Size-Dependent Postbuckling of Piezoelectric Microbeams Based on a Modified Couple Stress Theory

Abstract

This paper aims to investigate the postbuckling behavior of piezoelectric microbeams (PMBs) using a modified couple stress theory (MCST) and a Euler–Bernoulli–von Kármán beam model. The critical buckling force, voltage and the deformation amplitude were calculated for the buckling of the axially compressed microbeams with a clamp–clamp boundary condition. It is found that the stiffness of microbeams considering the MCST is higher than that given by the classical model when the feature size decreases to the microscale. Moreover, the microscale size effect has a strong influence on the critical buckling loads and the amplitude of postbuckling deformation. This study brings an improved understanding of the postbuckling behavior of PMBs, and offers useful guidance for the design of piezobeam-based sensors, actuators and stretchable microelectronics.