding, lapping
Debindering and sintering (cofring)
Cutting and green shaping
Isostatic pressing
Stacking, laminating
Screen printing of the inner electrodes
Tape casting
Slurry preparation
Processing of the
piezo ceramic powder
Multilayer Tape Technology
Fig 19: In PICMA
stack actuators, a
ceramic insulation tape covers the
inner electrodes
Hermetically encapsulated PICMA
were developed
for applications in extremely high humidity and in
rough industrial environments They are equipped
with corrosion-resistant stainless-steel bellows, inert
gas flling, glass feedthroughs and laser welding
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
In the past years, the technologies for processing
actuators in an unsintered state have been conti-
nuously developed For this reason, round geometries
or PICMA
bender actua-
tors show only a minimal temperature drift
in the displacement direction due to their
symmetrical structure
Temperature Operating Range
The standard temperature operating range
of glued actuators is -20 to 85C Selecting
piezo ceramics with high Curie temperatu-
res and suitable adhesives can increase this
range Most PICMA
multilayer products
are specifed for the extended range of -40
to 150C With special solders, the tempera-
ture range can be increased so that special
models of PICMA
Stack
PICA Stack / PICA Power
Fig 29: Temperature expansion behavior of PICMA
Fig 38: Displacement of an undamped piezo system after a voltage jump The nominal
displacement is attained after around one third of the period length
55
P I E z O t E C h n O l O g y
Properties of Piezoelectric Actuators
El ECt RI CAl OPERAt I On
Operating Voltage
PI Ceramic offers various types of piezo ac-
tuators with different layer thicknesses This
results in nominal operating voltages from
60 V for PICMA
Bender actuators to up to
1000 V for actuators of the PICA series
Electrical Behavior
At operating frequencies well below the re-
sonant frequency, a piezo actuator behaves
like a capacitor The actuator displacement
is proportional to the stored electrical char-
ge, as a frst 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 actuators that are constructed of several
ceramic layers electrically connected in pa-
rallel, the capacitance also depends on the
number of layers
In the actuators there are leakage current
losses in the A range or below due to the
high internal resistance
Electrical Capacitance Values
The actuator capacitance values indicated
in the technical data tables are small-signal
values, ie measured at 1 V, 1,000 Hz, 20C,
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,
room-temperature value For calculations
under large-signal conditions, it is often
suffcient to add a safety factor of 70% of the
small-signal capacitance (Fig 40)
The small-signal capacitance C of a stack ac-
tuator can be estimated as for a capacitor:
With a fxed actuator length l the following
holds true with n l/h
L
:
Accordingly, a PICMA
Stack actuator measured at 1 kHz unipolar sine
signal The electrical capacitance increases along
with the operating voltage and temperature
C Capacitance [C]
n Number of ceramic
layers in the actua-
tor
33
T
Permittivity =
33
/
0
(cf table
p 36) [As/Vm]
A Actuator cross-sec-
tional area [m]
l Actuator length [m]
h
L
Layer thickness in
the actuator [m]
i Current [A]
Q Charge [C, As]
V Voltage on the piezo
actuator [V]
t Time [s]
Fig 41: Structure and contacting of
a stacked piezo translator
33
C = n
T
A
(Equation 21)
h
L
33
C = l
T
A
(Equation 22)
h
L
2
I =
dQ
= C
dV (Equation 23)
dt dt
56
w w w. P I C E R A MI C . C O M
Operation with Position Control
In closed-loop operation, the maximum ope-
rating frequency is also limited by the phase
and amplitude response of the system Rule
of thumb: The higher the resonant frequen-
cy of the mechanical system, the higher the
control bandwidth can be set The sensor
bandwidth and performance of the cont-
roller (digital or analog, flter and controller
type, bandwidth) also limit the operating
bandwidth of the positioning system
Power Consumption of the Piezo Actuator
In dynamic applications, the power con-
sumption of the actuator increases linearly
with the frequency and actuator capaci-
tance A compact piezo translator with a
load capacity of approx 100 N requires less
than 10 watt of reactive power with 1000 Hz
and 10 m stroke, whereas a high-load
actuator (>10 kN load) requires several
100 watt under the same conditions
Heat Generation in a Piezo Element in
Dynamic Operation
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 ac-
tuator can be estimated as follows:
P
tan C V
pp
2
(Equation 24)
4
For actuator piezoceramics under small-
signal conditions, the loss factor is on the
order of 001 to 002 This means that up to
2% of the electrical power fowing through
the actuator is converted into heat In the
case of large-signal conditions, this can in-
crease to considerably higher values (Fig
42) Therefore, the maximum operating fre-
quency also depends on the permissible
operating temperature At high frequencies
and voltage amplitudes, 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 the
desired dynamics, the piezo amplifer must
meet certain minimal requirements To
asses these requirements, the relationship
between amplifer output current, operating
voltage of the piezo actuator, and operating
frequency has to be considered
Driving with Sine Functions
The effective or average current I
a
of the
amplifer specifed in the data sheets is the
crucial parameter for continuous operation
with a sine wave Under the defned ambi-
ent conditions, the average current values
are guaranteed without a time limit
I
a
C V
pp
(Equation 25)
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 amplifer
must be capable of delivering this peak cur-
rent at least for half of a period For repeated
single pulses, the time average of the peak
currents must not exceed the permitted
average current
I
max
C V
pp
(Equation 26)
2,5 1,5 2,0 0,5 1,0 0,0
0,30
0,25
0,10
0,15
0,20
0,05
0,00
E
PP
[kV/mm]
t
a
n
I
a
(Equation 27)
C V
pp
A secondary constraint that applies here is
that the amplifer must be capable of de-
livering at least I
max
= 2 I
a
for the charging
time, ie for half of the period If this is not
feasible, an appropriately lower maximum
operating frequency should be selected For
amplifers which cannot deliver a higher
peak current or not for a suffcient period of
time, the following equation should be used
for calculation instead:
f
max
I
a
(Equation 28)
2 C V
pp
Signal Shape and Bandwidth
In addition to estimating the power of the
piezo amplifer, assessing the small-sig-
