Preparation and electromechanical properties of PZT/PGO thick films on alumina substrate

PZT thick films with lead germanate as low temperature sintering aid were prepared on alumina substrates. The thickness of films after sintering procedures reached 50 mum. Chemical compatibility and microstructure of layers was studied by EDS/SEM analysis. A fit between theoretical and experimental electrical impedance of several samples as a function of frequency is used to determine the elastic, dielectric and piezoelectric properties in thickness mode of the ceramic layers. Results for different poling fields (3 and 12 kV/mm) and sintering temperatures are obtained. Finally, the KLM equivalent circuit is used to obtain simulations of transducers integrating these thick films and their performance for medical imaging applications is evaluated. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.