In this paper we show that experimentally realizable apparently piezoelectric thin-film superlattices can be created from nonpiezoelectric materials provided an odd-order e.g., trilayer stacking sequence is used. The size-dependent mechanism of flexoelectricity, which couples gradients of strain to polarization, allows such a possibility. We present closed-form analytical expressions for the re...

1.1 Shear mode bulk acoustic wave devices and sensors Acoustic microsensor technique, well known as QCM (Quartz crystal microbalance) or TSM (Thickness shear mode) sensor, is an effective method to detect small mass loading on the sensor surface. This sensor can be operated even in liquid by using shear mode resonance. Therefore, shear mode piezoelectric film resonators are attractive for liqui...

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) incorporating active piezoelectric layers offer integrated actuation, sensing, and transduction. The broad implementation of such active MEMS has long been constrained by the inability to integrate materials with giant piezoelectric response, such as Pb(Mg(1/3)Nb(2/3))O(3)-PbTiO(3) (PMN-PT). We synthesized high-quality PMN-PT epitaxial thin films on vicinal...

We report the tunable near-infrared luminescence of Ni(2+) doped SrTiO3 (STO:Ni) thin film grown on piezoelectric Pb(Mg(1/3)Nb(2/3))(0.7)Ti(0.3)O3 (PMN-PT) substrate via strain engineering differing from conventional chemical approach. Through controlling the thickness of STO:Ni film, the luminescent properties of the films including emission wavelength and bandwidth, as well as lifetime can be...

In this paper, we present a new approach to the fabrication of integrated silicon-based piezoelectric diaphragm-type biosensors by using sodium potassium niobate-silver niobate (0.82KNN-0.18AN) composite lead-free thin film as the piezoelectric layer. The piezoelectric diaphragms were designed and fabricated by micro-machining technology and chemical solution deposition. The fabricated device w...

A mechanics model is developed for the encapsulated piezoelectric thin-film actuators/sensors system imperfectly bonded to the human skin to simultaneously determine the Young's moduli of the epidermis and dermis as well as the thickness of epidermis.

A computational model developed based on the phase-field approach is used to model domain structures in ferroelectric thin films and to quantify the effects of strain and applied electric field on the microstructural evolution, and on the induced dielectric, electrostrictive, and piezoelectric film properties. Theoretically predicted vortex-like polydomain and experimentally observed bidomain a...

Pb(ZrxTi1-x)O3 [PZT] thin films of morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) composition having {001}, {110}, and {111}orientations were fabricated on silicon substrates (111)Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si using a metal organic decomposition spin-coating technique. The influence of crystallographic orientation on the transverse piezoelectric coefficient e31 * of the films have been determined. The largest e31 * was fou...

This paper consists of three major topics. The first topic is a review of challenges encountered in PZT thin film fabrication. Currently, sol-gel processing is one of the most promising techniques to fabricate PZT thin films. There are, however, several major challenges, including crack formation, thermally unstable electrodes, and poor piezoelectric properties. The second topic reveals some in...

We demonstrate a water-immersible thin film lead zirconate titanate, Pb(Zr,Ti)O3, [PZT] actuator, without special passivation layer, towards in-vivo or in-vitro scanning probe microscope (SPM) measurements of living cells in water or biological fluids. In order to be water-immersible, the electrodes need to be electrically insulated and the piezoelectric layer needs to be protected against dire...