nal bandwidth is important with all signal
shapes that deviate from the sinusoidal
shape
The less the harmonics of the control sig-
nal are transferred, the more the resulting
shape returns to the shape of the dominant
wave, ie, the sinusoidal shape The band-
width should therefore be at least ten-fold
higher than the basic frequency in order to
prevent signal bias resulting from the non-
transferred harmonics
In practice, the limit of usable frequency
portions to which the mechanical piezo
system can respond is the mechanical reso-
nant frequency For this reason, the electri-
cal control signal does not need to include
clearly higher frequency portions
Switching Applications, Pulse-mode
Operation
The fastest displacement of a piezo ac-
tuator can occur in 1/3 of the period of its
resonant frequency (p 54) Response times
in the microsecond range and accelerations
of more than 10,000 g are feasible, but
require particularly high peak current from
the piezo amplifer
This makes fast switching applications such
as injection valves, hydraulic valves, swit-
ching relays, optical switches, and adaptive
optics possible
For charging processes with constant cur-
rent, the minimal rise time in pulse-mode
operation can be determined using the fol-
lowing equation:
t C
V
pp
(Equation 29)
I
max
As before, the small-signal bandwidth of the
amplifer is crucial The rise time of the am-
plifer must be clearly shorter than the piezo
response time in order not to have the amp-
lifer limit the displacement In practice, as a
rule-of-thumb, the bandwidth of the ampli-
fer should be two- to three-fold larger than
the resonance frequency
Advantages and Disadvantages of Position
Control
A position control-loop always operates in
the linear control portion of voltages and
currents Since the peak current is limited in
time and is therefore nonlinear, it cannot be
used for a stable selection of control para-
meters As a result, position control limits
the bandwidth and does not allow for pulse-
mode operation as described
In switching applications, it is therefore
often not possible to attain the necessary
positional stability and linearity by position
control Linearization can be attained eg
by means of charge-controlled amplifers
(p 63) or by numerical correction methods
I
a
average current
of the amplifer
(source / sink) [A]
I
max
peak current of the
amplifer (source /
sink) [A]
f operating frequency
[Hz]
f
max
maximum operating
frequency [Hz]
C actuator capaci-
tance, large signal
[Farad (As/V)]
V
pp
driving voltage
(peak-to-peak) [V]
t time to charge piezo
actuator to V
pp
[s]
The average current and
peak current for each pi-
ezo amplifer from PI can
be found in the technical
data
Fig 43: PICMA
STACK PI EZOAKTOREN
P882_Datenblatt_Layout 1 23.03.12 14:15 Seite 3
58
w w w. P I C E R A MI C . C O M
Properties of Piezoelectric Actuators
AMbI Ent COndI t I Ons
Piezo actuators are suitable for operation in
very different, sometimes extreme ambient
conditions Information on use at high tem-
peratures of up to 200C as well as in cryoge-
nic environments is found starting on p 48
Vacuum Environment
Dielectric Stability
According to Paschen's Law, the breakdown
voltage of a gas depends on the product of
the pressure p and the electrode gap s Air
has very good insulation values at atmos-
pheric pressure and at very low pressures
The minimum breakdown voltage of 300 V
is at a ps product of 1000 Pa mm PICMA
Stack with nominal voltages of considerably
less than 300 V can therefore be operated at
any intermediate pressure In order to pre-
vent breakdowns, PICA piezo actuators with
nominal voltages of more than 300 V, howe-
ver, should not be operated or only be driven
at strongly reduced voltages when air is in
the pressure range of 100 to 50000 Pa
Outgassing
The outgassing behavior depends on the
design and construction of the piezo actua-
tors PICMA
actuators are manufactured completely
without ferromagnetic materials PICA stack
actuators are optionally available without
ferromagnetic components Residual mag-
netisms in the range of a few nanotesla have
been measured for these products
Gamma Radiation
PICMA
series have an
all-ceramic insulation, which considerab-
ly improves their lifetime in damp ambient
conditions compared to polymer-coated
actuators (p 59)
Liquids
Encapsulated PICMA
or specially encased
PICA actuators are available for use in
liquids For all other actuator types, direct
contact with liquids should be avoided
Highly insulating liquids can be exceptions to
this rule Normally, however, the compatibili-
ty of the actuators with these liquids must be
checked in lifetime tests
In case of questions regar-
ding use in special envi-
ronments, please contact
info@piceramiccom
59
P I E z O t E C h n O l O g y
Lifetime when Exposed to DC-Voltage
In nanopositioning applications, constant
voltages are usually applied to the piezo
actuator for extended periods of time In
the DC operating mode, the lifetime is in-
fuenced mainly by atmospheric humidity
If the humidity and voltage values are very
high, chemical reactions can occur and
release hydrogen molecules which then de-
stroy the ceramic 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 inorga-
nic ceramic protective layer (p 42) prevents
the internal electrodes from being exposed
to water molecules and thus increases the
lifetime by several orders of magnitude (fg
43)
Quasi-static Conditions: Accelerated Life-
time Test
Due to their high reliability, it is virtually
impossible to experimentally determine
the lifetime of PICMA
actuators
amounts to more than 400,000 h (approx
47 years) while comparative actuators with
polymer coating have an MTTF of only
approx one month under these conditions
Tests under near-realistic conditions con-
frm or even surpass these results
Calculation of the Lifetime when Exposed
to DC-Voltage
Elaborate investigations have been done
to develop a model for calculation of the
lifetime of PICMA
piezo
actuators Preloaded PICMA
actuators with
dimensions of 5 x 5 x 36 mm were loaded at
room temperature and compressed air coo-
ling with a sinusoidal signal of 120 V unipo-
lar voltage at 1,157 Hz, which corresponds
to 10
8
cycles daily Even after more than 10
10
cycles, there was not a single failure and the
actuators showed no signifcant changes in
displacement
Patented Design Reduces the Mechanical
Stress
PICMA
actuator design with its defned
slots preventing uncontrolled
cracking due to stretching upon
dynamic control is clearly visible
Fig 45: Diagram for calculati-
on of the lifetime of PICMA
stack actuators when exposed
