Fabrication and characterization of PZT-silane nano-composite thin-film sensors

•We synthesize colloidal, silane-base ink that carries PZT nanoparticles.•The ink is drop casted or printed to form PZT-silane thin-film sensors.•The thin-film sensors cure at low temperature and conform to curved surfaces.•We characterize dielectric and piezoelectric properties of the films.•We compare performance of the thin-film sensor with laser Doppler vibrometer. In this paper, we present a nano-composite thin-film sensor that consists of numerous lead-zirconate-titanate (PZT) nanoparticles embedded in a silane matrix. Our main efforts include fabrication, characterization, and demonstration of the thin-film sensor. The fabrication includes the following steps. First, PZT nanoparticles, with a size distribution ranging from 300 to 800nm, are fabricated via a hydrothermal synthesis. The PZT nanoparticles are then suspended in a silane-based fluid to form PZT ink. The PZT ink can then be printed, sprayed, or dropped onto a substrate. The deposited PZT ink is subsequently cured at low temperature (e.g., 120°C) to form the PZT-silane thin-film sensor. A similar ink and thin-film sensor using crushed bulk PZT are also fabricated for reference. The characterization of the PZT-silane films includes the following efforts: (a) measurements of dielectric properties via an impedance analyzer, (b) measurements of piezoelectric charge from the PZT-silane films under an impulsive load, and (c) extraction of piezoelectric constant d33 via a finite element analysis. To demonstrate its validity as a vibration sensor, the PZT-silane thin film is attached to a square aluminum plate supported by four pillars. The frequency response of charge measured from the PZT-silane thin-film sensor replicates the vibration measurements from a laser Doppler vibrometer.