Finite Element Method Modelling of Piezoelectric Micromirrors for LIDAR Applications

Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) system could be one of the main technological bricks for the development of self-driving cars, which are expected to become part of our everyday life in few decades. However, the large dimensions and expensive cost of the current devices are the main challenges to overcome. MEMS micro-mirrors could be used for beam steering and offer a solution for reducing the size and the cost of such sensing system. Some micro-mirrors are already on the market, with different actuation mechanisms, mostly electrostatic and magnetic. This work is focused on the modelling of the micro-mirror with a piezoelectric actuation, and combines the results of analytical and experimental study to build a reliable FEM model, in accordance with the real performances.