to DC-voltage For continuous
operation at 100 V DC and 75%
relative humidity (RH) and an
ambient temperature of 45C,
the following values can be
read from the diagram: A
F
=14
(humidity, blue curve), A
T
=100
(temperature, red curve), and
A
U
=75 (operating voltage,
black curve) The product
results in a mean lifetime of
105,000 h, more than 11 years
61
P I E z O t E C h n O l O g y
Piezo Electronics for Operating Piezo Actuators
ChARACt ERI st I C bEhAVI OR OF PI EzO AMPl I F I ERs
Fast settling or slow speed with high con-
stancy, high positional stability, high resolution
and high dynamics the requirements placed
on piezo systems vary greatly and need a
control with a high degree of fexibility
The control electronics play a key role in the
performance of piezoelectric actuators and
nanopositioning systems Ultra-low-noise,
high-stability linear amplifers are essential
for precise positioning, because piezo actua-
tors respond to the smallest changes in the
control voltage with a displacement Noise
or drifting must be avoided as much as pos-
sible The prerequisite for the high-dynamics
displacement of the actuator is for the voltage
source to provide suffcient current to charge
the capacitance
Power Requirements for Piezo Operation
The operating limit of an amplifer with a
given piezo actuator depends on the amplifer
power, the amplifer design and the capaci-
tance of the piezo ceramics (cf p 5657) In
high-dynamics applications, piezo actuators
require high charge and discharge currents
The peak current is of special importance,
particularly for sinusoidal operation or pulse
operation Piezo amplifers from PI are there-
fore designed so that they can output and sink
high peak currents If an amplifer is operated
with a capacitive load and frequency at which
it can no longer produce the required current,
the output signal will be distorted As a
result, the full displacement can no longer be
attained
Amplifer Frequency Response Curve
The operating limits of each amplifer model
are measured with different piezo loads de-
pending on the frequency and output volta-
ge and are graphically displayed as amplifer
response curves to make the selection easier
The measurements are performed after 15
minutes of continuous operation (piezo and
amplifer) at room temperature In cold condi-
tion after power up, more power can be brief-
ly available
The power amplifer operates linearly within
its operating limits so that the control signal
is amplifed without distortion In particular,
no thermal limitation takes place, ie the am-
plifer does not overheat, which could cause
distortions of the sine wave The amplifer
continuously provides the output voltage
even over a long time This amplifer respon-
se curve cannot be used for peak values that
are only available for a short period
The curves refer to open-loop operation; in
closed-loop operation, other factors limit the
dynamics
Setting the Operating Voltage
After the operating limit of the amplifer has
been reached, the amplitude of the opera-
ting voltage must be reduced by the same
proportion as the output voltage falls, if the
frequencies continue to increase This is
important because the current require-
ment continuously increases along with the
frequency Otherwise, the output signal will
be distorted
Example: The E-503 (E-663) amplifer can
operate a 23 F piezo capacitance with
an output voltage of 100 V and a maximum
frequency of approximately 15 Hz (with sine
wave excitation) At higher frequencies the
operating limit decreases, e g to 80 V at
20 Hz In order to obtain a distortion-free
output signal at this frequency, the control
input voltage must be reduced to 8 V (voltage
gain = 10)
Fig 47: Amplifer frequency
response curve, determined with
different piezo loads, capacitance
values in F Control signal sine,
operation period > 15 min, 20 C
Here: E-617, a switched amplifer
with energy recovery
62
w w w. P I C E R A MI C . C O M
Piezo Electronics for Operating Piezo Actuators
sOl ut I Ons F OR hI gh- dynAMI Cs 24/7 OPERAt I On
Switching Amplifers with Energy
Recovery
Piezo actuators are often used for an es-
pecially precise materials processing, for
example in mechanical engineering for fne
positioning in milling and turning machines
These require high forces as well as dyna-
mics The piezo actuators are correspon-
dingly dimensioned for high forces; ie
piezo actuators with a high capacitance are
used here Particularly high currents are
required to charge and discharge them with
the necessary dynamics The control of
valves also requires similar properties
Energy Recovery Minimizes the Energy
Consumption in Continuous Operation
Since these applications frequently run
around the clock, seven days a week, the
energy consumption of the amplifer is
particularly important For this purpose,
PI offers switching amplifer 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 effciency In addition,
a patented circuitry for energy recovery is
integrated: this stores part of the returning
energy in a capacitive store when a piezo is
discharged and makes the energy available
again for the next charging operation This
permits energy savings of up to 80% to be
realized Furthermore, the amplifer does
not heat up so much and thus infuences the
actual application less
Unlike conventional class D switching
amplifers, PI switching amplifers for
piezo elements are current- and voltage-
controlled Product examples are the E-617
for PICMA
piezo actuators
64
w w w. P I C E R A MI C . C O M
Handling
Piezo actuators are subject to high mechani-
cal and electrical loads Moreover, the brittle
ceramic or crystalline materials require
careful handling
Avoid mechanical shocks to the actuator,
which can occur during falls, for example
Do not use metal tools during installation
Avoid scratching the ceramic or polymer
coating and the end surfaces during ins-
tallation and use
Prevent the ceramic or polymer insulation
from coming into contact with conductive
liquids (such as sweat) as well as metal
dust
If the actuator is operated in a vacuum:
Observe the information on the per-
missible piezo voltages in particular pres-
sure ranges (p 58)
If the actuator can come into contact with
insulating liquids such as silicone or hyd-
raulic oils, contact info@piceramicde
If the actuator has accidently become dir-
ty, carefully clean the actuator with isop-
ropanol or ethanol before putting it back
into operation Next, completely dry it in
a drying cabinet Never use acetone for
cleaning When cleaning in an ultrasonic
bath, reduce the energy input to the ne-
cessary minimum
