Piezoelectric Materials

By
Sayantan Das
Dept. of Metallurgy & Material
Engg.
Jadavpur University

History of Piezoelectric Materials

Pierre and Jacques Curie discover in 1880 that some crystals got
electrically polarized when compressed, the charge induced being
proportional to pressure and disappearing when the charge is
withdrawn.
This was based on Curies correspondence between pyro
electricity and crystal symmetry and marked the important
discovery of the existence of hemihedral axis within these
crystals.
The direct piezoelectric effect did not come into picture until the
First World War where quartz crystals were used in SONAR . This
was replaced in the Second World War by Barium Titanate, and
this has become one of the most important piezoelectric materials
in the world

Piezoelectricity: what is it?

Direct piezoelectric effect :- Electric
polarization produced by mechanical Strain
in crystals belonging to a certain class and
changing sign with it.
Converse piezoelectric effect :-Phenomenon
by which crystals become strained when
electrically polarized , amount being
proportional to strength of external field
and changing sign along with the field.

Simple mathematical treatment of

piezoelectricity
Piezoelectricity is the combined effect
of: The linear electrical behavior of the
material:
D=.E where D is the electric charge density
displacement (electric displacement), is
permittivity (free-body dielectric constant), E is
electric field strength.

Hooke's Law for linear elastic materials:

S= s.T where S is strain, s is compliance under

Crystallographic aspects of
piezoelectric materials
Piezoelectric materials are those whose
crystal lattice do not have a center of
symmetry (i.e. non-centro symmetric ). For
them, the center of gravity of the positive and
negative charges do not intersect and any
application of stress results in unsymmetrical
movement of atoms and leads to the creation
of an electric dipole. The axis joining the
centers of gravity of the positive and negative
charges are the hemihedral axes.

Differences between ferro, pyro and piezoelectric

materials

Piezoelectric materials are a broader class under which come

pyroelectrics and Ferro electrics. Only those pyroelectric materials which
are spontaneously polarized and polarization is switchable with direction
of electric field are known as ferro electric materials, while those whose
polarization direction is not switchable are called pyroelectrics.

Types of piezoelectric materials

Naturally occurring crystals :- Berlinite (AlPO 4),
cane sugar, Quartz, Rochelle salt, Topaz,
Tourmaline Group Minerals, and dry bone (apatite
crystals)
Man-made crystals:- Gallium orthophosphate
(GaPO4), Langasite (La3Ga5SiO14)
Man-made ceramics:- Barium titanate (BaTiO3),
Lead titanate (PbTiO3), Lead Zirconate Titanate
(Pb[ZrxTi1-x]O3 0<x<1) - More commonly known as
PZT, Potassium Niobate (KNbO3), Lithium niobate
(LiNbO3), Lithium tantalate (LiTaO3), Sodium
tungstate (NaxWO3), Ba2NaNb5O5, Pb2KNb5O15 .

Quartz: The Most Abundant

Piezoelectric material
Most

abundant and widely used.

Non- ferroelectric.
Alternating field applied to the crystal-it vibrates
with a characteristic frequency which depends on
the crystal geometry.
Hexagonal structure(- quartz)
E.g. crystal oscillators are used as frequency
standards in watches, electronic clocks, computer
clocks

Gallium orthophosphate
Discovered in 1980 mainly to meet the
requirement of a high temperature sensors
Non- ferroelectric
Isotypic with quartz but piezoelectric effect is
doubled .
Triagonal crystal structure( similar to -quartz)
Thermal stability up to 970oC
E.g. piezoelectric pressure sensors at high
temperatures and for high temperature
microbalance

Barium Titanate First Manmade

ferroelectric crystal
Discovered during World War II in 1941
and 1944 in the United States, Russia, and
Japan.
Ferroelectric
Has a low curie temperature of about 170o
C
Tetragonal crystal structure
E.g. microphones and other transducers,
thermistors and self-regulating electric
heating systems, thermal cameras.

Polyvinylidene fluoride-The piezopolymer

In 1961 polyvinylidene fluoride, a piezoelectric plastic was
invented.
Substantial piezoelectricity can be permanently induced by
heating stretched films of PVDF to about 100 oC followed by
cooling to ambient temperature with a strong DC electric field
(about 300kVcm-1) applied. This treatment is called Polling.
melting point: 154-184oC , tensile strength at break: 36-56
MPa, elongation at break: 25-500%
When a sheet of PVDF is compressed or stretched, an electric
charge is generated and collected on the surfaces. The PVDF
sheet is metallized on both sides which acts as electrodes
E.g. tactile sensor arrays, inexpensive strain gauges and
lightweight audio transducers, binder material used in the
production of composite electrodes for lithium ion batteries

Application of Piezoelectric Materials

Sonic and Ultrasonic Applications

Sonar with Ultrasonic
time-domain reflectometers.
Materials testing to detect flaws
inside cast metals and
stone objects(Ultrasonic probe)
Measure elasticity or viscosity
in gases and liquids
Used in Compact sensitive
microphones and guitar pickups.
Loudspeakers.

Pressure Applications
Transient pressure measurement to
study explosives, internal combustion
engines (knock sensors), and any other
vibrations, accelerations, or impacts.
Piezoelectric microbalances are used
as very sensitive chemical and biological sensors.
Transducers are used in electronic drum
pads to detect the impact of the drummer's sticks.
Energy Harvesting from impact on the ground
Atomic force and scanning tunneling
microscopes.
Electric igniters and cigarette lighters

Consumer Electronics Applications

Quartz crystals resonators as frequency
stabilizers for oscillators in all computers.
Phonograph pick-ups
Accelerometers: In a piezoelectric
accelerometer a mass is attached
to a spring that is attached to a
piezoelectric crystal. When subjected to
vibration the mass compresses and
stretches the piezo electric crystal. (iPhone)

Motor Applications
Piezoelectric elements can be used
in laser mirror alignment, where their
ability to move a large mass
(the mirror mount) over microscopic
distances is exploited. By electronically
vibrating the mirror it gives the light
reflected off it a Doppler shift to fine
tune the laser's frequency.
The piezo motor is viewed as a
high-precision replacement for the
stepper motor.
Traveling-wave motors used for auto-focus in
cameras.

Pyro electric application: A special mention

Pyroelectric Detectors/Sensors
PIR sensors allow you to sense motion, almost always
used to detect whether a human has moved in or out of
the sensors range.

Concluding Remarks
Piezoelectric Materials are an
important class of dielectrics that find
use in a wide range of instruments and
gadgets because of their unique
property to convert pressure to
electricity and vice-versa. Its one of
the most important discoveries that
were made in the world of electronics
in particular and materials in general