Showing papers on "Piezoelectricity published in 2007"

Lead-free piezoelectric ceramics: Alternatives for PZT?

Abstract: Investigations in the development of lead-free piezoelectric ceramics have recently claimed comparable properties to the lead-based ferroelectric perovskites, represented by Pb(Zr,Ti)O3, or PZT In this work, the scientific and technical impact of these materials is contrasted with the various families of “soft” and “hard” PZTs On the scientific front, the intrinsic nature of the dielectric and piezoelectric properties are presented in relation to their respective Curie temperatures (T C) and the existence of a morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) Analogous to PZT, enhanced properties are noted for MPB compositions in the (Na,Bi)TiO3-BaTiO3 and ternary system with (K,Bi)TiO3, but offer properties significantly lower The consequences of a ferroelectric to antiferroelectric transition well below T C further limits their usefulness Though comparable with respect to T C, the high levels of piezoelectricity reported in the (K,Na)NbO3 family are the result of enhanced polarizability associated with the orthorhombic-tetragonal polymorphic phase transition being compositionally shifted downward As expected, the properties are strongly temperature dependent, while degradation occurs through the thermal cycling between the two distinct ferroelectric domain states Extrinsic contributions arising from domains and domain wall mobility were determined using high field strain and polarization measurements The concept of “soft” and “hard” lead-free piezoelectrics were discussed in relation to donor and acceptor modified PZTs, respectively Technologically, the lead-free materials are discussed in relation to general applications, including sensors, actuators and ultrasound transducers

Electrostatic potential in a bent piezoelectric nanowire. The fundamental theory of nanogenerator and nanopiezotronics

Abstract: We have applied the perturbation theory for calculating the piezoelectric potential distribution in a nanowire (NW) as pushed by a lateral force at the tip. The analytical solution given under the first-order approximation produces a result that is within 6% from the full numerically calculated result using the finite element method. The calculation shows that the piezoelectric potential in the NW almost does not depend on the z-coordinate along the NW unless very close to the two ends, meaning that the NW can be approximately taken as a “parallel plated capacitor”. This is entirely consistent to the model established for nanopiezotronics, in which the potential drop across the nanowire serves as the gate voltage for the piezoelectric field effect transistor. The maximum potential at the surface of the NW is directly proportional to the lateral displacement of the NW and inversely proportional to the cube of its length-to-diameter aspect ratio. The magnitude of piezoelectric potential for a NW of diameter 50 nm and length 600 nm is 0.3 V. This voltage is much larger than the thermal voltage (25 mV) and is high enough to drive the metal-semiconductor Schottky diode at the interface between atomic force microscope tip and the ZnO NW, as assumed in our original mechanism for the nanogenerators. Developing novel technologies for wireless nanodevices and nanosystems is of critical importance for applications in biomedical sensing, environmental monitoring, and even personal electronics. Miniaturization of a power package and self-powering of these tiny devices are some key challenges for their applications. Various approaches have been developed for harvesting energy from the environment based on approaches such as thermoelectricity and piezoelectricity. Innovative nanotechnologies are being developed for converting mechanical energy (such as body movement, muscle stretching), vibration energy (such as acoustic/ultrasonic wave), and hydraulic energy (such as body fluid and blood flow) into electric energy that will be used to power nanodevices that operate at low power. Recently, using piezoelectric ZnO nanowire (NW) arrays, a novel approach has been demonstrated for converting nanoscale mechanical energy into electric energy. 1-3 The single nanowire nanogenerator (NG) relies on the bending of a NW by a conductive atomic force microscope (AFM) tip, which transfers the displacement energy from the tip to the elastic bending energy of the NW. The coupled piezoelectric and semiconducting properties of the NW perform a charge creation, accumulation, and discharge process. Most recently, this approach has been extensively developed to produce continuous direct-current output with the use of aligned NWs that were covered by a zigzag top electrode, and the nanogenerator was driven by ultrasonic wave, establishing the platform of producing usable power output for nanodevices by harvesting energy from the environment. 4 Furthermore, based on the coupled piezoelectric and semiconducting properties of the NW, a new field of nanopiezotronics has been created, 5,6 which is the basis for fabricating piezoelectric field effect transistors, 7 piezoelectric diode, 8 piezoelectric force/humidity/chemical sensors, 9 and more. The theoretical background for the nanogenerator and nanopiezotronics is based on a voltage drop created across the cross section of the NW when it is laterally deflected, with the tensile side surface in positive voltage and compressive side in negative voltage. 1,5 It is essential to quantitatively calculate and even develop analytical equations that can give a direct calculation of the voltage at the two side surfaces of the NW, which is important to calculating the efficiency of the nanogenerator and the operation voltage of the nanopiezotronics. In the literature, numerous theories for onedimensional (1D) nanostructure piezoelectricity have been proposed, including first-principles calculations, 10,11 molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, 12 and continuum models. 13