Recommendation: Wear gloves and
protective glasses during installation and
start-up
DuraAct patch actuators and encapsulated
PICMA
Chip actuators, since these surfaces are not
re-ground after sintering (fg 55)
F
R
A
G
I
L
E
Tensile
stresses
Tensile
stresses
Unbenannt-2 1 30.03.12 16:56
F
R
A
G
I
L
E
Tensile
stresses
Tensile
stresses
Unbenannt-2 1 30.03.12 16:56
F
R
A
G
I
L
E
Tensile
stresses
Tensile
stresses
Unbenannt-2 1 30.03.12 16:56
F
R
A
G
I
L
E
Tensile
stresses
Tensile
stresses
Unbenannt-2 1 30.03.12 16:56
F
R
A
G
I
L
E
Tensile
stresses
Tensile
stresses
Unbenannt-2 1 30.03.12 16:56
F
R
A
G
I
L
E
Tensile
stresses
Tensile
stresses
Unbenannt-2 1 30.03.12 16:56
F
R
A
G
I
L
E
Tensile
stresses
Tensile
stresses
Unbenannt-2 1 30.03.12 16:56
F
R
A
G
I
L
E
Tensile
stresses
Tensile
stresses
Unbenannt-2 1 30.03.12 16:56
Fig 52: Avoiding lateral forces and
torques
Fig 54: Avoiding tensile stresses
by means of a mechanical preload
Fig 55: Mounting by gluing of a one-sidedly
clamped bending actuator
Fig 53: Prevention of torques
OF PI EzO ACt uAt ORs
65
P I E z O t E C h n O l O g y
Applying a Preload (fg. 54)
Create the preload either externally in
the mechanical structure or internally in
a case
Apply the preload near the axis within the
core cross-section of the actuator
If the actuator is dynamically operated and
the preload is created with a spring: Use
a spring whose total stiffness is approxi-
mately one order of magnitude less than
that of the actuator
Introducing the Load Evenly (fg. 56)
The parallelism tolerances of the mecha-
nical system and the actuator result in an
irregular load distribution Therefore, com-
pressive stresses may cause tensile stresses
in the actuator As regards the even appli-
cation of the load, there are different de-
sign solutions that differ from each other in
terms of the axial stiffness, the separability
of the connection as well as the rotatability
in operation, eg in the case of lever ampli-
fcation
Gluing the actuator (p 64, Gluing section)
Hardened spherical end piece with point
contact to even opposing surface
Hardened spherical end piece with ring
contact to a spherical cap
Connection via a fexure joint
If the actuator is coupled in a milling po-
cket, make sure that there is full-area con-
tact on the end surface of the actuator For
this purpose, select the dimensions of the
milling pocket correspondingly or make
free cuts in the milling pocket (Fig 57)
If a point load is applied to the end piece
of the actuator: Dimension the end piece
so that its thickness corresponds to half
the cross-sectional dimension in order to
prevent tensile stresses on the actuator
(fg 58)
Electrical Connection (fg 59)
From an electrical point of view, piezo
actuators are capacitors that can store a
great amount of energy Their high internal
resistances lead to very slow discharges
with time constants in the range of hours
Mechanical or thermal loads electrically
charge the actuator
Connect the case or the surrounding me-
chanics to a protective earth conductor in
accordance with the standards
Electrically insulate the actuator against
the peripheral mechanics At the same
time, observe the legal regulations for the
respective application
Observe the polarity of the actuator du-
ring connection
Only mount the actuator when it is short-
circuited
When the actuator has charged: Dis-
charge the actuator in a controlled
manner with a 10 k resistance Avoid
directly short-circuiting the terminals of
the actuator
Do not pull out the connecting cable to
the amplifer when voltage is present
The mechanical impulse triggered by this
could damage the actuator
Safe Operation
Reduce the DC voltage as much as
possible during operation of the actuator
(p 59) You can decrease offset voltages
with semibipolar operation
Always switch off the actuator when it is
not needed
Avoid steep edges in the piezo voltage,
since they can trigger strong dynamic
forces when the actuator does not have
a preload Steep edges can occur, for
example, when digital wave generators
are switched on
F
R
A
G
I
L
E
Tensile
stresses
Tensile
stresses
Unbenannt-2 1 30.03.12 16:56
F
R
A
G
I
L
E
Tensile
stresses
Tensile
stresses
Unbenannt-2 1 30.03.12 16:56
F
R
A
G
I
L
E
Tensile
stresses
Tensile
stresses
Unbenannt-2 1 30.03.12 16:56
F
R
A
G
I
L
E
Tensile
stresses
Tensile
stresses
Unbenannt-2 1 30.03.12 16:56
F
R
A
G
I
L
E
Tensile
stresses
Tensile
stresses
Unbenannt-2 1 30.03.12 16:56
F
R
A
G
I
L
E
Tensile
stresses
Tensile
stresses
Unbenannt-2 1 30.03.12 16:56
F
R
A
G
I
L
E
Tensile
stresses
Tensile
stresses
Unbenannt-2 1 30.03.12 16:56
F
R
A
G
I
L
E
Tensile
stresses
Tensile
stresses
Unbenannt-2 1 30.03.12 16:56
Fig 56: Avoiding an irregular load application
Fig 57: Full-area contact of the
actuator
Fig 58: Proper dimensioning of
the end pieces in the case of point
contact
Fig 59: Mechanical loads electri-
cally charge the actuator Moun-
ting only when short-circuited
66
w w w. P I C E R A MI C . C O M
PI (Physik Instrumente) is the leading supplier
of piezo-based positioning systems with accu-
racies in the range of a few nanometers.
The extensive product portfolio is based on a
wide range of technologies with electromotive
or piezoelectric drives for up to six motion axes.
Hexapods, nanometer sensors, control electro-
nics as well as software and are supplemented
by customized solutions.
All key technologies are developed in-house.
This means that every phase from the design
right down to the shipment can be controlled:
The precision mechanics and the electronics as
well as the position sensors and the piezo cera-
mics or actuators. The latter are produced by
the subsidiary company PI Ceramic.
PI is, therefore, the only manufacturer of nano-
positioning technology which employs the
piezoelectric drives it produces. This ensures a
high degree of flexibility for developing custo-
mized piezoceramic components.
More than 100 patents and patents applied for
stand for more than 40 years of experience and
pioneering work. PI products are employed
wherever technology in industry and research
is pushed forward worldwide.
With four German factories and ten subsidiaries
and sales offices abroad, the PI group is repre-
sented internationally.
PI stands for quality in products, processes and
service. The ISO-9001 certification, which focu-
ses not only on product quality but also on
customer expectations and satisfaction, was
achieved back in 1994.
PI is also certified according to the ISO 14001
(environmental management) and OHSAS
18001 (occupational safety) standards, which
taken together form an Integrated Manage-
ment System (IMS).
