Fabrication of piezoelectric thick-film stator using electrohydrodynamic jet printing for micro rotary ultrasonic motors

Abstract

This paper proposes a lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thick-film piezoelectric microstator based on a high-performance PZT thick film fabricated by electrohydrodynamic jet (E-jet) printing. The PZT thick film element was printed directly on the elastic body from a PZT composite slurry to form the piezoelectric microstator. This fabrication process does not require conventional machining techniques such as thinning, bonding, and etching, and can be compatible with microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology. The printed PZT thick-film element exhibited compact and uniform features. The thick-film microstator produced a travelling wave with an amplitude of 345 nm, and the mechanical quality factor was found to be 736. The combination of E-jet printing and PZT thick-film technology simplified the manufacturing process and enhanced the performance of the piezoelectric stator, enabling the fabrication of a unique MEMS rotary ultrasonic motor device.