A fundamental study of the issues linking piezoelectric thin film material structures with the materials performance will be conducted to develop advanced piezoelectric Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) devices. The resulting data will be used to unlock the fundamental behavior and physics of ferroelectric ceramics, allowing a new generation of piezoelectric materials to be designed. These new materials can then be used to construct the next generation of biosensors for medical applications, flat panel televisions or energy harvesting automotive and aircraft sensors/actuators that will improve the safety and performance of transportation devices. Two graduate students will be supported by this research in addition to undergraduate researchers. Throughout the duration of this program, the investigators will support K-12 activities through teacher education and an outreach program with the Alabama School of Mathematics and Science.
TECHNICAL DETAILS: The proposed program will investigate the effects of substrate clamping on properties of ferroelectric thin films to advance the scientific knowledge linking film structure such as stoichiometry, orientation, residual stress with film properties including piezoelectric, dielectric, and ferroelectric responses. Structures of piezoelectric films will be controlled by chemical solution processing via modulating precursor chemistry and heat treatment. The released films will be prepared by microfabrication with different structural geometries and types of constituent materials. Electrical, mechanical, and optical characterization of substrate-constrained and released MEMS structures will be performed to generate an important dataset that will be used to develop analytical solutions and numerical simulations. These data will be used to construct advanced piezoelectric MEMS devices, and to advance the knowledge of the fundamental behavior and physics of ferroelectric ceramics.