Strain-gradient-induced polarization in SrTiO3 single crystals.

Abstract: Piezoelectricity is inherent only in noncentrosymmetric materials, but a piezoelectric response can also be obtained in centrosymmetric crystals if subjected to inhomogeneous deformation. This phenomenon, known as flexoelectricity, can significantly affect the functional properties of insulators, particularly thin films of high permittivity materials. We have measured strain-gradient-induced polarization in single crystals of paraelectric SrTiO3 as a function of temperature and orientation down to and below the 105 K phase transition. Estimates were obtained for all the components of the flexoelectric tensor, and calculations based on these indicate that local polarization around defects in SrTiO3 may exceed the largest ferroelectric polarizations. A sign reversal of the flexoelectric response detected below the phase transition suggests that the ferroelastic domain walls of SrTiO3 may be polar.

Processing, Structure, Properties, and Applications of PZT Thin Films

Abstract: There has been a resurgence of complex oxides of late owing to their ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties. Although these properties had been recognized decades ago, the renewed interest stems from modern deposition techniques that can produce high quality materials and attractive proposed device concepts. In addition to their use on their own, the interest is building on the use of these materials in a stack also. Ferroelectrics are dielectric materials that have spontaneous polarization in certain temperature range and show nonlinear polarization–electric field dependence called a hysteresis loop. The outstanding properties of the ferroelectrics are due to non-centro-symmetric crystal structure resulting from slight distortion of the cubic perovskite structure. The ferroelectric materials are ferroelastic also in that a change in shape results in a change in the electric polarization (thus electric field) developed in the crystal and vice versa. Therefore they can be used to transform acoustic wav...

Modified (K0.5Na0.5)NbO3 based lead-free piezoelectrics with broad temperature usage range

Abstract: (K0.5Na0.5)NbO3 (KNN) based lead-free materials exhibit arguably, comparable piezoelectric properties to conventional Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 ceramics owing to an orthorhombic to tetragonal polymorphic phase transition (TO-T) occurring near room temperature. However, this transition correspondingly results in a strong temperature dependence of the dielectric and piezoelectric properties, being limited further by domain instability, during thermal cycling between the two ferroelectric phases. Analogous to BaTiO3 based piezoelectrics, the addition of CaTiO3 in KNN materials was found to shift the TO-T well below room temperature. Piezoelectric and electromechanical values of KNN–LiSbO3–CaTiO3 material were found to be d33∼210pC∕N, d15∼268pC∕N and k33∼61%, k15∼56%, respectively, with greatly improved temperature stability over the temperature range of −50–200°C, demonstrating practical potential for actuator and/or ultrasonic transducer applications.

Feedforward Controller With Inverse Rate-Dependent Model for Piezoelectric Actuators in Trajectory-Tracking Applications

Abstract: Effective employment of piezoelectric actuators in microscale dynamic trajectory-tracking applications is limited by two factors: 1) the intrinsic hysteretic behavior of piezoelectric ceramic and 2) structural vibration as a result of the actuator's own mass, stiffness, and damping properties. While hysteresis is rate-independent, structural vibration increases as the piezoelectric actuator is driven closer to its resonant frequency. Instead of separately modeling the two interacting dynamic effects, this work treats their combined effect phenomenologically and proposes a rate-dependent modified Prandtl-Ishlinskii operator to account for the hysteretic nonlinearity of a piezoelectric actuator at varying actuation frequency. It is shown experimentally that the relationship between the slope of the hysteretic loading curve and the rate of control input can be modeled by a linear function up to a driving frequency of 40 Hz

