Performance of hydrothermal PZT film on high intensity operation

The deposition processes of PZT thin films have been described in many reports, yet there have been no descriptions of the performance of PZT films at high intensity operation. Hydrothermally-deposited PZT film transducers were examined at large vibration amplitude levels at resonance frequencies. It was demonstrated that the hydrothermal PZT film expresses superior performance with regard to linearity and maximum vibration velocity. The linearity of frequency responses at around the resonance frequency was excellent and superior to bulk material up to high intensity operation. The characteristics of longitudinal transducers using films formed under two deposition processes were tested. The maximum vibration velocity was 2.24 m/s when the thickness of the film was 38 mum and the driving voltage was 145 Vp-p. This velocity value was much larger than bulk PZT materials for high power applications. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.