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Design and integration of a piezoelectric vibrating device in an LTCC structure

Darko Belavič (HIPOT-RR, Otočec, Slovenia, and Department of Electronic Ceramics, Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia and Centre of Excellence NAMASTE, Ljubljana, Slovenia)
Andraž Bradeško (Department of Electronic Ceramics, Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia)
Tomaz Kos (Department of Systems and Control, Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia)
Tadej Rojac (Department of Electronic Ceramics, Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia and Centre of Excellence NAMASTE, Ljubljana, Slovenia)

Microelectronics International

ISSN: 1356-5362

Article publication date: 7 August 2017

171

Abstract

Purpose

In this contribution, the design and integration of a piezoelectric vibrating device into low-temperature, co-fired ceramic (LTCC) structures are presented and discussed. The mechanical vibration of the diaphragm was stimulated with a piezoelectric actuator, which was integrated onto the diaphragm. Three different methods for the integration were designed, fabricated and evaluated.

Design/methodology/approach

The vibrating devices were designed as an edge-clamped diaphragm with an integrated piezoelectric actuator at its centre, whose role is to stimulate the vibration of the diaphragm via the converse piezoelectric effect. The design and feasibility study of the vibrating devices was supported by analytical methods and finite-element analyses.

Findings

The benchmarking of the ceramic vibrating devices showed that the thick-film piezoelectric actuator responds weakly in comparison with both the bulk actuators. On the other hand, the thick-film actuator has the lowest dissipation factor and it generates the largest displacement of the diaphragm with the lowest driving voltage. The resonance frequency of the vibrating device with the thick-film actuator is the most sensitive for an applied load (i.e. mass or pressure).

Research limitations/implications

Research activity includes the design and the fabrication of a piezoelectric vibrating device in the LTCC structure. The research work on the piezoelectric properties of integrated piezoelectric actuators was limited.

Practical implications

Piezoelectric vibrating devices were used as pressure sensors.

Originality/value

Piezoelectric vibrating devices could be used not only for pressure sensors but also for other type of sensors and detectors and for microbalances.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Mr. Mitja Jerlah and Mr. Silvo Drnovšek for the fabrication of, respectively, the test samples and the piezoelectric devices.

The financial support of the M-ERA.NET consortium (Ministries, Agencies and Companies from Slovenia, Romania and Poland) for the international applied research project PiezoMEMS, and the Slovenian Research Agency for the basic research project J2-5483 and research programme P2-0105 is gratefully acknowledged.

Citation

Belavič, D., Bradeško, A., Kos, T. and Rojac, T. (2017), "Design and integration of a piezoelectric vibrating device in an LTCC structure", Microelectronics International, Vol. 34 No. 3, pp. 121-126. https://doi.org/10.1108/MI-02-2017-0008

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

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