Lead-Free Piezoelectric Ceramics with Large Dielectric and Piezoelectric Constants Manufactured from BaTiO3 Nano-Powder

Abstract: Barium titanate (BaTiO3) ceramics with a density of more than 98% of the theoretical value were fabricated by two-step sintering method from hydrothermally synthesized BaTiO3 nano-particles of 100 nm. The average grain size was around 1.6 µm and the biggest one was controlled less than 3 µm. Dielectric constant er33T of the poled samples was 5000 and electromechanical coupling factor kp was 42%. Large piezoelectric constants d33 = 460 pC/N and d31 = -185 pC/N were measured by a d33-meter and the resonance–antiresonance method, respectively. A high Poisson's ratio σ= 0.38 was determined from the ratio of overtone frequency and resonant frequency in the planar mode. The high Poisson's ratio and the large dielectric constants are most likely the origin of the high d33 of the ceramics. The discovery of high d33 in non-lead-based BaTiO3 ceramics with low cost process has important practical consequences in addition to scientific interest.

Domain wall contributions to the properties of piezoelectric thin films

Abstract: In bulk ferroelectric ceramics, extrinsic contributions associated with motion of domain walls and phase boundaries are a significant component of the measured dielectric and piezoelectric response. In thin films, the small grain sizes, substantial residual stresses, and the high concentration of point and line defects change the relative mobility of these boundaries. One of the consequences of this is that thin films typically act as hard piezoelectrics. This paper reviews the literature in this field, emphasizing the difference between the nonlinearities observed in the dielectric and piezoelectric properties of films. The effect of ac field excitation levels, dc bias fields, temperature, and applied mechanical stress are discussed.

On the possibility of piezoelectric nanocomposites without using piezoelectric materials

Abstract: In this work, predicated on nanoscale size-effects, we explore the tantalizing possibility of creating apparently piezoelectric composites without using piezoelectric constituent materials. In a piezoelectric material an applied uniform strain can induce an electric polarization (or vice-versa). Crystallographic considerations restrict this technologically important property to non-centrosymmetric systems. Non-uniform strain can break the inversion symmetry and induce polarization even in non-piezoelectric dielectrics. The key concept is that all dielectrics (including non-piezoelectric ones) exhibit the aforementioned coupling between strain gradient and polarization—an experimentally verified phenomenon known in some circles as the flexoelectric effect. This flexoelectric coupling, however, is generally very small and evades experimental detection unless very large strain gradients (or conversely polarization gradients) are present. Based on a field theoretic framework and the associated Greens function solutions developed in prior work, we quantitatively demonstrate the possibility of “designing piezoelectricity,” i.e. we exploit the large strain gradients present in the interior of composites containing nanoscale inhomogeneities to achieve an overall non-zero polarization even under an uniformly applied stress. We prove that the aforementioned effect may be realized only if both the shapes and distributions of the inhomogeneities are non-centrosymmetric. Our un-optimized quantitative results, based on limited material data and restrictive assumptions on inhomogeneity shape and distribution, indicate that apparent piezoelectric behavior close to 10% of Quartz may be achievable for inhomogeneity sizes in the 4 nm range. In future works, it is not unreasonable to expect enhanced performance based on optimization of shape, topology and appropriate material selection.

AgNbO3: A lead-free material with large polarization and electromechanical response

Abstract: Polarization measurements reveal that AgNbO3 has an extremely large polarization, which can reach a value of 52μC∕cm2 in polycrystals. Experiments also show that the large internal atom distortion in AgNbO3 is also strongly coupled to the electric field, indicating that high piezoelectric performance can be realized in AgNbO3 system. This finding opens the way to designing a new class of lead-free, high-performance piezoelectric materials based on AgNbO3.