Future Technology
Solutions
Today PI delivers micro -
and nanopositioning solu-
tions for all important
high -tech markets:
n Semiconductor technology
n Optical metrology,
microscopy
n Biotechnology and
medical devices
n Precision automation
and handling
n Precision machining
n Data storage technology
n Photonics, tele-
communications
n Nanotechnology
n Micropositioning
n Aviation and aerospace
n Astronomy
FOR I ndustRy And REsEARCh
Drives that Set the World in Motion
P I E z O t E C h n O l O g y
1970 PI founding year
1977 PI headquarters move to Waldbronn,
Germany
1987 Foundation of a subsidiary in the USA
1991 Foundation of a subsidiary in Japan
1991 Market launch of 6-axis parallel-
kinematics positioning systems
(Hexapods)
1992 Foundation of PI Ceramic, Thuringia,
Germany; crucial step towards market
leadership in nanopositioning
1993 Foundation of subsidiaries in the UK
and in France
1994 Market launch of capacitive position
sensors
1995 Foundation of a subsidiary in Italy
1998 Market launch of digital control
electronics
2001 Market launch of PILine
Ultrasonic
Piezomotors
2001 New company building in Karlsruhe,
Germany
2002 PI Ceramic company building extended
2002 Foundation of a subsidiary in China
2002 Market launch of PICMA
multilayer
Piezo stack actuators
2004 Market launch of NEXLINE
high-
performance piezo linear drives
2007 Market launch of NEXACT
piezo
linear drives
2010 Acquisition of the expansion site next
to the PI headquarters
2011 Foundation of a subsidiary in Korea
2011 Foundation of a subsidiary in Singapore
2011 Acquisition of the majority shares of
miCos GmbH
2012 Extension of the buildings in Karlsruhe
and Lederhose
A s u C C E s s s t O R y
Milestones
67
68
w w w. P I C E R A MI C . C O M
1
WWW. P I . WS
P I E Z O N A N O P O S I T I O N I N G P I E Z O N A N O P O S I T I O N I N G
NANOPOSI TI ONI ERSYSTEME, MI KROSTELLTECHNI K &
NANOMESSTECHNI K
Produktportfolio
Integrationsstufen vom preis-
gnstigen OEM-Antrieb bis zum
mehrachsigen Positioniersystem
Beliebige, unbegrenzte Stellwege
Mechanisch einfach integrierbar
Selbsthemmend im Ruhezustand
Haltekraft bis 15 N
Geschwindigkeit bis 500 mm/s
Ultraschall-Piezomotoren knnen klassische Motor-Spin-
del-Kombinationen oder magnetische Antriebe ersetzen
und ermglichen bei der Integration in Positioniersyste-
me besonders niedrige Profilhhen. Sie bieten auf klein-
stem Bauraum dynamisches Start-/Stoppverhalten, hohe
Ge schwindigkeit und Selbsthemmung. PI bietet minia-
tu ri sierte Varianten, OEM-Motoren und -Antriebe sowie
kom plette Positioniersysteme mit Controller an. Piezo-
motoren von PI sind im Prinzip vakuumtauglich und fr
den Betrieb unter starken Magnet feldern geeignet.
PILine
Ultraschall-Piezomotoren
Klein und schnell ber groe Strecken
Nanopositionierung
Auflsung bis in den Picometer-Bereich
Von linearen Achsen bis hin zu
6 Freiheitsgraden der Bewegung
Parallelkinematisches Prinzip
fr mehrachsige Systeme
Versionen mit direkter Positions-
messung
kapazitive Sensoren:
Sub-Nanometer-Auflsung
Inkrementelle Sensoren: Nano-
meter-Auflsung, groe Mess-
bereiche
Variabel in Bauform, Stellweg und
Przisionsklasse
Nanopositioniersysteme bieten Bewegungsauflsung
und Positioniergenauigkeit im Bereich von Nanometern
und darunter. Die Zielposition wird innerhalb weniger
Millisekunden erreicht und stabil gehalten. Als Antrieb
werden Piezoaktoren oder Piezoschreitantriebe einge-
setzt. Eine Optimierung der Systemperformance wird
durch digitale Motion Controller erzielt. Bentigt werden
diese Systeme beispielsweise in der optischen Mess-
technik, Mikroskopie oder Chipherstellung. Um die erfor-
derliche Positionsauflsung und Stabilitt zu erzielen,
entwickelt und fertigt PI die Sensorik selbst und bietet
diese als eigenstndige Produktlinie an.
Zwei Prinzipien:
NEXLINE
: schnelle Bewegung
und bis zu 10 N Stellkraft
Integrationsstufen vom preis-
gnstigen OEM-Antrieb bis zum
mehrachsigen Positioniersystem
Kompakte Bauform, variabler Stell-
weg durch variable Luferlnge
Nanometer-Auflsung
Vakuumkompatibel und
nichtmagnetisch
Piezoschreitantriebe bertragen die Vorteile von Piezo-
aktoren auf Anwendungen mit greren Stellwegen.
Das Zusammenspiel der Bewegung einzelner Aktoren
bewirkt eine Schreitbewegung mit hoher Auflsung und
Dynamik innerhalb eines Schritts und ermglicht dabei
prinzipiell unbegrenzte Stellwege. Die Aktoren sind
gegen den bewegten Lufer vorgespannt. Der Antrieb
ist somit im ausgeschalteten Zustand selbsthemmend
ohne Haltestrme oder zustzliche mechanische Kom-
ponenten. Dadurch treten keine Erwrmung oder Regel-
zittern auf, der Antrieb steht stabil.
PiezoWalk
Schreitantriebe
ber Millimeter przise positionieren
pi_120226_portfolio_musterseite.indd 1 26.03.12 13:47
1
WWW. P I . WS
P I E Z O N A N O P O S I T I O N I N G P I E Z O N A N O P O S I T I O N I N G
NANOPOSI TI ONI ERSYSTEME, MI KROSTELLTECHNI K &
NANOMESSTECHNI K
Produktportfolio
Integrationsstufen vom preis-
gnstigen OEM-Antrieb bis zum
mehrachsigen Positioniersystem
Beliebige, unbegrenzte Stellwege
Mechanisch einfach integrierbar
Selbsthemmend im Ruhezustand
Haltekraft bis 15 N
Geschwindigkeit bis 500 mm/s
Ultraschall-Piezomotoren knnen klassische Motor-Spin-
del-Kombinationen oder magnetische Antriebe ersetzen
und ermglichen bei der Integration in Positioniersyste-
me besonders niedrige Profilhhen. Sie bieten auf klein-
stem Bauraum dynamisches Start-/Stoppverhalten, hohe
Ge schwindigkeit und Selbsthemmung. PI bietet minia-
tu ri sierte Varianten, OEM-Motoren und -Antriebe sowie
kom plette Positioniersysteme mit Controller an. Piezo-
motoren von PI sind im Prinzip vakuumtauglich und fr
den Betrieb unter starken Magnet feldern geeignet.
