• Ceramic Insulation for Extended Lifetime
• Ultra-Compact from 2x2x2 mm³
• High Curie Temperature
• Ideal for Dynamic Operation
• Sub-Millisecond Response / Sub-Nanometer Resolution
• UHV Compatible to 10^-9 hPa
• Superior Lifetime Even Under Extreme Conditions

Mounting Guidelines

Application Examples

• Static and Dynamic NanoPositioning
• Laser Tuning
• Micro-dispensing
• Interferometry
• Life Sciences
• Photonics

Ultra-Compact Monolithic Piezo Chip Actuators (PZT Chips)
PICMA™ Chip actuators are the smallest monolithic multilayer piezo actuators available.Providing sub-nanometer resolution and sub-millisecond response,
they are ideally suited to high-level dynamic applications.

PICMA™ PZT Chip actuators consist of a highly reliable ceramic-insulated PZT block (made of ~50 µm layers) with solderable terminations, and come in standard sizes as small as 2x2x2 mm³.

Optimized PZT Ceramics, Humidity Resistance
PICMA™ actuators are made from a ceramic material in which the piezoceramic properties such as stiffness, capacitance, displacement, temperature stability, leakage current and lifetime are optimally combined. The monolithic, ceramic-insulated design makes polymer-film insulation unnecessary. Diffusion of water molecules into the insulation layer, the major cause of dielectric breakdown, is greatly reduced by the use of cofired outer ceramic insulation.

Long Lifetime and High Performance-Ideal for Dynamic Operation
PICMA™ Chip actuators are superior to conventional actuators in high-endurance situations, where they show substantially longer lifetimes both in static and dynamic operation, even in harsh environments. Due to their high resonant frequency, these actuators are ideally suited for dynamic operation with light loads; an external preload is recommended for dynamic operation with larger loads. The high Curie temperature of 320 °C provides a usable temperature range extending up to 150 °C, well above the 80 °C limit of conventional multilayer actuators. At the low end, operation down to a few kelvin is possible. (with some reduction in performance specifications).

Optimum UHV Compatibility-Minimal Outgassing
The lack of polymer insulation and the high Curie temperature make for optimal ultra-high-vacuum compatibility (no measurable outgassing / high bakeout temperatures of up to 150 °C).

Amplifiers, Drivers & Controllers
PI offers a wide range of control electronics for piezo actuators (see page 28 and www.pi.ws) from low-power drivers to multi-channel, closed-loop, digital controllers.

Of course, PI also designs custom amplifiers and controllers.