Rotator and extender ferroelectrics: Importance of the shear coefficient to the piezoelectric properties of domain-engineered crystals and ceramics

Abstract: The importance of a high shear coefficient d15 (or d24) to the piezoelectric properties of domain-engineered and polycrystalline ferroelectrics is discussed. The extent of polarization rotation, as a mechanism of piezoelectric response, is directly correlated to the shear coefficient. The terms “rotator” and “extender” are introduced to distinguish the contrasting behaviors of crystals such as 4mm BaTiO3 and PbTiO3. In rotator ferroelectrics, where d15 is high relative to the longitudinal coefficient d33, polarization rotation is the dominant mechanism of piezoelectric response; the maximum longitudinal piezoelectric response is found away from the polar axis. In extender ferroelectrics, d15 is low and the collinear effect dominates; the maximum piezoelectric response is found along the polar axis. A variety of 3m, mm2, and 4mm ferroelectrics, with various crystal structures based on oxygen octahedra, are classified in this way. It is shown that the largest piezoelectric anisotropies d15∕d33 are always fo...

Rotator and extender ferroelectrics: Importance of the shear coefficient to the piezoelectric properties of domain-engineered crystals and ceramics

Abstract: The importance of a high shear coefficient d15 (or d24) to the piezoelectric properties of domain-engineered and polycrystalline ferroelectrics is discussed. The extent of polarization rotation, as a mechanism of piezoelectric response, is directly correlated to the shear coefficient. The terms "rotator" and "extender" are introduced to distinguish the contrasting behaviors of crystals such as 4mm BaTiO3 and PbTiO3. In "rotator" ferroelectrics, where d15 is high relative to the longitudinal coefficient d33, polarization rotation is the dominant mechanism of piezoelectric response; the maximum longitudinal piezoelectric response is found away from the polar axis. In "extender" ferroelectrics, d15 is low and the collinear effect dominates; the maximum piezoelectric response is found along the polar axis. A variety of 3m, mm2 and 4mm ferroelectrics, with various crystal structures based on oxygen octahedra, are classified in this way. It is shown that the largest piezoelectric anisotropies d15/d33 are always found in 3m crystals; this is a result of the intrinsic electrostrictive anisotropy of the constituent oxygen octahedra. Finally, for a given symmetry, the piezoelectric anisotropy increases close to ferroelectric-ferroelectric phase transitions; this includes morphotropic phase boundaries and temperature induced polymorphic transitions.

High-Performance Control of Piezoelectric Tube Scanners

Abstract: In this paper, a piezoelectric tube of the type typically used in scanning tunneling microscopes (STMs) and atomic force microscopes (AFMs) is considered. Actuation of this piezoelectric tube is hampered by the presence of a lightly damped low-frequency resonant mode. The resonant mode is identified and damped using a positive velocity and position feedback (PVPF) controller, a control technique proposed in this paper. Input signals are then shaped such that the closed-loop system tracks a raster pattern. Normally, piezoelectric tubes are actuated using voltage amplifiers. Nonlinearity in the form of hysteresis is observed when actuating the piezoelectric tubes at high amplitudes using voltage amplifiers. It has been known for some time that hysteresis in piezoelectric actuators can be largely compensated by actuating them using charge amplifiers. In this paper, high-amplitude actuation of a piezoelectric tube is achieved using a charge amplifier.

Voltage generation from individual BaTiO(3) nanowires under periodic tensile mechanical load.

Abstract: Direct tensile mechanical loading of an individual single-crystal BaTiO3 nanowire was realized to reveal the direct piezoelectric effect in the nanowire. Periodic voltage generation from the nanowire was produced by a periodically varying tensile mechanical strain applied with a precision mechanical testing stage. The measured voltage generation from the nanowire was found to be directly proportional to the applied strain rate and was successfully modeled through the consideration of an equivalent circuit for a piezoelectric nanowire under low-frequency operation. The study, besides demonstrating a controlled experimental method for the study of direct piezoelectric effect in nanostructures, implies also the use of such perovskite piezoelectric nanowires for efficient energy-harvesting applications.

Double hysteresis loop in Cu-doped K0.5Na0.5NbO3 lead-free piezoelectric ceramics

Abstract: In this letter the authors report the observation of double hysteresis loops in Cu-doped K0.5Na0.5NbO3 (KNN) ceramics. Unlike other ferroelectric titanates (e.g., BaTiO3), aging is not required for the ceramic to exhibit the double-loop-like characteristics. Based on the symmetry-conforming principle of point defects, it is suggested that defect dipoles are formed by the acceptor dopant ions-Cu2+ and O2− vacancies along the polarization direction after the diffuse tetragonal-orthorhombic phase transition of the ceramic. Because of the low migration rates of defects, the defect dipoles remain in the original orientation during the P-E loop measurement, providing a restoring force to reverse the switched polarization. The defect dipoles also provide “pinning” effects in the normal piezoelectric activities. As a result, the ceramic becomes “hardened,” exhibiting an extraordinarily high mechanical quality factor (2500), while the other piezoelectric properties remain reasonably good: electromechanical couplin...

