Piezoelectric properties and poling effect of Pb(Zr, Ti)O3 thick films prepared for microactuators by aerosol deposition

Crack-free [Pb(Zr0.52, Ti0.48)O3] (PZT) films with more than 10 μm thickness as the piezoelectric material, were formed on stainless-steel (SUS304) and Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates by aerosol deposition and then annealed at 600 °C in air. The deposition rate was 20 μm/min in an area of 5×5 mm2. To estimate the piezoelectric and mechanical properties of PZT films, a unimorph structured PZT and a free-standing cantilever were fabricated. The Young’s modulus (Y11) of the PZT film was 80 GPa. Poling at 40 kV/cm, 250 °C for 20 min increased the properties by a factor of 4.0–5.5, resulting in the piezoelectric coefficient (−d31) varying from 80 to 180 pm/V.