Performance evaluation of a micro ultrasonic motor using a one-cubic-millimeter stator.

A piezoelectric ultrasonic motor has two significant advantages, high energy density and simple structure, and these advantages can help in the miniaturization of the motor. We build a prototype micro ultrasonic motor using a stator with a volume of approximately 1 cubic millimeter. To evaluate its representative performance values (torque, angular velocity, and energy efficiency), we built an experimental setup and operated the prototype motor by varying experimental conditions, such as the preload between the stator and rotor and the amplitude of voltages applied to motor. The performance values obtained at the millimeter to sub-millimeter scale are discussed analytically using the macro scale models of ultrasonic motors. Experimentally, the prototype motor has generated a torque of more than 10 μNm with a 1-cubic-millimeter stator. The motor described herein is now the smallest micro ultrasonic motor with a practical torque, although its efficiency is still low.