Piezoceramic multilayer actuators and a process for their manufacture

US6731050B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Ceramtec AG, Innovative Ceramic Engineering · DE

Inventors

• Reiner Bindig · Bindlach, DE
• Hans-Jürgen Schreiner · Lauf an der Pegnitz, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 21, 2002
• Grant date: May 4, 2004
• Expiry date: May 5, 2022

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T29/42

Abstract

During operation, large tensile stresses act on the insulating region under the base metallization with external electrodes on piezoceramic multilayer actuators. Since this insulating region forms a homogeneous unit together with the base metallization and the interconnecting layer, this fails when the tensile strength of the weakest element is exceeded and cracks develop. The cracks running unchecked through the insulating region are very critical, since they reduce the insulation distance and seriously increase the probability of actuator failure due to flashovers.According to the invention it is therefore proposed that, in the inactive region (14), the surface (10) of the multilayer actuator (1) has a pattern (18) that is produced by erosions (19) interrupting the surface (10), and that the base metallization (11) is deposited exclusively on the surface (10) left by the pattern (18).