PILine
Ultraschall-Piezomotoren
Klein und schnell ber groe Strecken
Nanopositionierung
Auflsung bis in den Picometer-Bereich
Von linearen Achsen bis hin zu
6 Freiheitsgraden der Bewegung
Parallelkinematisches Prinzip
fr mehrachsige Systeme
Versionen mit direkter Positions-
messung
kapazitive Sensoren:
Sub-Nanometer-Auflsung
Inkrementelle Sensoren: Nano-
meter-Auflsung, groe Mess-
bereiche
Variabel in Bauform, Stellweg und
Przisionsklasse
Nanopositioniersysteme bieten Bewegungsauflsung
und Positioniergenauigkeit im Bereich von Nanometern
und darunter. Die Zielposition wird innerhalb weniger
Millisekunden erreicht und stabil gehalten. Als Antrieb
werden Piezoaktoren oder Piezoschreitantriebe einge-
setzt. Eine Optimierung der Systemperformance wird
durch digitale Motion Controller erzielt. Bentigt werden
diese Systeme beispielsweise in der optischen Mess-
technik, Mikroskopie oder Chipherstellung. Um die erfor-
derliche Positionsauflsung und Stabilitt zu erzielen,
entwickelt und fertigt PI die Sensorik selbst und bietet
diese als eigenstndige Produktlinie an.
Zwei Prinzipien:
NEXLINE
: schnelle Bewegung
und bis zu 10 N Stellkraft
Integrationsstufen vom preis-
gnstigen OEM-Antrieb bis zum
mehrachsigen Positioniersystem
Kompakte Bauform, variabler Stell-
weg durch variable Luferlnge
Nanometer-Auflsung
Vakuumkompatibel und
nichtmagnetisch
Piezoschreitantriebe bertragen die Vorteile von Piezo-
aktoren auf Anwendungen mit greren Stellwegen.
Das Zusammenspiel der Bewegung einzelner Aktoren
bewirkt eine Schreitbewegung mit hoher Auflsung und
Dynamik innerhalb eines Schritts und ermglicht dabei
prinzipiell unbegrenzte Stellwege. Die Aktoren sind
gegen den bewegten Lufer vorgespannt. Der Antrieb
ist somit im ausgeschalteten Zustand selbsthemmend
ohne Haltestrme oder zustzliche mechanische Kom-
ponenten. Dadurch treten keine Erwrmung oder Regel-
zittern auf, der Antrieb steht stabil.
PiezoWalk
Schreitantriebe
ber Millimeter przise positionieren
pi_120226_portfolio_musterseite.indd 1 26.03.12 13:47
1
WWW. P I . WS
P I E Z O N A N O P O S I T I O N I N G P I E Z O N A N O P O S I T I O N I N G
NANOPOSI TI ONI ERSYSTEME, MI KROSTELLTECHNI K &
NANOMESSTECHNI K
Produktportfolio
Integrationsstufen vom preis-
gnstigen OEM-Antrieb bis zum
mehrachsigen Positioniersystem
Beliebige, unbegrenzte Stellwege
Mechanisch einfach integrierbar
Selbsthemmend im Ruhezustand
Haltekraft bis 15 N
Geschwindigkeit bis 500 mm/s
Ultraschall-Piezomotoren knnen klassische Motor-Spin-
del-Kombinationen oder magnetische Antriebe ersetzen
und ermglichen bei der Integration in Positioniersyste-
me besonders niedrige Profilhhen. Sie bieten auf klein-
stem Bauraum dynamisches Start-/Stoppverhalten, hohe
Ge schwindigkeit und Selbsthemmung. PI bietet minia-
tu ri sierte Varianten, OEM-Motoren und -Antriebe sowie
kom plette Positioniersysteme mit Controller an. Piezo-
motoren von PI sind im Prinzip vakuumtauglich und fr
den Betrieb unter starken Magnet feldern geeignet.
PILine
Ultraschall-Piezomotoren
Klein und schnell ber groe Strecken
Nanopositionierung
Auflsung bis in den Picometer-Bereich
Von linearen Achsen bis hin zu
6 Freiheitsgraden der Bewegung
Parallelkinematisches Prinzip
fr mehrachsige Systeme
Versionen mit direkter Positions-
messung
kapazitive Sensoren:
Sub-Nanometer-Auflsung
Inkrementelle Sensoren: Nano-
meter-Auflsung, groe Mess-
bereiche
Variabel in Bauform, Stellweg und
Przisionsklasse
Nanopositioniersysteme bieten Bewegungsauflsung
und Positioniergenauigkeit im Bereich von Nanometern
und darunter. Die Zielposition wird innerhalb weniger
Millisekunden erreicht und stabil gehalten. Als Antrieb
werden Piezoaktoren oder Piezoschreitantriebe einge-
setzt. Eine Optimierung der Systemperformance wird
durch digitale Motion Controller erzielt. Bentigt werden
diese Systeme beispielsweise in der optischen Mess-
technik, Mikroskopie oder Chipherstellung. Um die erfor-
derliche Positionsauflsung und Stabilitt zu erzielen,
entwickelt und fertigt PI die Sensorik selbst und bietet
diese als eigenstndige Produktlinie an.
Zwei Prinzipien:
NEXLINE
: schnelle Bewegung
und bis zu 10 N Stellkraft
Integrationsstufen vom preis-
gnstigen OEM-Antrieb bis zum
mehrachsigen Positioniersystem
Kompakte Bauform, variabler Stell-
weg durch variable Luferlnge
Nanometer-Auflsung
Vakuumkompatibel und
nichtmagnetisch
Piezoschreitantriebe bertragen die Vorteile von Piezo-
aktoren auf Anwendungen mit greren Stellwegen.
Das Zusammenspiel der Bewegung einzelner Aktoren
bewirkt eine Schreitbewegung mit hoher Auflsung und
Dynamik innerhalb eines Schritts und ermglicht dabei
prinzipiell unbegrenzte Stellwege. Die Aktoren sind
gegen den bewegten Lufer vorgespannt. Der Antrieb
ist somit im ausgeschalteten Zustand selbsthemmend
ohne Haltestrme oder zustzliche mechanische Kom-
ponenten. Dadurch treten keine Erwrmung oder Regel-
zittern auf, der Antrieb steht stabil.