Barium Titanate Piezoelectric Ceramics Manufactured by Two-Step Sintering

Abstract: Two-step sintering was applied to manufacture fine-grain barium titanate (BaTiO3) piezoelectric ceramics from hydrothermally synthesized 100 nm particles Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed a small and irregular domain structure in the samples The sintering condition dependences of density, dielectric constants, and piezoelectric properties were investigated Under the optimal conditions, dense specimens had an average grain size of approximately 16 µm, and showed large dielectric constants and excellent piezoelectric properties The large piezoelectric constant of d33=460 pC/N was measured using a d33 meter The Curie and orthorhombic-to-tetragonal phase transition temperatures were 126 and 24 °C, respectively These results indicated the possibility of applying non-lead-based BaTiO3 ceramics manufactured by a low-cost process to ultrasonic generators, actuators, piezoelectric vibrators, and sensors working at room temperature

Temperature dependence of the complete material coefficients matrix of soft and hard doped piezoelectric lead zirconate titanate ceramics

Abstract: We have used resonance methods to determine the variation of all the independent piezoelectric, elastic, and dielectric material coefficients, as well as the corresponding electromechanical coupling factors, of soft and hard doped piezoelectric lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramics with compositions near the morphotropic phase boundary, as a function of temperature ranging between −165 and 195°C. The material coefficients were obtained by analyzing the fundamental resonance of the impedance or admittance spectra as a function of frequency for several sample resonance geometries. The piezoelectric coefficients d33, −d31, and d15, as well as the dielectric permittivity coefficients e11T and e33T, generally increased with temperature for both soft and hard PZT samples. However, the elastic compliance coefficients s11E, −s12E, s33E, and s55E exhibited abnormal variations seen as broad peaks over parts of the tested temperature range. Additionally, thermal hystereses were observed in all the studied material ...

Improved stability for piezoelectric crystals grown in the lead indium niobate–lead magnesium niobate–lead titanate system

Abstract: Higher coercive fields (EC) and depoling temperatures (TR∕T) were obtained for crystals in the Pb(In1∕2Nb1∕2)O3–Pb(Mg1∕3Nb2∕3)O3–PbTiO3 (PIN–PMN–PT) ternary system. Data are given for a crystal boule with starting composition 0.24PIN-0.44PMN-0.32PT, and with chemical distributions along the growth direction. The dielectric, piezoelectric, and elastic properties were determined. Similar to binary PMN–PT, ternary PIN–PMN–PT crystals have outstanding piezoelectric properties (e.g., d33∼900–1900pm∕V, k33∼0.83–0.92). In addition, PIN stabilizes piezoelectric performance by doubling EC (∼6kV∕cm) and increasing TR∕T by ∼20°C. These improvements are advantageous for acoustic transducers used in high-drive applications.

Thermo-electro-mechanical characteristics of functionally graded piezoelectric actuators

Abstract: This paper investigates the static bending, free vibration, and dynamic response of monomorph, bimorph, and multimorph actuators made of functionally graded piezoelectric materials (FGPMs) under a combined thermal-electro-mechanical load by using the Timoshenko beam theory. It is assumed that all of the material properties of the actuator, except for Poisson's ratio, are position dependent due to a continuous variation in material composition through the thickness direction. Theoretical formulations are derived by employing Hamilton's principle and include the effect of transverse shear deformation and axial and rotary inertias. The governing differential equations are then solved using the differential quadrature method to determine the important performance indices, such as deflection, reaction force, natural frequencies, and dynamic response of various FGPM actuators. A comprehensive parametric study is conducted to show the influence of shear deformation, temperature rise, material composition, slenderness ratio, end support, and total number of layers on the thermo-electro-mechanical characteristics. It is found that FGPM monomorph actuators exhibit the so-called 'non-intermediate' behavior under an applied electric field.

