A Screen Printed Multilayer PZT Actuator with an Integrated Force Sensor

Abstract
A thick film hybrid, combining a PZT (Pb0.97Nd002(Ti0.45Zr0.55)O3) low voltage multilayer micromovement actuator and a force sensor, has been realised using a specially developed double paste printing (DPP) method. The transducer structure is capable of working in pressure sensing applications where two clamped opposing surfaces are subjected to a static force loading. A decrease in capacitor voltage under static force conditions — a problem of the leakage current — was avoided by implementing a small force-inducing dynamic displacement (180 nm) multilayer (24 layers, layer thickness of 40 urn) actuator, vibrating at a frequency of 100 Hz, underneath of the force capacitor. The prototype transducer with the force capacitor thickness of 1.0 mm was able to measure static forces in the range of 0 to 10 N.
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