Processing and Characterization of Piezoelectric Thick Films Screen-Printed on Silicon and Glass-Ceramic Substrates

Lead titanate modified with calcium (PT) and Pb(Zr 0.52 Ti 0.48 )O 3 (PZT) thick films (in the range 30-100 w m) have been screen-printed on various substrates: alumina, silicon, glass-ceramic and stainless steel. Different sintering aids including Li 2 CO 3 --Bi 2 O 3 --CuO and PbO--GeO 2 --SiO 2 have been tested on thick films and corresponding bulk ceramics. PT films on glass-ceramic and stainless steel substrates, previously electroded with Ag--Pd, have good properties close to the properties of the bulk ceramics: permittivity of 100-160 and d 33 of 40-55 pC/N values have been obtained. PZT films on Pt/Ti/SiO 2 /Si substrates having dielectric permittivity of 500 and piezoelectric constant d 33 of 150 pC/N with a high coupling factor value have been obtained with a good repeatability. The influence of different electrodes on the film properties and methods used for the characterization of such films clamped on substrates have been discussed.