Study of self-actuated screen-printed PZT-cantilevers

Usually, resonating cantilevers come from silicon technology and are generally activated with pure bending mode. In this work, we suggest to combine high sensitive cantilever structure with full self-actuated piezoelectric thick-film for high electrical-mechanical coupling. This cantilever is realized through the screen-printing deposition associated with a sacrificial layer. The beam part of the cantilever is composed of a PZT layer between two gold electrodes. Optimum performances of ferroelectric ceramics strongly rely on their composition and microstructure which imply generally the use of mechanical pressure and very high sintering temperature. These conditions are not compatible with the screen-printing process. As already shown with ceramics, addition of eutectic composition Li2CO3-CuO-Bi2O3 or borosilicate glass-frit to PZT powder and application of isostatic pressure, the sintering temperature of cantilevers may be decreased. Screen-printed piezoelectric samples are thus fired at 850°C, 900°C and...