Fabrication of Piezoelectric PZT Film Actuators on Thin Metal Plates Prepared by a Hydrothermal Method

Abstract

Hydrothermal lead zirconate titanate (Pb(Zr,Ti)O 3 : PZT) films with a thickness of about 10 µm on both a Ti foil and a Ti layer sputtered stainless steel foil were obtained. Both PZT films showed same morphology and crystallinity. Each transverse piezoelectric constant (d 31 ) was estimated by a tip displacement measurement with cantilever shape. The d 31 value of the PZT films on Ti layer sputtered SS foils is -29 pm/V, which is larger than that on the Ti foil (-24 pm/V). Amorphous layers consist of Pb and Ti were observed at the interfaces between the PZT and the Ti in both films. The thickness of the layer for the PZT film on Ti foil (350 nm) is thicker than that for the film on SS foil (200 nm). The relative permittivity of the amorphous layer is estimated to be small compared with that of PZT. Accordingly, the effective electric field for PZT layer is decreased. The difference of d 31 values between the obtained PZT films is thought to be depended on the thickness of the amorphous layer.