Piezoelectric actuator array for motion-enabled reconfigurable RF circuits

This paper reports on the translation and rotation capabilities of arrays of piezoelectrically actuated MEMS cantilevers developed for a motion-enabled reconfigurable radio frequency (RF) circuit micro-factory, known as RFactory. The reported actuator surface demonstrates 2.4 to 100 times faster translational speeds than similar devices, depending on the actuation technology used for comparison. The array was driven with different waveforms, voltages, and frequencies to characterize the quality of motion of a silicon chip placed on the array. It has demonstrated instantaneous velocities of 20 mm/s, maximum average velocities of 3.5 mm/s, and rotational speeds of 31.9 rpm at sub-10 V actuation and less than 2% off-axis translational deviation. The effort has identified significant operational and design variables using the first dynamic contact model developed for micromanipulation surfaces.