Design of bi-axial piezoelectric MEMS micro mirror with gimbal actuator for dynamic decoupling

Abstract This study presents a novel structural design of a bi-axial piezoelectric micro-electro-mechanical-systems scanning mirror aimed at preventing the dynamic coupling between the two scanning axes and avoiding distortion of the scanning pattern. In the proposed design, the gimbal actuator, constrained by torsional springs at both ends, not only serves as the torque generation component for the actuation of one axis but also acts as a pivot to prevent structural interference between the two axes during scanning. This approach achieves the advantages of decoupling and compactness simultaneously. Simulations indicate that the gimbal actuator experiences very small displacement during y -axis actuation, thus realizing the dynamic decoupling from the x -axis scanning unit. To evaluate the proposed designs, fabrication processes were adopted on a silicon-on-insulator wafer with a lead zirconium titanate film. The miniaturized scanners, featuring a mirror with a 1.2 mm diameter, were realized on a compact 5 × 5 mm 2 chip. Measurements indicate that the resonant frequencies of x -axis and y -axis scanning are 2.69 kHz and 4.29 kHz, respectively, and the optical scanning angles reach 33° and 21° under an 8 V pp driving voltage. Additionally, measurements show that the displacement ratio between the central mirror and the gimbal actuator can reach up to 17 during y -axis actuation, verifying the concept of dynamic decoupling. The bi-axial Lissajous scanning pattern with straight edges also demonstrates the effective decoupling by the proposed gimbal actuator design.