Fabrication and characterization of piezoelectric thick film elements and arrays

PZT thick film discs have been produced in the range of 100-200 /spl mu/m using screen printing technology and suitable new ink prepared with piezoelectric powder as main active component. After poling, characterization of electrical impedance was made and an acoustic spectroscopy technique used to analyze the vibrating behavior of PZT discs over different substrates in order to know typical parameters of the film. Also a dark field Schlieren technique was employed to evaluate emission field in water. It has been found that thick film piezoelectric layer of this material has a lower piezoelectric charge constant d/sub 33/ and remanent polarization than the bulk one. Electrical impedance and acoustic emission analysis shows two main resonance modes, one of the PZT layer itself and other with the substrate and PZT vibrating as a whole. We also show some results evaluating a manufactured array structure with this technology and coupling modes through the substrate.