“Gen III” Piezoelectric PMN-PZT Single Crystal Sensors and Actuators for Structural Health Monitoring Application

Abstract

Crystallographically engineered Relaxor-PT single crystals, specifically PMN-PT (Generation I) and PIN-PMN-PT/PMN-PZT (Generation II), offer much higher piezoelectric and electromechanical coupling coefficients (d33 > 1,500 pC/N, k33 > 0.9), when compared to polycrystalline PZT ceramics. Recently Ceracomp Co., Ltd. (www.ceracomp.com) has developed the solid-state single crystal growth (SSCG) technique and successfully fabricated Gen III PMN-PZT single crystals modified with acceptors or donors [Fig. 1]. The piezoelectric constants (d33) of (001) Gen III PMN-PZT single crystals were measured to be higher than 4,000 pC/N and thus about two times higher than those of PMN-PT/PZN-PT (Gen I) and PIN-PMN-PT/PMN-PZT (Gen II) single crystals. The Gen III PMN-PZT single crystals have been firstly applied to single crystal-epoxy composites, ultrasonic transducers, piezoelectric sensors, and piezoelectric actuators [Fig. 2]. In this presentation, we will introduce the development of high performance piezoelectric sensors and actuators by using the Gen III PMN-PZT single crystals for SHM (structural health monitoring) application.