PiezoWalk
Schreitantriebe
ber Millimeter przise positionieren
pi_120226_portfolio_musterseite.indd 1 26.03.12 13:47
nAnOPOsI tI OnI ng systEMs, MI CROPOsI tI OnI ng
tEChnOlOgy & nAnOMEtROlOgy
Product Portfolio
Nanopositioning
Resolution Down to Picometers
Nanopositioning systems achieve motion resolu-
tions and positioning accuracy in the nanometer
range and below The target position is achieved
within a few milliseconds and stably maintained
Piezo actuators or piezo stepping drives are used
as drives Digital motion controllers optimize the
performance of the system These systems are
required in optical metrology, microscopy, or in
microchip production To achieve the necessary
position resolution and stability, PI manufactures
and develops the sensor systems and offers these
as an independent product line
From linear axes to motion in 6
degrees of freedom
Parallel-kinematic principle for multi-
axis systems
Versions with direct position mea-
surement
capacitive sensors:
Subnanometer resolution
Incremental sensors: Nanometer
resolution, wide measurement
ranges
Available in a variety of designs,
travel ranges, and precision classes
PiezoWalk
Stepping Drives
Precise Positioning over Several Millimeters
Piezo stepping drives transfer the advantages of
conventional piezo actuators to applications with
larger travel ranges The interplay of the motion
of individual actuators brings about a walk mo-
tion with high resolution and dynamics within a
single step and thus, in principle, allows unlimi-
ted travel ranges The actuators are prestressed
against the moving slider The drive is therefore
self-locking when switched off without holding
currents or additional mechanical components
There is therefore no heat dissipation or control
dither, the position is maintained with a high de-
gree of stability
Two principles:
NEXLINE
: Generated force up to
600 N
NEXACT
Ultraschall-Piezomotoren oder
NEXACT
Ultraschall-Piezomotoren oder
NEXACT
Ultraschall-Piezomotoren oder
NEXACT
ul-
trasonic piezomotors or NEXACT
piezo stepping
drives The precision of the system depends on
the integrated drive, position sensor, and guides
In conventional motors, the quality of the gear,
the spindle, or the worm drive play also an essen-
tial role Digital controls with suitable control and
linearization methods make it possible to improve
the system characteristics
WWW. P I . WS
P I E Z O N A N O P O S I T I O N I N G
JAPAN
PI Japan Co., Ltd.
Tachikawa
Business Center Bldg. 5F
2-38-5 Akebono-cho
Tachikawa-shi, Tokyo 190-0012
Tel. +81 (42) 526 7300
Fax +81 (42) 526 7301
[email protected]
www.pi-japan.jp
PI Japan Co., Ltd.
Hanahara Daini Bldg. #703
4-11-27 Nishinakajima
Yodogawa-ku, Osaka-shi
Osaka 532-0011
Tel. +81 (6) 6304 5605
Fax +81 (6) 6304 5606
[email protected]
www.pi-japan.jp
ITALY
Physik Instrumente (PI) S. r. l.
Via G. Marconi, 28
20091 Bresso (MI)
Tel. +39 (02) 665 011 01
Fax +39 (02) 610 396 56
[email protected]
www.pionline.it
CHINA
Physik Instrumente
(PI Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
Building No. 7-106
Longdong Avenue 3000
201203 Shanghai, China
Tel. +86 (21) 518 792 98
Fax +86 (21) 687 900 98
[email protected]
www.pi-china.cn
UK & IRELAND
PI (Physik Instrumente) Ltd.
Trent House, University Way,
Cranfield Technology Park,
Cranfield, Bedford MK43 0AN
Tel. +44 (1234) 756 360
Fax +44 (1234) 756 369
[email protected]
www.physikinstrumente.co.uk
FRANCE
PI France S.A.S.
244 bis, avenue Marx Dormoy
92120 Montrouge
Tel. +33 (1) 55 22 60 00
Fax +33 (1) 41 48 56 62
[email protected]
www.pifrance.fr
Subsidiaries
USA (East) & CANADA USA (West) & MEXIKO
PI (Physik Instrumente) L.P.
16 Albert St.
Auburn, MA 01501
Tel. +1 (508) 832 3456
Fax +1 (508) 832 0506
[email protected]
www.pi-usa.us
PI (Physik Instrumente) L.P.
5420 Trabuco Rd., Suite 100
Irvine, CA 92620
Tel. +1 (949) 679 9191
Fax +1 (949) 679 9292
[email protected]
www.pi-usa.us
SOUTH EAST ASIA
PI (Physik Instrumente)
Singapore LLP
20 Sin Ming Lane
#05-60 Midview City
Singapore 573968
Tel. +65 665 98400
Fax +65 665 98404
[email protected]
www.pi-singapore.sg
For ID / MY / PH / SG / TH
KOREA
PI Korea Ltd.
6F Jeongu Bldg.
Cheonho-Daero 1111
Gangdong-gu
138-814 Seoul
Tel. +82 2475 0060
Fax +82 2475 3663
[email protected]
www.pi-korea.ws
Headquarters
GERMANY
Physik Instrumente (PI)
GmbH & Co. KG
Auf der Roemerstr. 1
76228 Karlsruhe/Palmbach
Tel. +49 (721) 4846-0
Fax +49 (721) 4846-1019
[email protected]
www.pi.ws
PI miCos GmbH
Eschbach
[email protected]
www.pimicos.de
PI Ceramic GmbH
Lederhose
[email protected]
www.piceramic.de
pi_rueckseite_e_A4.indd 1 23.01.12 11:24
w w w. P I C E R A MI C . C O M
WWW. P I C E R A MI C . C O M
P I E Z O T E C H N O L O G Y
JAPAN
PI Japan Co., Ltd.
Tachikawa
Business Center Bldg. 5F
2-38-5 Akebono-cho
Tachikawa-shi, Tokyo 190-0012
Tel. +81 (42) 526 7300
Fax +81 (42) 526 7301
[email protected]
www.pi-japan.jp
PI Japan Co., Ltd.
Hanahara Daini Bldg. #703
4-11-27 Nishinakajima
Yodogawa-ku, Osaka-shi
Osaka 532-0011
Tel. +81 (6) 6304 5605
Fax +81 (6) 6304 5606
[email protected]
www.pi-japan.jp
ITALY
Physik Instrumente (PI) S. r. l.
Via G. Marconi, 28
20091 Bresso (MI)
Tel. +39 (02) 665 011 01
Fax +39 (02) 610 396 56
[email protected]
www.pionline.it
CHINA
Physik Instrumente
(PI Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
Building No. 7-106
Longdong Avenue 3000
201203 Shanghai, China
Tel. +86 (21) 518 792 98
Fax +86 (21) 687 900 98
[email protected]
www.pi-china.cn
UK & IRELAND
PI (Physik Instrumente) Ltd.
Trent House, University Way,
Cranfield Technology Park,
Cranfield, Bedford MK43 0AN
Tel. +44 (1234) 756 360
Fax +44 (1234) 756 369
[email protected]
www.physikinstrumente.co.uk
FRANCE
PI France S.A.S.
