Fine scale piezoelectric 1-3 composites: a new approach of cost effective fabrication

A new method of fabricating 1-3 composites for transducer applications at frequencies /spl ges/5 MHz has been developed. This method uses a master mold which has been structured by microsystems technologies such as micromachining, chemical or plasma etching. From this mold templates of a soft polymer have been taken. They were infiltrated with a ceramic slip. After drying the ceramic green body could be demolded without loss of the transfer mold. The process steps of this so called "soft mold" method are described. First results on 1-3 composites with square rods of 85 /spl mu/m and 145 /spl mu/m edge length are reported. The composites showed high coupling coefficients k/sub t/, of 0.71 and 0.79, respectively.