Sol-Gel PZT for MEMS Applications

Thin-film piezoelectric materials offer an alternative transduction mechanism to electrostatic actuation and capacitive sensing with many attractive advantages for applications in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Researchers at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory are utilizing sol-gel deposited lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin-films in developing several new MEMS technologies, including high frequency filters, magnetometers, micropumps, and pressure sensors. The fabrication procedure and an overview of the technologies being developed are reported.