Piezoceramic Thick Films

Piezoelectric thick films are of great interest for the cost-effective fabrication of integrated sensors and actuators in hybrid microsystems, as well as for the production of high-frequency ultrasonic transducers.

Fraunhofer IKTS possesses a unique technology for the fabrication of piezoelectric thick films, which can be used to coat microsystem substrates such as ZrO₂, Al₂O₃, silicon, low-temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC), and selected steel grades. The structure – consisting of a bottom electrode, a piezoceramic thick film, an insulating layer, and a top electrode – is fabricated using screen-printing technology.

This offers the following advantages over assembly techniques:

• Application of complex structures with high precision
• Cost-effective wafer-level fabrication
• Rigid coupling to the substrate material
• Chemical and thermal robustness
• High functional density

 

Services offered

 

Development and application of piezoceramic thick films for use as sensors, actuators, and ultrasonic transducers in:

• Tool-integrated measurement technology
• Pressure sensing, force measurement technology
• Microfluidics, valve technology
• Ultrasonic technology
• Adaptive optics
• Positioning and control systems

 

Technical equipment

 

• Paste production: planetary ball mill, laboratory mortar mill, vibrating micro-mill, oscillating mill, 3-roll mill
• Thick-film technology: screen printers with automatic positioning (planar and tubular), non-contact and non-destructive topography, profile, and film thickness measurement
• Characterization: Rheometers, microscopes, small-signal measurements (permittivity, dielectric loss factor, coupling factor), large-signal measurements (ferroelectric hysteresis, stress-strain behavior, blocking force), acoustic field measurements, vibration behavior (laser vibrometer)