PIEZOCERAMIC

P IEZO S YSTEMS , I NC . APPLICATION DATA

186 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02139 • Tel: (617) 547-1777 • Fax: (617) 354-2200 • Web: www.piezo.com • E-mail: [email protected]

I N T R O D U C T I O N TO P I E Z O E L E C T R I C I T Y

When a piezoceramic element is faces found on the finished element

stressed electrically by a voltage, its (Figure 1b). When the mechanical
dimensions change. When it is stress or strain is shear, the subscript
stressed mechanically by a force, it 5 is used in the second place.
generates an electric charge. If the
electrodes are not short-circuited, a Piezoelectric coefficients with double
voltage associated with the charge subscripts link electrical and mechan-
appears. ical quantities. The first subscript
gives the direction of the electrical Figure - 1a
A piezoceramic is therefore capable field associated with the voltage
of acting as either a sensing or trans- applied, or the charge produced. The
mitting element, or both. Since piezo- second subscript gives the direction
ceramic elements are capable of gen- of the mechanical stress or strain.
erating very high voltages, they are
compatible with today’s generation of Several piezoceramic material con-
solid-state devices — rugged, com- stants may be written with a “super-
pact, reliable, and efficient. script” which specifies either a
mechanical or electrical boundary
The following text describes the ter- condition. The superscripts are T, E, D
minology of piezoceramics and the and S, signifying:
relationship among variables for func- Figure - 1b
tional applications. T = constant stress
= mechanically free
E = constant field = short circuit
RELATIONSHIPS D = constant electrical displacement
Relationships between applied forces = open circuit
and the resultant responses depend S = constant strain
upon: the piezoelectric properties of = mechanically clamped
the ceramic; the size and shape of the As an example, KT3 expresses the
piece; and the direction of the electri- relative dielectric constant (K), mea-
cal and mechanical excitation. sured in the polar direction (3) with
To identify directions in a piezoceram- no mechanical clamping applied. Figure - 2a
ic element, three axes are used. These
axes, termed 1, 2 and 3, are analogous "D" CONSTANT
to X,Y and Z of the classical three The piezoelectric constants relating
dimensional orthogonal set of axes the mechanical strain produced by an
(Figure 1a) applied electric field are termed the
strain constants, or the “d” coeffi-
The polar or 3 axis is taken parallel to
cients. The units may then be
the direction of polarization within
expressed as meters per meter, per
the ceramic. This direction is estab-
volts per meter (meters per volt).
lished during manufacturing by a high
DC voltage that is applied between a strain developed Figure - 2b
pair of electroded faces to activate d=
applied electric field
the material. The polarization vector
“P” is represented by an arrow point- It is useful to remember that large dij
ing from the positive to the negative constants relate to large mechanical
poling electrode. In shear operations, displacements which are usually
these poling electrodes are later sought in motional transducer
removed and replaced by electrodes devices. Conversely, the coefficient
deposited on a second pair of faces. may be viewed as relating the charge
In this event, the 3 axis is not altered, collected on the electrodes, to the
but is then parallel to the electroded applied mechanical stress. d33 applies Figure - 2c

57 CATALOG #7, 2006

PIEZOCERAMIC
APPLICATION DATA P IEZO S YSTEMS , I NC .
186 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02139 • Tel: (617) 547-1777 • Fax: (617) 354-2200 • Web: www.piezo.com • E-mail: [email protected]

when the force is in the 3 direction the thickness of ceramic between (ε0= 8.9 x 10-12 farads/meter) and
(along the polarization axis) and is electrodes. A “33” subscript indicates electrode surface area, and then
impressed on the same surface on that the electric field and the mechan- dividing by the thickness separating
which the charge is collected (Figure ical stress are both along the polariza- the electrodes. Units are expressed
2a). d31 applies when the charge is tion axis. (Figure 2a.) A “31” sub- in farads.
collected on the same surface as script signifies that the pressure is
before, but the force is applied at right applied at right angles to the polariza- K ε0 A
tion axis, but the voltage appears on C =
angles to the polarization axis (Figure t
2b). the same electrodes as in the “33”
case. (Figure 2b.) K3 is related to the capacitance
The subscripts in d15 indicate that the
A “15” subscript implies that the between the original poling elec-
charge is collected on electrodes
applied stress is shear and that the trodes. K1 is related to the capaci-
which are at right angles to the origi-
resulting electric field is perpendicular tance between the second pair of
nal poling electrodes and that the
to the polarization axis. (Figure 2c.) electrodes applied after removal of
applied mechanical stress is shear
the poling electrodes for the purpos-
(Figure 2c.) High gij constants favor large voltage es of shear excitation.
The units for the dij coefficients output, and are sought after for sen-
sors. At frequencies far below resonance,
are commonly expressed as
piezoelectric ceramic transduc-
coulombs/square meter per new- Although the g coefficient are called ers are fundamentally capacitors.
ton/square meter. voltage coefficients, it is also correct Consequently, the voltage coeffi-
to say the gij is the ratio of strain cients gij are related to the charge
short circuit charge density developed over the applied charge
d= coefficients dij by the dielectric con-
applied mechanical stress density with units of meters per stant Ki as, in a capacitor, the voltage
meter over coulombs per square V is related to the charge Q by the
When the force that is applied is dis- meter. capacitance C. The equations are:
tributed over an area which is fully
covered by electrodes (even if that is strain developed Q = CV
only a portion of the total electrode)
g=
applied charge density d33 = KT3 ε0 g33
the units of area cancel from the d31 = KT3 ε0 g31
equation and the coefficient may be d15 = KT1 ε0 g15
expressed in terms of change per unit DIELECTRIC CONSTANTS
force, coulombs per newton. To view The relative dielectric constant is the
the dij coefficients in this manner is ratio of the permittivity of the material, COUPLING COEFFICIENTS
useful when charge generators are ε, to the permittivity of free space, ε0, Electromechanical coupling k33, k31,
contemplated, e.g., accelerometers. in the unconstrained condition, i.e., well
kp, and k15 describe the conversion
below the mechanical resonance of the
part. of energy by the ceramic element
“G” CONSTANT from electrical to mechanical form or
vice versa. The ratio of the stored
The piezoelectric constants relating
K=
permittivity of material ε converted energy of one kind
the electric field produced by a permittivity of free space = ε0
mechanical stress are termed the volt- (mechanical or electrical) to the
age constants, or the “g” coefficients. input energy of the second kind
The units may then be expressed as (electrical or mechanical) is defined
volts/meter per newton/square meter. CAPACITANCE as the square of the coupling coeffi-
Whereas the relative dielectric cons- cient.
tant is strictly a material property, the mechanical energy stored
open circuit electric field k=
g= capacitance is a quantity dependent on electrical energy applied
applied mechanical stress
the type of material and its dimen-
or
sions. Capacitance is calculated by
Output voltage is obtained by multi- multiplying the relative dielectric con- electrical energy stored
k=
plying the calculated electric field by stant by the permittivity of free space mechanical energy applied

