A NOVEL DESIGN OF PIEZO-DRIVEN DUAL-DIMENSION OPTICAL-SCANNING MECHANISM

An optical scanning mechanism capable of dual-dimension scanning is pr esented. The mechanism uses a piezoelectric element to drive a V-shape d reflecting mirror surface through two pairs of elastic beams. The de sign entails the use of various vibration modes to reflect the inciden t light in orthogonal directions. The design, fabrication, and mechani cal, electrical, and optical performance of this scanning mechanism ar e presented. The scanning sensitivities of 88.8 and 19.3 mu rac/V in e ach scanning direction are measured when operated at frequencies of 23 .8 and 48.8 kHz, respectively. The capability of fine scanning sensiti vity, high operating frequency, and wide scanning range is applicable for fine adjustment of the laser beam. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics. [S0034-6748(98)02308-9].