Application of gel-casting to the fabrication of 1-3 piezoelectric ceramic-polymer composites for high-frequency ultrasound devices

TY - JOUR

T1 - Application of gel-casting to the fabrication of 1-3 piezoelectric ceramic-polymer composites for high-frequency ultrasound devices

AU - García-Gancedo, L.

AU - Olhero, S.M.

AU - Alves, F.J.

AU - Ferreira, J.M.F.

AU - Demoré, C.E.M.

AU - Cochran, S.

AU - Button, T.W.

N1 - Copyright 2012 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

PY - 2012/12

Y1 - 2012/12

N2 - A modified gel-casting technique was used to fabricate a 1-3 piezoelectric ceramic/polymer composite substrate formed by irregular-shaped pillar arrays of small dimensions and kerfs. This technique involves the polymerization of aqueous piezoelectric (PZT) suspensions with added water-soluble epoxy resin and polyamine-based hardener that lead to high strength, high density and resilient ceramic bodies. Soft micromoulding was used to shape the ceramic segments, and micropillars with lateral features down to 4 m and height-to-width aspect ratios of ~10 were achieved. The composite exhibited a clear thickness resonance mode at approximately 70 MHz and a k eff ~ 0.51, demonstrating that the ceramic micropillars possess good electrical properties. Furthermore, gel-casting allows the fabrication of ceramic structures with non-conventional shapes; hence, device design is not limited by the standard fabrication methods. This is of particular benefit for high-frequency transducers where the critical design dimensions are reduced.

AB - A modified gel-casting technique was used to fabricate a 1-3 piezoelectric ceramic/polymer composite substrate formed by irregular-shaped pillar arrays of small dimensions and kerfs. This technique involves the polymerization of aqueous piezoelectric (PZT) suspensions with added water-soluble epoxy resin and polyamine-based hardener that lead to high strength, high density and resilient ceramic bodies. Soft micromoulding was used to shape the ceramic segments, and micropillars with lateral features down to 4 m and height-to-width aspect ratios of ~10 were achieved. The composite exhibited a clear thickness resonance mode at approximately 70 MHz and a k eff ~ 0.51, demonstrating that the ceramic micropillars possess good electrical properties. Furthermore, gel-casting allows the fabrication of ceramic structures with non-conventional shapes; hence, device design is not limited by the standard fabrication methods. This is of particular benefit for high-frequency transducers where the critical design dimensions are reduced.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84870312698

U2 - 10.1088/0960-1317/22/12/125001

DO - 10.1088/0960-1317/22/12/125001

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84870312698

SN - 0960-1317

VL - 22

JO - Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering

JF - Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering

IS - 12

M1 - 125001

ER -