Polymer functionalized piezoelectric-FET as humidity/chemical nanosensors

Abstract: By coating one side of the surface of a ZnO nanobelt (NB) with multilayer polymers using an electrostatic self-assembling process, a humidity/chemical nanosensor based on piezoelectric field effect transistor (PE-FET) is demonstrated. The working principle of the PE-FET relies on the self-contraction/expansion of the polymer, which builds up a strain in the piezoelectric NB and induces a potential drop across the NB that serves as the gate voltage for controlling the current flowing through the NB. The response of PE-FET to the phase transition of the coating polymer was also demonstrated. The device is a component for nanopiezotronics.

Piezoelectric properties of (Li, Sb, Ta) modified (Na,K)NbO3 lead-free ceramics

Abstract: Lead-free alkaline niobate based (Na0.52K0.48−xLix)Nb1−x−ySbxTayO3 piezoceramics have been prepared by the conventional mixed oxide method without using other techniques. An experimental formula for producing a set of ceramics with high piezoelectric properties is obtained while cutting down the Ta content and maintaining a high Curie temperature. The highest piezoelectric constant d33 is 308pC∕N, with a dielectric loss tanδ of about 2.0% and a Curie temperature of 339°C. The samples also possess outstanding high-field piezoelectric strain effects. The high-field piezoelectric strain coefficient d33* is as high as 490pm∕V. (Li, Sb, Ta) modified (Na,K)NbO3 shifts the orthorhombic to tetragonal phase transition to near room temperature, which plays an important role in the improvement of the piezoelectric properties.

Piezoelectric thin film element

Abstract: A piezoelectric thin film element includes a bottom electrode, a piezoelectric layer, and a top electrode on a substrate. The piezoelectric layer includes, as a main phase, a perovskite-type oxide. The bottom electrode has a surface roughness of not more than 0.86 nm in arithmetic mean roughness Ra or not more than 1.1 nm in root mean square roughness Rms. The bottom electrode has a (111) preferential orientation in a direction perpendicular to the substrate.

Piezoelectric transformer structural modeling - a review

Abstract: A review on piezoelectric transformer structural modeling is presented. The operating principle and the basic behavior of piezoelectric transformers as governed by the linear theory of piezoelectricity are shown by a simple, theoretical analysis on a Rosen transformer based on extensional modes of a nonhomogeneous ceramic rod. Various transformers are classified according to their structural shapes, operating modes, and voltage transforming capability. Theoretical and numerical modeling results from the theory of piezoelectricity are reviewed. More advances modeling on thermal and nonlinear effects also are discussed. The article contains 167 references.

Nanodomains in morphotropic lead zirconate titanate ceramics : on the origin of the strong piezoelectric effect

Abstract: The outstanding piezoelectric properties of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramics with compositions close to the morphotropic phase boundary of the quasibinary phase diagram of lead zirconate and lead titanate are still under debate. A combination of ex situ and in situ transmission electron microscopy and high resolution x-ray diffraction revealed that the extrinsic piezoelectric effect in morphotropic PZT is closely connected to the existence of nanodomains. The in situ transmission electron microscopy investigations with applied electric field show that mainly the nanodomains respond to the electric field while the microdomain structure does not change noticeably in our experiments.

Influence of CuO on the Structure and Piezoelectric Properties of the Alkaline Niobate‐Based Lead‐Free Ceramics

Abstract: Recently, it was reported that the alkaline niobate-based (K,Na,Li)(Nb,Ta,Sb)O3 (LF4) perovskite ceramics showed excellent piezoelectric properties and have been regarded as a new candidate of lead-free piezoelectric materials. However, the effects of additives on the piezoelectric property of LF4 have not been studied intensively so far. In this study, the effect of CuO addition to the LF4 was investigated. The sample showed a tetragonal phase at room temperature and also a second phase with low melt point. With 0.05 wt% CuO added, the Cu2+ firstly incorporated into the A site, while higher amounts of Cu2+ substituted B-site ions. The CuO-doping changed the LF4 to “hard” piezoelectric ceramics with improvement of mechanical quality factor from 26 to 137 but the piezoelectric d31 constant and the electromechanical coupling constant reduced drastically at the same time.