A NOVEL MICROMOVEMENT ACTUATOR MANUFACTURED USING PLASTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL FILM

A novel multilayer actuator from a fairly new polymer dielectric mater ial, electromechanical film (EMF), has been fabricated. The characteri zation of the actuator performance, piezoelectric constant (d(33) = 29 .7 x 10(-12) m/V), displacement frequency response and resonances (f = 1-40 kHz)? and displacement behavior of de and ac electric fields has been determined. An interferometric displacement measurement system w as used for these measurements. The mechanical displacement hysteresis was found to be less than 7% (input voltage V-p-p = 485 V) in quasist atic low-frequency (f = 1 Hz) measurement. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.