CATALOG #7, 2006 58

 PIEZOCERAMIC
P IEZO S YSTEMS , I NC . APPLICATION DATA
186 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02139 • Tel: (617) 547-1777 • Fax: (617) 354-2200 • Web: www.piezo.com • E-mail: [email protected]

Subscripts denote the relative direc- to shear strain. Units are usually AGING RATE
tions of electrical and mechanical newtons/square meter.
quantities and the kind of motion Aging is the attempt of the ceramic to
It should be clearly understood that change back to its original state prior
involved. They can be associated with
the piezoceramic properties to polarization. Aging of piezoelectric
vibratory modes of certain simple
described above are defined for ideal ceramics is a logarithmic function with
transducer shapes; k33 is appropriate
shapes measured under ideal time. The aging rate defines change in
for a long thin bar, electroded on the
mechanical and electrical boundary the material parameters per decade of
ends, and polarized along the length,
conditions. When put to use under time, i.e., 1-10 days, 5-50 days, etc.
and vibrating in a simple length
practical device operating condi-
expansion and contraction. k31
tions, the predicted performance is
relates to a long thin bar, electroded
approached but seldom realized. PYROELECTRICITY
on a pair of long faces, polarized in
Non-ideal shapes and non-ideal Piezoelectric materials are also pyro-
thickness, and vibrating in simple
boundary conditions contribute to electric. They produce electric charge
length expansion and contraction. kp
transduction losses due to such as they undergo a temperature
signifies the coupling of electrical and
things as standing waves, interfering change. When their temperature is
mechanical energy in a thin round
vibrational modes, pseudo-clamping, increased, a voltage develops having
disc, polarized in thickness and vibrat-
stray electric and dielectric resis- the same orientation as the polariza-
ing in radial expansion and contrac-
tances. Since the possibilities are tion voltage. When their temperature
tion. k15 describes the energy con-
infinite, the designer must evaluate is decreased, a voltage develops hav-
version in a thickness shear vibration.
each component under the use con- ing an orientation opposite to the
Since these coefficients are energy
ditions for which it is intended. polarization voltage, creating a depo-
ratios, they are dimensionless.
larizing field with the potential to
YOUNG’S MODULUS DENSITY degrade the state of polarization of
the part.
As with all solids, piezoelectric ceram- The ratio of the mass to volume in
ics have mechanical stiffness proper- the material, expressed in kg/m3 The maximum electric field which
ties described as Young’s Modulus. arises due to a temperature shift is:
Young’s Modulus is the ratio of stress mass
ρ=
volume α ( ∆T)
(force per unit area) to strain (change E(pyro) =
in length per unit length). K3 ε0

stress DISSIPATION FACTOR where E(pyro) is the induced electric

Y= A measure of the dielectric losses in field in volts/meter, α is the pyroelec-
strain
the material-defined as the tangent of tric coefficient in Coulomb/°C
Because mechanical stressing of the the loss angle or the ratio of parallel meter2, ∆T is the temperature differ-
ceramic produces an electrical resistance to the parallel reactance, ence in °C, K3 is the dielectric con-
response which opposes the resultant expressed in percent. stant, and ε0 is the dielectric permit-
strain, the effective Young’s Modulus tivity of free space. For PZT piezoce-
with electrodes short circuited is MECHANICAL (QM) ramic, α is typically ~ 400x10-6
lower than with the electrodes open coulomb/°C meter2.
circuited. In addition, the stiffness is The ratio of reactance to resistance
different in the 3 direction from that in the equivalent series circuit repre-
in the 1 or 2 direction. Therefore, in senting the mechanical vibrating res- CRYOGENIC
expressing such quantities both direc- onant system. The shape of the part The piezoelectric strain coefficient
tion and electrical conditions must be affects the value. decreases significantly at cryogenic
specified. YE33 is the ratio of stress to temperatures, but does not vanish.
strain in the 3 direction at constant CURIE TEMPERATURE At 77°K and 4.2°K the strain coeffi-
field E (electrodes shorted). YD33 is The temperature at which the crystal cient decreases to about 33% and
the equivalent with the electrodes structure changes from a non-sym- 14% respectively, of its room temper-
open circuited. YE11 and YD11 are the metrical (piezoelectric) to a symmet- ature value. However, the coercive
moduli in the 1 or 2 direction. YE55 rical (non-piezoelectric) form, field increases, allowing the piezo to
and YD55 are the ratios of shear stress expressed in degrees Celsius. be driven harder.

59 CATALOG #7, 2006