A new design method of piezoelectric actuator was proposed, which applied the graded-structure concept to the design of piezoelectric PZT actuator. Copper/lead zirconate titanate functionally graded actuator sintered with graded temperature field by spark plasma sintering were fabricated and characterized, varying the alignment of the amount of Cu using powder layering method. Physical and electric properties of Cu/PZT composites and FGMs were investigated, such as optimum sintered temperature, electric conductivity, relative dielectric constant and dielectric loss. Microstructure of Cu/PZT FGMs was observed by scanning electron microscopy.