Single Axis Piezoceramic Gimbal

This paper describes the fabrication, testing, and analysis of a single axis piezoceramic gimbal. The fabrication process consists of pre-stressing a piezoceramic wafer using a high-temperature thermoplastic polyimide and a metal foil. The differential thermal expansion between the ceramic and metal induces a curvature. The piezoceramic is mounted on a support mechanism and a mirror is attached to the piezoceramic. A finite element analysis of the gimbal is described and the predicted gimbal angle versus applied voltage is compared to experimental results.