244 bis, avenue Marx Dormoy
92120 Montrouge
Tel. +33 (1) 55 22 60 00
Fax +33 (1) 41 48 56 62
[email protected]
www.pifrance.fr
Subsidiaries
USA (East) & CANADA USA (West) & MEXIKO
PI (Physik Instrumente) L.P.
16 Albert St.
Auburn, MA 01501
Tel. +1 (508) 832 3456
Fax +1 (508) 832 0506
[email protected]
www.pi-usa.us
PI (Physik Instrumente) L.P.
5420 Trabuco Rd., Suite 100
Irvine, CA 92620
Tel. +1 (949) 679 9191
Fax +1 (949) 679 9292
[email protected]
www.pi-usa.us
SOUTH EAST ASIA
PI (Physik Instrumente)
Singapore LLP
20 Sin Ming Lane
#05-60 Midview City
Singapore 573968
Tel. +65 665 98400
Fax +65 665 98404
[email protected]
www.pi-singapore.sg
For ID / MY / PH / SG / TH
KOREA
PI Korea Ltd.
6F Jeongu Bldg.
Cheonho-Daero 1111
Gangdong-gu
138-814 Seoul
Tel. +82 2475 0060
Fax +82 2475 3663
[email protected]
www.pi-korea.ws
Headquarters
GERMANY
PI Ceramic GmbH
Lindenstr.
07589 Lederhose
Tel. +49 (36604) 882-0
Fax +49 (36604) 882-4109
[email protected]
www.piceramic.de
Physik Instrumente (PI)
GmbH & Co. KG
Karlsruhe
[email protected]
www.pi.ws
PI miCos GmbH
Eschbach
[email protected]
www.pimicos.de
pi_ceramic_rueckseite_e_A4_neu.indd 1 05.06.12 13:53
P I E Z O T E C H N O L O G Y
Piezoelectric
Ceramic Products
FUNDAMENTALS, CHARACTERI STI CS AND APPLI CATI ONS
PI EZOCERAMI C
MATERI ALS
COMPONENTS
I NTEGRATI ON
P I E Z O N A N O P O S I T I O N I N G
Headquarters
GERMANY
Physik Instrumente (PI)
GmbH & Co. KG
Auf der Roemerstrae 1
76228 Karlsruhe/Palmbach
Tel: +49 (721) 4846-0
Fax: +49 (721) 4846-1019
Email: [email protected]
www.pi.ws
Subsidiaries
USA & CANADA (East)
PI (Physik Instrumente) L.P.
16 Albert St.
Auburn, MA 01501
Tel: +1 (508) 832 3456
Fax: +1 (508) 832 0506
Email: [email protected]
www.pi-usa.us
JAPAN
PI Japan Co., Ltd.
Akebono-cho 2-38-5
Tachikawa-shi
Tokyo 190-0012
Tel: +81 (42) 526 7300
Fax: +81 (42) 526 7301
Email: [email protected]
www.pi-japan.jp
PI Japan Co., Ltd.
Hanahara Dai-Ni-Building #703
4-11-27 Nishinakajima,
Yodogawa-ku, Osaka-shi,
Osaka 532-0011
Tel: +81 (6) 6304 5605
Fax: +81 (6) 6304 5606
Email: [email protected]
www.pi-japan.jp
UK & IRELAND
PI (Physik Instrumente) Ltd.
Trent House, University Way,
Cranfield Technology Park,
Cranfield, Bedford MK43 0AN
Tel: +44 (1234) 756 360
Fax: +44 (1234) 756 369
Email: [email protected]
www.physikinstrumente.co.uk
FRANCE
PI France S.A.S.
244 bis, avenue Marx Dormoy
92120 Montrouge
Tel: +33 (1) 55 22 60 00
Fax: +33 (1) 41 48 56 62
Email: [email protected]
www.pi-france.fr
ITALY
Physik Instrumente (PI) S. r. l.
Via G. Marconi, 28
20091 Bresso (MI)
Tel: +39 (02) 665 011 01
Fax: +39 (02) 610 396 56
Email: [email protected]
www.pionline.it
CHINA
Physik Instrumente
(PI Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
Building No. 7-106
Longdong Avenue 3000
201203 Shanghai
Tel: +86 (21) 518 792 98
Fax: +86 (21) 687 900 98
Email: [email protected]
www.pi-china.cn
PI Ceramic GmbH
Lindenstrae
07589 Lederhose
Tel: +49 (36604) 882-0
Fax: +49 (36604) 882-4109
Email: [email protected]
www.piceramic.de
USA & CANADA (West)
& MEXIKO
C
A
T
1
2
5
E
P
i
e
z
o
e
l
e
c
t
r
i
c
C
e
r
a
m
i
c
P
r
o
d
u
c
t
s
1
1
/
0
5
/
0
9
.
2
,
7
;
S
u
b
j
e
c
t
t
o
c
h
a
n
g
e
w
i
t
h
o
u
t
n
o
t
i
c
e
.
P
h
y
s
i
k
I
n
s
t
r
u
m
e
n
t
e
(
P
I
)
G
m
b
H
&
C
o
.
K
G
2
0
1
1
PI (Physik Instrumente) L.P.
5420 Trabuco Rd., Suite 100
Irvine, CA 92620
Tel: +1 (949) 679 9191
Fax: +1 (949) 679 9292
Email: [email protected]
www.pi-usa.us
W W W. P I C E R A M I C . C O M
PI General Catalog
Request it now!
The 530 page hardbound catalogue from
PI is the most comprehensive reference
book on the fundamentals of nanoposi-
tioning, piezo systems and micro-
positioning technology yet. The catalog
contains 200 product families, with more
than 1000 drawings, graphs, images and
technical diagrams.
11_0410_PIC_Kat_E_Umschlag.qxd:Layout 3 12.05.2011 10:27 Uhr Seite 1
C
A
T
1
2
8
E
P
i
e
z
o
e
l
e
c
t
r
i
c
A
c
t
u
a
t
o
r
s
1
2
/
0
6
/
0
8
0
,
1
S
u
b
j
e
c
t
t
o
c
h
a
n
g
e
w
i
t
h
o
u
t
n
o
t
i
c
e
P
h
y
s
i
k
I
n
s
t
r
u
m
e
n
t
e
(
P
I
)
G
m
b
H
&
C
o
K
G
2
0
1
2